IT folks are traditionally the most under-appreciated people in an organization. Everyone seems to want to complain about the systems that we put out when more often than not, it's a lack of understanding of the system or an unwillingness to respond to requests for input that made the system that way. Due to budget and timing constraints, we can't spend our days chasing down users who we've asked to provide input on the new system but have refused to provide it. However, it HURTS when those same users turn around and tell everyone how much the system sucks. Moreover, 90% of the "problems" that are created are the direct result of someone not listening or reading the training materials provided. All last summer, I was catering to ONE SCHOOL who wouldn't be able to find their way out of a paper bag if you drew an arrow. I kid you not, I got at least 3 phone calls a day for a month with the same exact question. They clearly weren't listening. I'd call back or drive out there to help on my way home (after working for 8 hours!!), walk them through it, and instead of going "Ok, you walked me through the first two. I think I got it," they would make me stand there while they went through 25 kids the exact same way (and this takes a least an hour) with the same questions being asked at the same points and clearly no learning going on. Then, at the end of the session, they would go, "So when are you ever going to publish a manual?" When I told her that I would do it as soon as I stopped getting 25 calls a week, she accused me of being "unhelpful" and "mean." Un-freakin-believable.
If you want your IT department to respond positively, seriously, follow these steps...
1) Look online for help materials and read what's out there before calling. If you don't understand it, at least acknowledge that you've read it and ask specific questions. If we get enough questions, we can change the help materials, but we'd like to know that we've put out there has been looked at.
2) When you call, have a smile in your voice or sound desperate. We know you're frustrated, but we'd rather help a user who sounds nice than be yelled at.
3) Say please and thank you!!!! We're people, not your personal slaves. You'd be amazed how much this doesn't happen.
4) Don't tell us that our system sucks...ask politely for changes. You'd hate your boss to tell you that your work sucks...why wouldn't we feel any differently?
5) If you're a girl and you get an IT guy on the phone, flirt a little. Just trust me on that one.
6) If you must leave a message, please leave a message that gives a little information about what you're calling about. "Call me back" (note the lack of a please too!) doesn't get you nearly as far as "I did X and the system blew up. Can you please call ASAP??" does. More importantly, please give us a little time to call back. One user I have loves to call and then send an email to my boss if I don't call back within 5 minutes. Yes, I'm serious.
7) We need specifics. As soon as something happens, write down WHAT YOU WERE DOING WHEN IT HAPPENED. If you pressed a button, we need to know that. If you did something you shouldn't have been doing, DON'T TRY TO HIDE IT!! We can probably get you out of the mess, but you need to tell us what you did to get yourself in the situation. This is a time to be completely honest. Also, if you're in a database, let us know what record you were working with...sometimes someone has done something to that specific record and it's the only one that's acting weird.
8) Know what you're asking for. I answered a specific question for one user and then she called my boss's boss to complain that I didn't answer her question correctly. When I was getting in trouble with my boss, it turned out the question had changed. If you get the question answered and it's not what you wanted, it's not the fault of the IT person who didn't answer the question you didn't ask.
9) Learn the hours of your favorite IT person and respect those hours. I work from 6-2, so it's really frustrating to get a call at 1:59 with a question that could wait until the next day. If it's an emergency, by all means, please call. I'll stay as long as you need me to to help. However, if you just want to know how to do something that you don't have to do until next week or request changes to the system (or are calling to tell me that my system sucks!), please save it for another day. Leaving for the day after hearing that your work is terrible is downright depressing.
10) When you call with a question about the system, and it's possible to get in, please be in the system before calling. It saves time on the call if you're ready.
Following all of these simple steps will help you get a better response from your helpful and nice IT department.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Fun with Government Officials
After yet another morning spent at the light on Coldspring Lane and the JFX, I wrote a complaint letter to Mayor O'Malley about this whole light problem. Not one to write a normal letter, here's what I came up with...
How the Light Stole the Commute
With apologies to Dr. Seuss!
Every driver
Off Cold Spring
Liked driving a lot...
But the Light,
That lived just North of Cold Spring
Did NOT!
The Light hated driving!
The whole driving season!
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be that his bulb wasn't screwed on quite right.
It could be, perhaps, that his bulb was too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his timer was two sizes too small.
But,
Whatever the reason,
His bulb or his timer,
He stood there on Cold Spring, hating the drivers.
