I am more important!

[Daskinor]

Ah today I was the lone wolf while everyone else was out for lunch. I was only cable of crackers and water after the previous evenings 'festivities'.

Anyhow I was working on walking a caller through setting up their cell phone through active sync. The person in question was a 12:00 flasher but nice about it and not at all sucky. Walk in Cranky Old Director, just to make a point he is like 75 and believes only in the pencil. fights tooth and nail over any kind of technical change to his environment. Once its forced on him and her adapts he gets upset if something does not work the way 'he' wants 24/7.


Me: (on phone) Ok now go into start and find the active sync icon it looks like a green no something symbol.

COD: (Walks in looks around sees me on the phone and walks away)

5 minutes later

Me: (on phone still) ok the underscore can be found if you hit the up arrow button then the return button.

COD: (seeing I am still on the phone) MY COMPUTER DOES NOT WORK

Me: Can you please hold on one second I have a visitor (mute) I am sorry I am on the phone right now. If you can please go put in a help desk ticket I will come help you soon as I am done.

Big boss has sent out a couple emails Everyone needs to use the help desk ticket system. Even himself or you will not get any help.

COD: No you dont understand, I need you to fix my computer now.

Me: (Most people would of just did it since he is a department head, but big boss says everyone needs to put in a ticket and I was already helping someone.) sorry, you need to put a ticket in by using your computer or the helpdesk voicemail. (unmute) sorry about that did you find the underscore.

COD walks away, 5 minutes later he walks back. No ticket has been made, I am still on the phone.

COD: I NEED YOU TO FIX THIS PEICE OF SHIT NOW. I DO NOT KNOW WHY THIS SHIT DOES NOT WORK.

Me: Sorry I need to put you on hold one more time. (mute) I am sorry I need to finish up with this person here...

COD: (cuts in) I don't care about them (points to self) I NEED HELP NOW

Me: Sorry I was told by big boss to do helpdesk requests in a particular order. Unless the whole network is down or the server room is on fire I am required to do this person first.

COD walks off. Comes back this time in 10 minutes. I am still on the phone.

Me: Ok can you hold on for one more second (mute, evil glare, eyeballs my Vulcan EBF-25 modded to do 100 darts in 30 seconds.) You do know that "Big Boss" told everyone not to come down here to place help requests unless their computers are a pile of melted plastic.

COD: Look, I do not need to wait. Do you know how long I have been here....

Me: (this time I cut him off) "Big Bosses" extension is ### phone is over there on the wall. If he gives the go ahead to break procedure I will help you.

COD: You know I deserve to be treated with more respect (wanders off for good)

I finally finish up 10 minutes later and go see what the hell he wanted. He has left for the day so I asked some of his direct reports.

DR: "Oh he was having trouble saving a file. Computer wouldn't let him. He then asked everyone else if they could save they could. Turns out 'another person' was still working on the file so it was locked out for saving."


So I tell my boss later what happened. He says just send a CYA email to "Big Boss" and COD about proper helpdesk use.

So I send an email that goes along the lines of;

Sorry I couldn't get to you before you left for the day. I was helping a user through a remote setup. I checked with your direct reports after I was finished and they told me your issue. If you would of placed a helpdesk ticket I could of solved your problem with a couple of emails. This in itself shows the importance of helping following proper helpdesk procedure.

He sent an email back the next day, this line sums it up best.

"We are presently working on some (stuff) and cannot afford to lose it (access to files) for even 5 minutes. Using the help desk is fine for routine non-urgent issues, but major issues require immediate attention."

For some reason he CCed allot of the big wigs.

"Big Boss" replied;

Make a helpdesk ticket FOR EVERY ISSUE. Otherwise I will arrange for them to set you up with more reliable hardware, like an abacus.

Thank you.




Oh the stress on making helpdesk tickets for every issue is because there was a rash of. I dint finish on time because my computer was not working correctly. Or the computer/network ate my stuff. Now, even if it did happen and you did not make a ticket, its automatically your fault.

[Dytchdoctir]

For some reason he CCed allot of the big wigs.

"Big Boss" replied;

Make a helpdesk ticket FOR EVERY ISSUE. Otherwise I will arrange for them to set you up with more reliable hardware, like an abacus.

Ha Ha Ha! You FAIL, Mr. COD!!!!!!

[Geek King]

"Big Boss" replied;

Make a helpdesk ticket FOR EVERY ISSUE. Otherwise I will arrange for them to set you up with more reliable hardware, like an abacus.

Thank you.

I like Big Boss. I threatened to give someone an abacus just Wednesday.

[protege]

Make a helpdesk ticket FOR EVERY ISSUE. Otherwise I will arrange for them to set you up with more reliable hardware, like an abacus.

Now that made my day

[Chrismor]

Maybe an abacus is too advanced. Fingers may work for him (and toes if he is using BIG numbers)

C.

[Chromatix]

...and for the extra *special* big number, drop your pants!

[mattm04]

After many users sending emails or placing calls to random IT people abour issues, some of who are on lunch, at a meeting, vacation, PTO, etc and whining about a lack or response we finally pot in place a "all issues must get a help desk ticket" policy.

This was communicated via email and paper memos, posters, etc wit all the info on how to submit a ticket and why.

I created auto-reply I ca use should i get a HD request in my email. It essentially says, per HD ticket policy all requests must be submitted to the HD via email/web/phone. NO further action will be taken until the ticked is submitted via <above methods>.

About 1/3 will submit a ticket very shortly after, the rest will do some "but you knooooow, whyyy cnat you fixxx it nooooowww" whiny complaint.

[earl colby pottinger]

I wonder

I also wonder that once people are forced to write out their problem into a help ticket instead of shutting off their brains and whining, what percentage of them in the process of describing the problem will get that HAHA moment and realize what was wrong and how to fix it in the first place?

At-least that has happened to myself and other people that I have worked with in the past Mind you, we were computer techs or programmer depending when you are talking about but someone would turn to me to describe a problem they could not solve, and in just the process of explaining the problem you would see the light go on in their eyes.

SCs do refuse to think, but lots of people (proto-SCs) out there can solve many of their own problems if they are forced to think about said problems.

[Eric the Grey]

I also wonder that once people are forced to write out their problem in a help ticket instead of shutting off their brains and whining, what percentage in the process of describing the problem get that AH moment and realize what was wrong and how to fix it in the first place?

At least in that case, they have to actually think about the problem as they are putting it down into type.

Before we changed out ticketing system, we had an inbox (corporate-helpdesk) where people could send emails for help, rather than picking up the phone. Never mind the times when speaking on the phone is necessary. Trouble is, EVERY SINGLE EMAIL that came into that inbox generates a ticket, which had to be worked.

Imagine how many trouble tickets we had created that said "Thanks" after a problem was fixed....

While it will mean a bit more work, I'll be happy when our new system is rolled out to the customers so they can go to the web page and enter in their problems. Hopefully, the page will require important information like contact numbers and such...


Eric the Grey