Topic 'Idiot users...' in forum 'Rants, Raves, and Praise' - dslreports.com

Re: Idiot users...

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:40:40 EDT

07108968 posted : At a previous job I dealt daily with Masters and PhD people, and with some outside of their field it would be easier to explain things to a 4 year old that doesn't speak English and you don't speak their language.

I found a LOT of the problem stems from failure to read the operator manual/instructions. :huh:

Okay, is says ... when window opens it will ask ... click on the .. button ... if they had actually looked at the book they could have done it themselves. :uhh:

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:54:43 EDT

Dude111 posted : Sadly most people dont know as much as you do my friend,when you deal with the public,you gotta remember this :)

Re: Idiot users...

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 15:07:24 EDT

sivran posted : My strategy was usually to move the earpiece off my ear and let them vent until they quieted down, then just calmly continue on. Worked fairly well for me.

Glad those days are long gone though.
--
Think Outside the Fox.

Re: Idiot users...

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:28:52 EDT

hortnut posted : I am referring to the public calling in to get technical issues fixed. A high volume call center. Their expectations and reality were/are sometimes quite a ways apart.

In that situation one has to use psychology and call control to attempt to fix the customer's issue's. And some callers were/are their own worst enemy. I was pretty adept in calming them down and fixing their problems, but there were always a few that were unreachable. If they became abusive I was not required to end the call, but had the "option, at my discretion" to do so.

Re: Idiot users...

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:31:00 EDT

TheWickerMan posted :

said by carpetshark3:

Sorry, but I disagree when it comes to a business. Our business didn't deal with the public and we used checks. We had non-stop solicitation calls from Visa after we explained about 5 times. My boss finally used some rather nasty language to one of the pests, she was really annoyed, but the damn calls stopped.

We don't solicit. All our calls are inbound, except when we have to call people who aren't making their payments. These people who were cussing at my friend are people who called in.

I forgot my friend's other favorite -- the guy who called in, and right away told her to get him a "f**king supervisor."

Re: Idiot users...

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 10:06:40 EDT

carpetshark3 posted :

said by hortnut:

said by TheWickerMan:

At least I don't deal with customers, like my one friend at our company does. The worst part is, she's not allowed to ever hang up on a customer, no matter how abusive they get, or how much profanity they use. The one day, she told me she had five different people tell her to "shove those interest rates up her ass."

Fortunately, I have yet to work for a Company that would allow such abuse. We did have protocols to follow prior to terminating the call, such as advising the caller the call has now ended, unless they can control themselves and giving them other wordage, depending upon the "abuse".

Once in a while, I would not hang up immediately, but would go silent, after giving the warning. More than once, the caller asked if I was still there. My response was, yes I was, but was having problems completing their request.

Re: Idiot users...

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 09:50:51 EDT

TheWickerMan posted :

said by sivran:

You're friends with Rachel? :o »Rachel's BAAACK

LOL no. I work for a company that provides certain loans. Legitimate ones.

Re: Idiot users...

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 18:36:33 EDT

sivran posted : You're friends with Rachel? :o »Rachel's BAAACK

Re: Idiot users...

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:30:29 EDT

hortnut posted :

said by TheWickerMan:

Re: Idiot users...

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:12:20 EDT

AVD posted : oooooooohhhh.. .sounds dirty

Re: Idiot users...

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:25:27 EDT

TheWickerMan posted : I'm a programmer at my job. While I'm not tech support, sometimes I have to troubleshoot something for a user if they were using one of our programs and it blew up on them. Most of them aren't a problem to deal with, but I had this one winner who just would not give me a straight answer. The first thing I always try to do is recreate the problem they were having. If I can't figure out how to get there, I ask them what they were doing when it happened. Again, most of the users are helpful, and if anything, give me more info than I needed. But this particular idiot just gave me a vague answer, basically giving me a general description of what the program she was using was used for, which I already knew. I emailed her back telling her that I needed a little more detail, i.e. what data she entered in which fields, what path she took to get to the program that had the problem, etc. I never heard back from her. My supervisor even told me not to worry about it if the user wasn't going to meet us halfway and actually give us some useful information.

At least I don't deal with customers, like my one friend at our company does. The worst part is, she's not allowed to ever hang up on a customer, no matter how abusive they get, or how much profanity they use. The one day, she told me she had five different people tell her to "shove those interest rates up her ass."

