• zbone (unregistered)

    First?

  • (cs)

    Haha, Anna was incontinent.

  • (cs)

    I guess the first guy just didn't understand capital letters and numerals.

  • (cs) in reply to zbone

    Ctrl + Alt + Del This comment has been locked.

  • Alan (unregistered) in reply to amischiefr

    Windows key + L is a lot quicker...

  • Karl (unregistered)

    Honestly, number one makes sense. It's a tech, talking with someone that's slightly more knowledgeable in case of an emergency, when said emergency would occur. Come on, it's like having a Cisco rep online when backing up your old router to replace.

    Meanwhile, Anna's department should be let go. That makes me angry, because we've all dealt with her.

    Now excuse me, I need to spend a minute at my desk waiting for my computer to lock...

  • Karl (unregistered)

    Honestly, number one makes sense. It's a tech, talking with someone that's slightly more knowledgeable in case of an emergency, when said emergency would occur. Come on, it's like having a Cisco rep online when backing up your old router to replace.

    Meanwhile, Anna's department should be let go. That makes me angry, because we've all dealt with her.

    Now excuse me, I need to spend a minute at my desk waiting for my computer to lock...

  • (cs)

    He had a similar problem back when the optical mouse first came out. Anyone within a 4 desk circumference of a new optical mouse recipient would mysteriously break their mouse within days.

    Mice were cheap though so it wasnt a big deal. If someone had poured water in her monitor I would have marched them right into the bosses office with the evidence.

  • Warren (unregistered)

    I need to post the first comment but my computer was broken at that point, please can someone move mine to the top? Thanks.

    BTW please can someone find the rest of my comments, they stop after one screen.

  • Steve (unregistered) in reply to Alan

    Having spent 10 years on Linux, then changed to Windows XP, I had to do some googling to find Windows+L. Then I was surprised to find that many of my Windows-only colleagues didn't know it.

    Windows is not any more intuitive than any other OS, it is just more widely used. That is not the same as "good".

  • Ozz (unregistered) in reply to Karl
    Karl:
    Meanwhile, Anna's department should be let go. That makes me angry, because we've all dealt with her.
    I was lucky. After dealing with an "Anna" and her manager (and the "defective crap" speech) I was able to produce the security video that showed "Anna" in the process of willful destruction of company property...
  • (cs)

    With Anna, I think I'd have found someone 'more deserving', (eg someone with a 14 inch monitor) and upgraded them, and given Anna their old monitor...

    You could also ask your boss for permission to put up security CCTV monitoring in Reception while you're at it :)

  • NakedJaybird (unregistered)

    What should I do in this comment?

  • Alin (unregistered)

    Maybe Anna was a blonde and that's what she understood by navigating the internet... add some water and start sailing.

  • staale (unregistered)

    Fizzbin!

  • DMala (unregistered)

    I've always found that the toughest part of doing support is simply determining how tech savvy the person you're dealing with is. Guess too low and they get pissed off because they think you're being condescending, guess too high and you end up with users who don't know how to operate scroll bars.

  • jordanwb (unregistered)

    I wouldn't have given Anna a new monitor because it was quite obvious that she deliberately damaged private property which I believe is against the law.

  • (cs)

    Anna was lucky.

    Water + high voltage circuitry usually results in a Darwin Award

  • George (unregistered) in reply to Alin

    ...or surfing maybe ?

  • (cs)

    It says, "Add Comment". What should I do?

  • Anonymous (unregistered)

    Can we please get a helpdesk category? If MFD gets its own category, surely the helpdesk stories deserve to?!

  • (cs)

    Help, 911 - This shows up one of the weaknesses of tabs. The close button is very similar to the application close button. It also works differently to many other applications that users may be used to. For example if you try to open the same word document multiple times you will get taken to the same window, so it doesn't matter whether you close the window or the application.

