Tweet
Sunday started my work week with a whimper.... wait, that whimper was me, hiding in the corner from the abuse of my callers.
The trend continues.
Monday was... horrid. 12 hour day, call after call after call. None of the issues were difficult issues to solve. At least, they wouldn't have been if the callers had actually listened. But we know this never happens.
Typical call, repeated at least 10 times through the day:
SC: You need to help me with this NOW.
Me: I'll be happy to, I'll just walk you though...
SC: <cuts me off> Why is this taking so long?
Me: We need to walk through some troubleshooting. Up at the top of the browser on the left, do you see a toolbar that says "File Edit View Favorites Tools Help?"
SC: No.
Me: Ok... on the top right do you have an option for Tools?
SC: No.
Me: You're using Internet Explorer, so you have to have one of those options. Can you try right-clicking up at the top of the page and see if it gives you an option for Menu Bar?
SC: No.
Me: You have have an option?
SC: No, I don't why I have to do this.
Me:
Me: I need to walk you through this so we can figure out why <insert our site> isn't running correctly.
SC: You need to figure out how to fix it. It shouldn't be my responsibility.
And yes, I also received this SAME EXACT CALL for firefox and safari and chrome. The position of the toolbars (or what they say) may change, but the stupidity stayed the same.
And so on & so forth.
Because yesterday was the day of no one understanding that not all computers are configured the same and not all computers have the same programs. I had at least 3 people bitch at me because they needed to install java and adobe reader for an add-on system that's maintained by an outside vendor of ours. All 3 of them said that we shouldn't require the agents to install anything to use a website. All 3 of them also fully believe that all programs that they might ever want to use should come pre-installed on their computer. And all 3 of them through it was MY personal fault that they actually had to do something.
And then there were the membership calls.
Those started last yesterday (after Membership closed, of course) and continued through today... which is also a 12 hr day, btw. One of the boards inactivated a bunch of their members for some reason. Since they have to be a member in good standing with a board to gain access to our site, their memberships to our site were temporarily inactivated until they fix the issue with the board.
That is also apparently my fault.
A few of the callers had switched offices. I explained that the board was probably processing the office change, and they have to inactivate the person from the old office because they can add them to the new office. As soon as they had the new office information processed they can send it to use. It's an overnight process once we get the information. The entire transfer from one office to another normally takes 24-48 hours total, from the board to us.
This is too long. And this is MY fault. Of course.
A few callers were inactive because they didn't pay their board dues. This is also my fault apparently. And we should NEVER turn off their MLS access just because they didn't pay the board. Regardless of the fact that they know they need to be in good standing with the board, they paid us so we should keep their status active. Besides, they were planning to pay the board and we should have known that... and that's good enough, right?
Nope, sorry. I can't accept your promise to pay. We HAVE to receive that reactivation from the board.
And the universe continues to plot against me
And then there were the two 45 minute calls in a row, back to back, dealing with an issue with one of our vendor programs. Now, there wasn't a problem with the program. And the calls should have been much shorter. But both callers suffered from "failure to listen" and "failure to follow instructions" AS WELL AS "failure to give me correct answers." These calls should have taken 10-15 minutes TOPS. And of course, this was MY fault as well, since I didn't magically solve their problems with a wave of my wand. Or something.
Moment of Humor?
My team lead volunteered to work the day after Turkey-Om-Nom-Day so no one else has to. She's taking one of the IP phone home so she doesn't have to work in the office. Not a problem.
Except that she didn't own a router. You have to plug the IP Phone into a router. Well, she was planning to buy one anyway so she could have wireless for her laptop instead of plugging it in... so she bought one yesterday.
She tells me today that she's going to call me tonight, when she's at home and I'm working... to walk her through setting up her router. Because she doesn't know what plugs into what. Oh HELL NO!
So I jumped online, printed out a picture of the back of her model of router (or at least the model she told me) and wrote instructions on it: Connect THIS one to the modem. Connect ONE of these (any of the 4) to the IP phone. THIS connects to the power.
With arrows.
If she calls, I'm going to shoot someone. Or hang myself with the phone cord. Again.
3 1/2 hours left of work tonight. 9 hours tomorrow. And then I'm going to curl up in a ball and hide for a few days... can someone please deliver alcohol and harem boys to me?