Re: Idiot users...

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 18:57:42 EDT

AVD posted : Novell on WinXP

Re: Idiot users...

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 18:56:01 EDT

Aranarth posted : No, I think that is win nt 4 or 2000.

The difference was shutdown would just turn windows off but the machine was still actually running, you could then shut it off once you were sure the disks had spun down or some such.
There was something important about raid arrays over scsi on servers that made this important.

The other one just shut the machine down as long as you were using a machine with an atx power supply (rather than AT).

Damn that has been that 15 years or so the last time I saw those options?! Its a little bit fuzzy..

Re: Idiot users...

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 18:42:37 EDT

psafux posted : I would say that's been 'shopped.

Re: Idiot users...

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 17:18:35 EDT

AVD posted :

said by psafux:

It's 2012. Computers are in what, 90% of households? 95%? The fact that people don't know the difference between reboot / shut down / log off baffles me every single day.

Some days you can't help but wonder if the users are just trolling. :]

[Att=1]

What's the difference between 1 and 3
--
* seek help if having trouble coping
--Standard disclaimers apply.--

Re: Idiot users...

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 18:38:45 EDT

psafux posted : "Alright go ahead and log off and back on"

"Can you reboot the system?"

It's 2012. Computers are in what, 90% of households? 95%? The fact that people don't know the difference between reboot / shut down / log off baffles me every single day.

Some days you can't help but wonder if the users are just trolling. :]

Re: Idiot users...

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 17:20:20 EDT

Aranarth posted : I have had several people who have called up stating that they are "programmers" or "technicians" and just need a patch to fix their issue. (Geek Squad techs can be really bad.)

I then have to explain that the issue is not in the software it is with their machine and then offer to email them the directions which usually requires replacing a system file with the correct version of the .dll or .ocx file. (Obviously if it was a bug in the software better than 50% of users would have that issue and my phone would be ringing off the hook.)

Not only do not know how to follow a directory path, they also cannot seem to find their command window. If I am REALLY lucky they actually do know how to copy a file.

It becomes very obvious that they have a grossly inflated view of their ability to use a computer.

If you tell me you know how to fix a computer I'm going to assume you know:

How to use a mouse (left and right click)
How to use keyboard shortcuts
How to follow a directory path
You know how to copy files.
How to open a command window and how to open it as a an admin
You know how to enter commands into the command prompt and know a basic list of common commands. (cd, dir, etc.)

If you don't know any of this basic stuff, you do not know how to properly use a computer.

Re: Idiot users...

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 10:29:09 EDT

CylonRed posted : I do tech support for counties for a CAMA/RP/PP tax system. Some of our customers, who have full IT depts, more than a few times I have asked them to test fixes and they ask me - is the patch in production?

I even had a customer ask our companies the project manager, if a patch was in production - a patch from a 3rd party. They don't seem to understand that we don't know what they do with the patches. It is up to them to get, test, and then load the patches in their production environment and up to them to know what they have done.

The fact it is IT depts who don't know their jobs is even scarier.
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

Re: Idiot users...

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 23:34:14 EDT

hortnut posted : I hear your pain. Although I was supporting for a Telco ISP, towards the end of my time there, I kept track of my calls during the day. This was in the days of Dialup. DSL was just being deployed.

35 to 40% were password issues, depending upon the day. Or so it seemed.

Would usually give them the call letters of the local classic rock station. So a lot had 923kgon for a password.

Re: Idiot users...

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:23:17 EDT

Aranarth posted :

said by GroovyPhoenx:

To all those saying "if you are tech support you gotta take it" I'm sorry but what gives the people calling in for HELP the right to abuse someone who is trying to provide service?

I agree a certain amount of patience for idiotic people who expect us to magically correct the issue when they aren't in front of the computer IS required, however if I informe someone "I'm sorry I cannot help you when you're not in front of your computer" and they decide to rant about it?

I don't have to take abuse for doing my job correctly. you called ME for help not the other way around.

Exactly my point...

Customer support is not my only job I'm the jack of all trades here (this is a tiny company)...

So I do internal support, Q/A, bug confirmation / reporting /fix confirmation, network admin including break/fix, server admin including break/fix, server backup, the only thing I don't do is write the software programs I support. I love everything I do except help people who can't help themselves.