    How to Lock a Computer - That's surely what the support desk is for: to support users? Neither Winkey+L or Ctrl-Alt-Del are intuitive.

    Broken/Deliberately Destroyed - obvious result from having such a process in place. People are very good at gaming processes to achieve what they want rather than what management intended. Why such penny pinching over a £200 monitor anyway? It's a really cheap way of making employees feel happier/more motivated if that's what bothers them.

    So many spreadsheets was quite amusing. Some people just cannot be trained in certain skills. Sounds like reception is a better fit for a nice person though - playing to their strengths...

  • (cs)

    My comment is broken, and I want an at least 19 inches new comment NOW.

  • (cs) in reply to Steve
    Steve:
    Having spent 10 years on Linux, then changed to Windows XP, I had to do some googling to find Windows+L. Then I was surprised to find that many of my Windows-only colleagues didn't know it.

    Windows is not any more intuitive than any other OS, it is just more widely used. That is not the same as "good".

    Thanks for the proselytization, loyal acolyte of the holy Penguin.

  • Whoevar (unregistered)

    Anna should have gotten her old (guessed) 15 inch up the ass.

  • rmz (unregistered) in reply to Steve
    Steve:
    Windows is *not* any more intuitive than any other OS, it is just more widely used. That is not the same as "good".
    On the flip-side, Linux is *not* any more intuitive than any other OS, it just has more passionate zealots. That is not the same as "good".
  • (cs) in reply to pscs
    pscs:
    With Anna, I think I'd have found someone 'more deserving', (eg someone with a 14 inch monitor) and upgraded them, and given Anna their old monitor...

    Beautiful solution.

    It's like that story about the racist man on the airplane flight that demands to be moved because he has to sit next to a black woman. The stewardess goes away, discusses with the captain, and says "You're right, this is intolerable, nobody should have to sit next to such a disgusting person -- so if you'll come with us, ma'am, we'll move you to First Class."

  • (cs)

    It's amazing that one would create a new XLS file after every 23 rows. It would be so much easier to just switch to another tab inside the same document.

  • bob (unregistered)

    More tech support stories (if I may). While I was working at ... I got a call from a P&G user. With a very straight forward tone he said:

    • "How do I print my pdf document?"
    • "Sorry, sir not part of the out of warranty tech support (which was true)"
    • "Ok I see I'll be calling you again son..." hanged out loudly. Next day.
    • "May I speak with X(me)"
    • "Me speaking, how can I..."
    • "Spoke with you yesterday about how to print a pdf but this time I'm gonna record your answer on tape, ,ready ?" Instead of looking for an answer around the guy spent his day looking for a tape recorder... Priceless.
  • (cs) in reply to rmz
    rmz:
    On the flip-side, OS X is *not* any more intuitive than any other OS, it just has more rabid zealots. That is not the same as "good".

    Fixed that for you.

    (Yes, I am an OS X user)

  • Spotted Kuh (unregistered) in reply to the real wtf fool
    the real wtf fool:
    How to Lock a Computer - That's surely what the support desk is for: to support users? Neither Winkey+L or Ctrl-Alt-Del are intuitive.
    I have to agree 100% here. I didn't think that was a WTF at all. I bet if you were to ask most non-tech-savvy users, they'd say that Ctrl-Alt-Del is for rebooting your computer (or shutting it down, or turning off programs, or something similar). But locking your screen?

    If anything, I commend the user for taking the time to come up with the 1-minute-screensaver method of locking the system. Most users I know wouldn't bother to lock the computer with the confidential documents!

  • Populus (unregistered) in reply to zbone
    zbone:
    First?

    You are so banned.

  • ~ (unregistered)

    In regards to Anna, I'd have found someone with the same size monitor and swapped. A couple jobs ago, this was SOP at the help desk. User needs a new monitor? Tech gives them their own and takes a new one for himself. Now, if the new one was specifically earmarked for the user, or the user was an executive, obviously they'd get the new one.