The trend continues.
Monday was... horrid. 12 hour day, call after call after call. None of the issues were difficult issues to solve. At least, they wouldn't have been if the callers had actually listened. But we know this never happens.
Typical call, repeated at least 10 times through the day:
SC: You need to help me with this NOW.
Me: I'll be happy to, I'll just walk you though...
SC: <cuts me off> Why is this taking so long?
Me: We need to walk through some troubleshooting. Up at the top of the browser on the left, do you see a toolbar that says "File Edit View Favorites Tools Help?"
SC: No.
Me: Ok... on the top right do you have an option for Tools?
SC: No.
Me: You're using Internet Explorer, so you have to have one of those options. Can you try right-clicking up at the top of the page and see if it gives you an option for Menu Bar?
SC: No.
Me: You have have an option?
SC: No, I don't why I have to do this.
Me:
Me: I need to walk you through this so we can figure out why <insert our site> isn't running correctly.
SC: You need to figure out how to fix it. It shouldn't be my responsibility.
And yes, I also received this SAME EXACT CALL for firefox and safari and chrome. The position of the toolbars (or what they say) may change, but the stupidity stayed the same.
And so on & so forth.
Because yesterday was the day of no one understanding that not all computers are configured the same and not all computers have the same programs. I had at least 3 people bitch at me because they needed to install java and adobe reader for an add-on system that's maintained by an outside vendor of ours. All 3 of them said that we shouldn't require the agents to install anything to use a website. All 3 of them also fully believe that all programs that they might ever want to use should come pre-installed on their computer. And all 3 of them through it was MY personal fault that they actually had to do something.
And then there were the membership calls.
Those started last yesterday (after Membership closed, of course) and continued through today... which is also a 12 hr day, btw. One of the boards inactivated a bunch of their members for some reason. Since they have to be a member in good standing with a board to gain access to our site, their memberships to our site were temporarily inactivated until they fix the issue with the board.
That is also apparently my fault.
A few of the callers had switched offices. I explained that the board was probably processing the office change, and they have to inactivate the person from the old office because they can add them to the new office. As soon as they had the new office information processed they can send it to use. It's an overnight process once we get the information. The entire transfer from one office to another normally takes 24-48 hours total, from the board to us.
This is too long. And this is MY fault. Of course.
A few callers were inactive because they didn't pay their board dues. This is also my fault apparently. And we should NEVER turn off their MLS access just because they didn't pay the board. Regardless of the fact that they know they need to be in good standing with the board, they paid us so we should keep their status active. Besides, they were planning to pay the board and we should have known that... and that's good enough, right?
Nope, sorry. I can't accept your promise to pay. We HAVE to receive that reactivation from the board.
And the universe continues to plot against me
And then there were the two 45 minute calls in a row, back to back, dealing with an issue with one of our vendor programs. Now, there wasn't a problem with the program. And the calls should have been much shorter. But both callers suffered from "failure to listen" and "failure to follow instructions" AS WELL AS "failure to give me correct answers." These calls should have taken 10-15 minutes TOPS. And of course, this was MY fault as well, since I didn't magically solve their problems with a wave of my wand. Or something.
Moment of Humor?
My team lead volunteered to work the day after Turkey-Om-Nom-Day so no one else has to. She's taking one of the IP phone home so she doesn't have to work in the office. Not a problem.
Except that she didn't own a router. You have to plug the IP Phone into a router. Well, she was planning to buy one anyway so she could have wireless for her laptop instead of plugging it in... so she bought one yesterday.
She tells me today that she's going to call me tonight, when she's at home and I'm working... to walk her through setting up her router. Because she doesn't know what plugs into what. Oh HELL NO!
So I jumped online, printed out a picture of the back of her model of router (or at least the model she told me) and wrote instructions on it: Connect THIS one to the modem. Connect ONE of these (any of the 4) to the IP phone. THIS connects to the power.
With arrows.
If she calls, I'm going to shoot someone. Or hang myself with the phone cord. Again.
3 1/2 hours left of work tonight. 9 hours tomorrow. And then I'm going to curl up in a ball and hide for a few days... can someone please deliver alcohol and harem boys to me?
, and *passes over some rum*
Comment