I created the help files, made the video tutorials. Yet for some people its the same issue or same "how do I" over and over again.
In some cases it is simply pointing the same person to the same tutorial over and over again. Each time they thank me for helping them solve the issue but in six month guess who's back again...

Re: Idiot users...

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:14:25 EDT

GroovyPhoenx posted : To all those saying "if you are tech support you gotta take it" I'm sorry but what gives the people calling in for HELP the right to abuse someone who is trying to provide service?

I agree a certain amount of patience for idiotic people who expect us to magically correct the issue when they aren't in front of the computer IS required, however if I informe someone "I'm sorry I cannot help you when you're not in front of your computer" and they decide to rant about it?

I don't have to take abuse for doing my job correctly. you called ME for help not the other way around.

Re: Idiot users...

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 15:35:36 EDT

medbuyer posted :

said by Kearnstd:

said by thegeek:

In my opinion anyone who works in a position serving the public in any manor has no right to bitch about how stupid, rude, etc. the public is. If you don't like it then get a job that doesn't serve the public.

I disagree, Everybody has a right to bitch about the public. Mainly because some member of the public go out of their way to make life hard on those who work in customer service jobs.

that's why there are people who get paid to do this kind of jobs...they applied for it, they wanted it, they gotta take it...i don't see any jobs that no one complains...

some people may go out of their way to make things a little harder for customer service jobs but these same people are the ones paying for their jobs...

my .02 cents..

Re: Idiot users...

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:16:59 EDT

AVD posted :

said by Kearnstd:

said by thegeek:

I disagree, Everybody has a right to bitch about the public. Mainly because some member of the public go out of their way to make life hard on those who work in customer service jobs.

Only when copious amounts of alcohol are involved.
--
* seek help if having trouble coping
--Standard disclaimers apply.--

Re: Idiot users...

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 01:55:39 EDT

hortnut posted : I used to love getting those calls.

User is getting some sort of error and not at computer! Usually determined that in the first minute or two. No need to continue the conversation at that point, as everything would be guesswork.

Explain what is needed in detail, to help them when they call back and are at the Computer using the Program that is generating the error. And, bang, you are done.

If one is working on a call metrics system and time per call is one measure used, allowed me to spend more time with users who knew what was needed to solve their problems. All the time making me look like I knew what I was doing. Which, in part, was call management.

Document it well in the Trouble Ticket and then cya is in play. If a the call is monitored for Quality, would always get a 5/5 in these cases.

Would get several a day like these for the Product/Service we had.

I would not take "their" problems personally, nor would I allow them to transfer "ownership" to me of their own failings. In another career, I had developed a very thick skin.

Re: Idiot users...

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:06:45 EDT

Kearnstd posted :

said by thegeek:

I disagree, Everybody has a right to bitch about the public. Mainly because some member of the public go out of their way to make life hard on those who work in customer service jobs.
--
[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports

Re: Idiot users...

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:08:09 EDT

AVD posted : Its always the 10% that sucks the life out of an otherwise enjoyable 90%
--
* seek help if having trouble coping
--Standard disclaimers apply.--

Re: Idiot users...

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:30:03 EDT

BigBlarg posted :

said by thegeek:

In this case everyone should have no right to complain about his job.

The truth is that this kind of things happens to me too. There's always a very small part of my job, let's say 1%, that annoys me... a lot. Mostly stupid users too. Still, that 1% is not big enough to make me change job.

It's not because you are paid that it becomes enjoyable.

Re: Idiot users...

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:14:11 EDT

Dustyn posted : Maybe it's really Windows 98/Me with an XP theme pack installed. lol :p

Re: Idiot users...

Sun, 11 Nov 2012 16:07:26 EDT

AZinOH posted :

said by Aranarth:

We have customers who have been using computers for 30+ years. They have every version of our software from comodore 64, dos, win 3.1, win95, all the way to the current versions and STILL don't know how to use a mouse (what's right-click) or copy a file.

Sometimes I wonder if Jobs and Gates did everyone a disservice by making computers easier to use.

If you really want to be entertained, you should read some posts in the computer help forum over at Gardenweb

»ths.gardenweb.com/forums/comphelp/?4810

Some of those folks are listed in the dictionary next to the word "hopeless".