  • RBoy (unregistered)

    This comment has a leak.

  • Whoevar (unregistered) in reply to Smash King
    Smash King:
    It's amazing that one would create a new XLS file after every 23 rows. It would be so much easier to just switch to another tab inside the same document.

    Yes and you have to switch less if your screen is bigger. (widescreens exempted)

  • (cs)

    Users breaking their equipment for upgrades during idiotic-type spending freezes is what we call Perverse Incentive. Always consider perverse incentive before making policies. Anna did exactly the logical thing to do in this situation. And they say that geeks like logic...

  • Anonymoose (unregistered)

    It's amazing how people get "equipment envy"

    "How come THEY have that.."

  • Tapcon (unregistered) in reply to the real wtf fool
    the real wtf fool:
    How to Lock a Computer - That's surely what the support desk is for: to support users? Neither Winkey+L or Ctrl-Alt-Del are intuitive.

    The WTF is that the user went to great lengths to lock the computer and it didn't immediately become obvious there must be a better way.

    And no, that's not what support is for. That's what "ask anyone around you" is for.

  • (cs) in reply to bob
    bob:
    More tech support stories (if I may). While I was working at ... I got a call from a P&G user. With a very straight forward tone he said: - "How do I print my pdf document?" - "Sorry, sir not part of the out of warranty tech support (which was true)" - "Ok I see I'll be calling you again son..." hanged out loudly. Next day. - "May I speak with X(me)" - "Me speaking, how can I..." - "Spoke with you yesterday about how to print a pdf but this time I'm gonna record your answer on tape, ,ready ?" Instead of looking for an answer around the guy spent his day looking for a tape recorder... Priceless.

    Instead of spending 15 seconds helping the guy, you were a NMJ-douche... priceless.

  • rast (unregistered)
    A few years ago, I had the misfortune to train a really nice, but really dim employee on our accounting system. I sat with her for several days, showing her the ins and outs of the admittedly complex system, but she could never quite figure things out on her own. I recommended that we have someone else do what she was supposed to do, but management insisted that she do those things.

    Fast forward a year and several big screw-ups later, and management decided that she was better off as the receptionist, after all.

    So how many members of management was said employee sleeping with?

  • Da' Man (unregistered)

    Call to wife: I think I need a new Laptop - see, this one is leaking...

  • Paratus (unregistered) in reply to campkev
    campkev:
    bob:
    More tech support stories (if I may). While I was working at ... I got a call from a P&G user. With a very straight forward tone he said: - "How do I print my pdf document?" - "Sorry, sir not part of the out of warranty tech support (which was true)" - "Ok I see I'll be calling you again son..." hanged out loudly. Next day. - "May I speak with X(me)" - "Me speaking, how can I..." - "Spoke with you yesterday about how to print a pdf but this time I'm gonna record your answer on tape, ,ready ?" Instead of looking for an answer around the guy spent his day looking for a tape recorder... Priceless.

    Instead of spending 15 seconds helping the guy, you were a NMJ-douche... priceless.

    Agreed X == douche.

  • Jon (unregistered)

    These stories make me think fondly of work. I've had:

    "My computer won't come on - there's an orange light on the screen but it just says something about power saving?" They were switching the monitor on and off, didn't realise the 'box' needed switching on too - normally we use WOL to turn all our kit on in the morning.

    "I can't make my CD fit in any of the slots in this computer" They were (impressively) trying to put the CD into the side of the monitor.

    "My computer won't let me get onto the internet" They'd somehow jammed an rj45 into their USB port. (Which was broken as a result!)

    Also I walked into someone's office once to find them sitting with a spreadsheet on their screen, adding rows of numbers up with a calculator and filling them in underneath.

    And don't get me started on people who think "the internet is broken" just because they can't get to Google...

  • IT Girl (unregistered) in reply to WhiskeyJack
    WhiskeyJack:
    pscs:
    With Anna, I think I'd have found someone 'more deserving', (eg someone with a 14 inch monitor) and upgraded them, and given Anna their old monitor...

