Watch me

[mattm04]

A user had a problem accessing a website their department uses. They send a help desk ticket saying "When I try to access <website> i get a error." at 9:05 AM All the information I need.

I send a email back asking for more info. After several emails I get the error message and do some research. It's a very simple fix, force the browser to accept cookies from a URL. Change a setting in the web browser preferences. I tell the user how to access the prefs and tell them to click <tab> and click "Exceptions" and type in said URL. Close window. Done at 10 AM. Simple right? No.

The Next day at 4:45 PM

I get a email from said user, who has now discovered how to format emails. They used 48 pt bold font in all caps. "YOU PEOPLE ARE A JOKE! I SENT YOU A HELP REQUEST! ALL YOU PEOPLE DID WAS TELL ME TO CLICK A BUTTON AND TYPE SOMETHING LIKE IT SOME MAGIC FIX! IT'S NOT FIXED! WHY DID YOU GERT SO LAZY AND TELL ME TO CLICK A BUTTON! GET ME A SOLUTION NOW! A ACTUAL SOLUTION BY 4:50 TODAY!"

I replied back, "Did you click the Exceptions button and type in the URL? If not it won't work. That is the solution."

Same day 4:51 PM

User responds, again 48 pt font bold all caps "I WILL NOT CLICK IT! FIX IT! I HAVE ALREADY EMAILED YOU BOSS AND ALL THE EXECUTIVES ABOUT THIS INCIDENT!"

Same day 4:53

I reply back, "Again, click Exceptions, type the URL. If you cant find it call us we will help you, it takes all of 30 seconds."

Same day 4:55

User responds, again 48 pt font bold all caps "I WILL NOT TRY YOUR FIX THAT WILL NOT WORK!"

Ok fine at 4:58 I tell the user if they do not try it and see if it works or not, I will close the ticket since they will not work with us.

At 5:01 user responds "I WILL GET YOU FIRED! I HAVE RECORDS!"

At 5:03 I reply. "The ticket is closed. I have sent the entire history of the ticket to the executive leadership."

At 5:04 the user sends me a email (in normal typing) "Did you send it yet. I tried it. It works, never mind."

At 5:05 i reply, "sorry, too late. I a have forwarded both of these messages to exec leadership also"

It should be a few fun days coming up.

[Damien]

this should be good, bookmarking this topic... keep us posted

[EvilEmpryss]

LOL!!! Please, please, PLEASE click on the link that will bring you back here and type in the update to this story!

I can't wait to hear what happens next!

[lordlundar]

And here's a reminder of how sysadmins work.

[gunsage]

That. Is. AWESOME. Well done!

[Talon]

LOL Fail!

That (l)user sounds like the Sales Guy from this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8_Kfjo3VjU

"I can't sort your icons by penis!"

[Sandman]

I'll start making some popcorn for everyone! This one should be epic.

[TheRabbi]

That is, in fact, the correct response. Bravo!

I too am bookmarking this thread. Please give us the play-by-play!

[mattm04]

UPDATE

I got a call from my boss. Some exec had called them about the email I sent them and (l)user sent. As i suspected the (l)user had no documentation to back up their story, just a whiny email that for some reason they sent in all caps.

Anyway my boss asked some questions and had me prepare a packet with all the documentation they could print and give to the execs at their next meeting where this would be a agenda item.

[Blade_Raver]

I predict 1 of 2 things can happen at that next Exec Meeting..

1) The (l)user is going to get chewed out and possibly fired in the meeting. (98% chance)

2) The executives are going to have a "OMG WTF am I thinking?" moment and decide that (l)user's approach should be the new protocol in dealing with your department. (2% chance)

Regardless, the popcorn bowl is in my lap and I'm munching in pure suspense. Please tell us how it goes!

[emax4]

This looks like an epic win on your part.. I can feel the excitement.

It makes me think of something though.. What happens when you have someone that's pretty experienced and knows what they're doing when it comes to these things, yet who isn't an IT specialist? Do you prefer that they try to fix it themselves in basic form before calling in a ticket? The drawback is that they may end up doing more damage, but the payoff, when it works, is that it is fixed right away and saves you guys the trouble. I've called in to tech support but have told the rep "I have experience in this but will only do exactly what you tell me to do", as I'm sure they've gotten people saying they know more than the tech but have proven themselves incapable.

[Wenchie]

Subscribed to this thread... this sounds just like a caller I had earlier today. She didn't understand that the fix for her was turning off a pop up blocker. Went through 4 emails and a phone call before I finally convinced her to try to turn it off just to verify if that was the problem.

Sure enough?

It's funny how you can read "sheepish" in an email or hear it over the phone!

[mattm04]

And the result...

The big meeting was this morning. Due to prior engagements I was not able to attend but my boss did, with all documentation in hand, and copies for everyone.

Anyway, on to the fun part. The (l)user walk in with biggest smirk. They had some notes. Some exec asked them to explain their side. They did, with plenty of embellishment. My boss noted it. Then it was IT turn. Simply read the full history I had, plus a few emails (l)user sent to my boss. It was not going good for our user, they denied a bunch of stuff and said we told them differently. Exec asked how and where. They some forgot how, what and where.

They whined over the details and how we never told them things and what not. Eventually they gave up and said we were correct, only because they "lost" the proof to prove us wrong.

Finally it got moved to a Exec, user and HR only situation. Boss was later told that they were warned not to do it again, next time they do something dumb their job will be affected in some way, but hat is all HR would tell us for our notes and to tell them immideatley if they do something dumb again.

[mattm04]

This looks like an epic win on your part.. I can feel the excitement.

It makes me think of something though.. What happens when you have someone that's pretty experienced and knows what they're doing when it comes to these things, yet who isn't an IT specialist? Do you prefer that they try to fix it themselves in basic form before calling in a ticket? The drawback is that they may end up doing more damage, but the payoff, when it works, is that it is fixed right away and saves you guys the trouble. I've called in to tech support but have told the rep "I have experience in this but will only do exactly what you tell me to do", as I'm sure they've gotten people saying they know more than the tech but have proven themselves incapable.

If it's a legit work-related site that needs pop-up enabled, or cookies allowed or a simple restart will do it, we don't care. If it is a reoccurring issue or anything more major than clicking "allow pop up" we want to know as these are usually more serous issues that will eventually get them POed at us because they let it drag on and never told us.

[technical.angel]

Woot! Major (l)user pwanage!