Re: Idiot users...

Sun, 11 Nov 2012 13:41:20 EDT

dave posted :

said by thegeek:

Should they tug their forelock too?

There's a difference between being polite to idiots while you're serving them, and blowing off steam afterwards.

Should no-one ever bitch about their co-workers either? After all, if you choose to work with other people, shouldn't you forfeit the right to complain about them?

P.S. What about people who serve in a regular office rather than a manor?

Re: Idiot users...

Sun, 11 Nov 2012 12:53:23 EDT

psafux posted : You can only do what you can do. In the tech support industry, hate to say it, but it is a general assumption that the end user is prone to lie or mislead. They want their issue fixed, they don't really care how it happens.

I like the phrase "a lack of preparation on your part does not constitute an emergency of mine". While I would never outright tell an end user that or even elude that I felt that way we have to remember we can only do what we can do. It's not our fault they waited until the last minute. Many times what an end user describes as an emergency really isn't. They just know that a fire is more likely to get immediate attention.

If you offered every feasible reasonable option and the user declined them I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

I've done tech support for a long, long time and have had some crazy calls, callers, and requests. I could write a book; the bottom line is you do what you can for every caller. You can't make everyone happy.

Re: Idiot users...

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 12:15:04 EDT

DC DSL posted :

said by Secyurityet:

They must have been up in my attic. I can't find my DOS 6.22 diskettes...

What's really wrong with the picture is that the supposed "super genius" had no idea what DOS was. Perhaps in another 20 years it would be understandable to have never heard of it, much less know anything about it. While this kid was probably quite good at hacking current systems to cough-up hidden treasure, being completely lost when it came to an old system and not bothering to accept the challenge of cracking it was rather stupefying. And, that his superiors (who certainly have to be old enough to have used computers before Windows, Macs, and Linux) didn't realize they needed someone with deeper expertise, who could turn the damn thing on for them, is just stupid. IMNSHO, those attorneys must not be all that hot if they passed up a big-ticket reimbursable. Vicki Lawrence's term "backwoods, Southern lawyer" comes to mind.
--
"Dance like the photo isn't being tagged; love like you've never been unfriended; and tweet like nobody is following."

Re: Idiot users...

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 11:45:29 EDT

diablo1892 posted : In my kind of area around 50 or 60% of the people don't even know what a computer is or can do.. I know where to get my error codes and i also know where to put them in at to see what it means but thats all the further I go. I'm not a smart intelligent person and i only have a K-5 grade learning level but that don't make me stupid.

theres some things I know about programming and its converting and creating but creating a program is not me, you need to learn C++ to make programs or a different language. I always wished that I could learn it but I'm not cut out for it. The main and only reason why i use a computer is chat with friends, play games and help out others like on DSLR
--
HN7000S/ 1 watt/ pro plus edition/ 4 pc's on a D-Link wired router/ wireless D-Link router with password
Support only the gaming company's that matter the most, pay for something that actually is worth buying or has a good reason for how much it's worth.

Re: Idiot users...

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 09:53:00 EDT

Aranarth posted : The trouble is that the average intelligence of people is dropping, and common sense is becoming less and less common.

This is really basic stuff, if you are getting an error message TAKE NOTE OF IT! If you can't can't take note of it, call when you are IN FRONT OF YOUR MACHINE! If you lack sufficient intelligence to be able to follow verbal instructions get high speed internet so that someone can control your machine remotely.
Other wise DON'T USE A COMPUTER.

And finally don't wait till you only have 15 minutes before a major client walk in your door to decide to call and get something fixed.
If you are running a business and you KNOW you are are going to need a piece of equipment, your computer, or a program be prepared before hand.

We have customers who have been using computers for 30+ years. They have every version of our software from comodore 64, dos, win 3.1, win95, all the way to the current versions and STILL don't know how to use a mouse (what's right-click) or copy a file.

Sometimes I wonder if Jobs and Gates did everyone a disservice by making computers easier to use.

Re: Idiot users...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 22:09:53 EDT

Secyurityet posted :

said by DC DSL:

Never heard anything more from them.

They must have been up in my attic. I can't find my DOS 6.22 diskettes...

Re: Idiot users...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:59:16 EDT

DanHo posted :

said by thegeek:

Blah, blah, blah... serving the public in any manor blah, blah, blah...