    Beautiful solution.

    It's like that story about the racist man on the airplane flight that demands to be moved because he has to sit next to a black woman. The stewardess goes away, discusses with the captain, and says "You're right, this is intolerable, nobody should have to sit next to such a disgusting person -- so if you'll come with us, ma'am, we'll move you to First Class."

    I suppose it's an advantage to work in such a large corporation that there are always "parts" to be scrounged. I have at least a dozen older monitors that can be used to replace failing equipment. A supply of second hand mice and keyboards comes in handy that way too. People around here are now afraid to break the equipment because they might get stuck with even less than they have now.

    captcha: facilisi.... easy peasy

  • IT Girl (unregistered) in reply to Smash King
    Smash King:
    It's amazing that one would create a new XLS file after every 23 rows. It would be so much easier to just switch to another tab inside the same document.

    Guaranteed if she didn't know how to scroll, she has no idea what the tabs are for.

  • Compulsive Proofreader (unregistered) in reply to Paratus

    You say this, but I used to correct typos in copy sent over by clients before pasting it into their site and adding HTML tags. I stopped doing this because my boss chewed me out one day, saying I'm a web dev and not a secretary.

    For the rest of my time at that place he was up my ass every time I did something that he felt should be billable or wasn't our business.

    Certainly puts you off trying to add value to what you do! I wouldn't be surprised if X's conversation was already being recorded at his end with an equally anal boss waiting to pounce on him for giving out freebies.

  • (cs) in reply to the real wtf fool
    the real wtf fool:
    Broken/Deliberately Destroyed - obvious result from having such a process in place. People are very good at gaming processes to achieve what they want rather than what management intended. Why such penny pinching over a £200 monitor anyway? It's a really cheap way of making employees feel happier/more motivated if that's what bothers them.
    It never ceases to amaze me how many people here assume that every story is about last week. As late as the nineties, a 19" monitor cost a good deal more than £200.
  • (cs) in reply to campkev
    campkev:
    bob:
    More tech support stories (if I may). While I was working at ... I got a call from a P&G user. With a very straight forward tone he said: - "How do I print my pdf document?" - "Sorry, sir not part of the out of warranty tech support (which was true)" - "Ok I see I'll be calling you again son..." hanged out loudly. Next day. - "May I speak with X(me)" - "Me speaking, how can I..." - "Spoke with you yesterday about how to print a pdf but this time I'm gonna record your answer on tape, ,ready ?" Instead of looking for an answer around the guy spent his day looking for a tape recorder... Priceless.

    Instead of spending 15 seconds helping the guy, you were a NMJ-douche... priceless.

    Not really. Sure, it's 15 seconds now, for this person, but the next day they'll call back with a 1-minute problem, and there's thousands of people calling... And then there are the people who convince you to help them with a 15-second problem, only to spring another one on you when you're 13 seconds in, and then another, and then another.. .In the mean time, there's people holding on the phone for warranty support who can't get warranty support because you can't figure out the difference between yourself and goody-two-shoes. Better to point them to the right place, so you can do the job you're being paid for.

  • nik0las (unregistered) in reply to Jon
    Jon:
    "My computer won't let me get onto the internet" They'd somehow jammed an rj45 into their USB port. (Which was broken as a result!)

    Hercules can't be bothered with RJ45/USB details.

    CAPTCHA: aptent (I know apt-get, but apt-ent ?)

  • Ben4jammin (unregistered)
    Oddly enough, her scanner, keyboard, and printer magically started springing leaks, too.

    yea, that which gets rewarded gets repeated. In our IT dept (with certain people...myself included) if you put in a ticket that has a 10-day SLA and you start bitching (including emails to higher-ups) on day 3, guess what...see you on day 10, and not a day before. Otherwise, you will probably get it around day 4-5.

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