Support Call (I'm on the support
end)
Phone, "Ring ... ring..."
Me, "[Company Name], this is Kelly XX."
Caller, "Is this Kelly XX?"
Me, "Yes, this is Kelly XX."
Caller, "I'm trying to install Program X and my boss told me to call
you."
Me, "OK, Do you have a particular question?"
Caller "I went to the install and I couldn't find Program X."
Me, "Use the [Company Name] install page. Go to Start > Programs
> Utilities > Add Remove Programs." The company maintains its own
install web page. It is a pretty good system. The trouble is, they
don't tell any one about it when the get hired. There is zero training
in this area. Spend a fortune to maintain a system to save a million
work hours and then don't tell any one about it, that is [Company
Name]'s modes operandi.
The page opens up and I guide them to the proper link.
Me, "Click the 'Install' button next to the program name."
Caller, "Will that install the program?" I shit you not, he said that.
Me, "Yes." I know the next question by heart. It asks if you are sure
you want the computer to do what you just told it to do. Without being
prompted I say "Click yes again."
The software installs and there are no more questions. The thing is,
this person is an engineer. I have a far too high expectation for
engineers apparently. When this happens, you must relax and stop your
self from moaning into the phone. I have to watch out for my breathing
as well. I tend to sigh without thinking about it.
All in all, this took five minutes of my day. Some one else called a
bit later with basically the exact same question. The call was nearly
word for word.
Support Call (I'm on the Caller end)
I didn't make the call really. Scott made the call. Here is the
situation. We have an NT workstation (yes, NT, that is a different
complaint) with ISS (Microsoft's excuse for a web server) installed to
run some little web application. The office move we had last week
caused the system to break. No one can get to the web page. We drag the
machine back to the old Ethernet plug and the page works fine. Here is
what is going on. The old plug is on router X. The new plug is on
router Y. When we put the page together a couple of years ago we had to
call the IS department and as for a static IP address. We didn't get a
static IP. We got some one who logged into the router and set it to
give the MAC address (this is the number that is printed on every
Ethernet network connection in the world) a specific IP address when
the router detected it. That worked great. Until ... the computer was
moved to another router. The thing is, the IS department cant figure
out how they did it in the first place. We have had to wheel that box
from the first to the third floor twice now. They keep telling us to do
a release/renew. That isn't going to work because we are on a different
router. Each router is assigned a specific range if IP addresses. I'm
not hauling it back up until I know it is going to work. Scot is of the
same mind.
This killed an hour of the day or more.
Conclusion
No one really knows how this Information Technology stuff works. It
really is like magic. It has gotten so complex that no one person or
even group of people know it all. Companies won't train people any
more. They throw you in the water and expect your to build a chemical
plant.
It wasn't me. You can't prove anything.
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