Like Wayne Manor?

Re: Idiot users...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:42:36 EDT

OverrRyde posted :

said by thegeek:

I agree...

although it must be frustrating, the only reason you have a job is because of people having problems with your software.

If no one had problems and could figure everything out themselves, you'd have no job!

Re: Idiot users...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:01:23 EDT

DC DSL posted : I had a doozy of a run in with a supposed "forensic IT super genius" at a law firm a while back. They were dealing with some nasty fight among family and business partners over an estate. None of the internal correspondence from the 1980s about several key items existed on paper any longer. The only place they might still exist was on diskettes from over 20 years ago. I got dragged into the foray because the email system used was part of the operating environment I created back then.

The Super Genius calls me, barks out who he is, and wants me to explain everything about DOSMENU/VS to him. No explanation about why he wants to know or what he really needs. I told him I would have to schedule a time to for this, and that he needed to narrow down what he needed to know. "NO. YOU CLEARLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS" and then he goes off on some tirade about how he will have me hauled in for a deposition if I don't drop everything right then and there to assist him. I told him that I would be happy to help, just not now; that this would be billable at my standard rates, so I needed him to email me his full contact and billing information. SG passed a stone and slammed up the phone.

A couple of days later, SG calls back. "I am trying to run the setup program but it is failing with some error message." Again, this is at an inconvenient moment. I asked him how he was trying to run it. "Double-clicking on it in Windows Explorer. Some black window appears and disappears." I told him the program was for DOS, not Windows, and that he would have to create a DOS VM to try installing it in. "DOS? What the hell is that? Is that a Linux distro?"

I again told him he needed to schedule an appointment. He wigged out that he doesn't have time for that and that I am being an uncooperative prick. Slams up phone again.

Moi was now pretty ticked. I called the law firm and asked for whomever the poor soul is who is in charge of him. Secretary to that guy gets on the horn and talks down to me that "data forensics is an extremely complex and specialized skill" and how I needed to defer to SG's expertise. I told her that she was dealing with the author of the program he was trying to figure out, not some idiot user, and if they hoped for any assistance from me they would lose the attitude, learn to address me as "Dr." or "Sir" and fork over their billing information and make an appointment for my time. She said she would have to take that matter up with the partner responsible for this matter.

A couple of weeks later, I get a subpoena for all records I have about the software, including full source code listings and design specs, and a demand that I make myself available for a deposition. I handed it over to my attorney, who wrote them back and pointed out that this was 30-year-old software, that whatever documentation might still exist would not be easily locatable, was irrelevant to what they said they needed help with, and that since they had previously been told that my assistance was only available for a fee, they could not attempt to circumvent that with a deposition. Never heard anything more from them.
--
"Dance like the photo isn't being tagged; love like you've never been unfriended; and tweet like nobody is following."

Re: Idiot users...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 15:21:16 EDT

thegeek posted : In my opinion anyone who works in a position serving the public in any manor has no right to bitch about how stupid, rude, etc. the public is. If you don't like it then get a job that doesn't serve the public.

Re: Idiot users...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 15:16:32 EDT

footballdude posted :

said by thegeek:

Don't work in tech support.

Yep. If you work in tech support, then every single person you talk to will be someone that couldn't figure out how to make their stuff work. You gotta figure a lot of them are going to be on the less intelligent side.
--
Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty - Ronald Reagan

Re: Idiot users...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 15:02:34 EDT

thegeek posted : Don't work in tech support.

Idiot users...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 14:30:38 EDT

Aranarth posted : (I do tech support for software we make and sell.)

So user calls up and says she has an issue with our software and it is not compatible with her machine.

I confirmed that it works on XP, Vista, Win7, and Win8.

User says she has XP. Well great, then the software should work.
I ask user for the error and she does not have it.
Asked user when she will be home.
Answer not till after we close.
Told user to get the error and send it to me in an email and I'll get to it on Monday (today is Friday of course).

But I can't wait that long - (wailing and nashing of teeth.)

Too bad, what would you like me to do? You don't have the error message, you are not at home, and you don't have your machine with you.

Its been a long week and this is the third or forth person who thinks I'm some sort of Psychic...

Topic 'Idiot users...' in forum 'Rants, Raves, and Praise' - dslreports.com

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