Staring down from his perch with a sour expression
At the warm, seated drivers stopped in their progression.
For he knew every driver down on that JFX
Was exceedingly late and getting more and more vexed.
And the more that the Light thought of them getting to work
The more the Light thought, "I must act like a jerk!
"Why for forty-five years I've put up with it now!
I MUST stop the drivers from moving!...
But HOW?"
Then he got an idea!
An awful idea!
THE LIGHT
GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!
"I know just what to do!" laughed that electronic fiend.
"I won’t ever, no never, NO NEVER turn green.”
And he chuckled, and clucked, "What a great Grinchy trick!”
My bulb will not change, my timer won’t click!
“Those kids down at Poly, they think they’re so cool,
“I’ll stop them from ever getting to school!
“They’ll sit on the highway, not reading, not learning,
“And better and better, their gas will keep burning…”
"Pooh-pooh to the drivers!" he was grinch-ish-ly humming.
"They're finding out now that no light change is coming!
"They're just pulling up! I know just what they'll do!
"Their mouths will hang open a minute or two
"Then the drivers on Cold Spring will all cry BOO-HOO!"
"That's a noise," grinned the Light,"That I simply must hear!"
So he paused. And the Light put a hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising out from a Jeep.
It started in low. And it wasn’t a beep...
Or a honk…why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn't be so!
But it WAS merry! VERY!
He stared down at Cold Spring!
The Light popped his eyes!
Then he shook!
What he saw was a shocking surprise!
Every driver on Cold Spring, the tall and the small,
Was driving! Without any light change at all!
He HADN'T stopped traffic from moving!
IT MOVED!
In a manner of which a cop wouldn’t approve.
Cars at the light, that should have stayed still,
Moved, two by two, into traffic, at their drivers’ free will.
And the Light, with his light-top-up-high-on-the-bar,
Hung puzzling and puzzling: "How could go those cars?
They moved without warning! Those Fords and those Rangers!
Right out onto Cold Spring, ignoring the dangers!"
And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Light thought of something he hadn't before!
"Those drivers on Cold Spring," he thought, "they simply don’t care
"They won’t let me stop them from getting somewhere!"
The drivers don’t really care if they’re hit,
All they’re thinking is “I don’t have time for this [edit].”
But the drivers in cars still remembered the dangers,
To their Volvos and Jettas, their Fords and their Rangers.
They thought, “I cannot sit by and stay mute
And let a bad light mess up my commute.”
And the drivers in cars, those Volvos and Jettas
Thought, “I know just the way to make it all better.
I’ll call up O’Malley and he’ll start to work
On timers too small and lights that are jerks!
And what happened then...?Well...in Bawlmer they sayThat Martin O’Malley, he saved the day!The Mayor got that old light working right,
And traffic, it flowed, through the day and the nightAnd the drivers, they left that old JFX,
With less hassles and less of a chance of a wreck.
And those drivers, well they did much to remember
The work that O’Malley had done in November.
They drove to the polls, and there they concurred
That O’Malley should be our next governor!
How the Light Stole the Commute
With apologies to Dr. Seuss!
Every driverOff Cold Spring
Liked driving a lot...
But the Light,
That lived just North of Cold Spring
Did NOT!
The Light hated driving!
The whole driving season!
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be that his bulb wasn't screwed on quite right.
It could be, perhaps, that his bulb was too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his timer was two sizes too small.
But,
Whatever the reason,
His bulb or his timer,
He stood there on Cold Spring, hating the drivers.
Staring down from his perch with a sour expression
At the warm, seated drivers stopped in their progression.
For he knew every driver down on that JFX
Was exceedingly late and getting more and more vexed.
And the more that the Light thought of them getting to work
The more the Light thought, "I must act like a jerk!
"Why for forty-five years I've put up with it now!
I MUST stop the drivers from moving!...
But HOW?"
Then he got an idea!
An awful idea!
THE LIGHT
GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!
"I know just what to do!" laughed that electronic fiend.
"I won’t ever, no never, NO NEVER turn green.”
And he chuckled, and clucked, "What a great Grinchy trick!”
My bulb will not change, my timer won’t click!
“Those kids down at Poly, they think they’re so cool,
“I’ll stop them from ever getting to school!
“They’ll sit on the highway, not reading, not learning,
“And better and better, their gas will keep burning…”
"Pooh-pooh to the drivers!" he was grinch-ish-ly humming.
"They're finding out now that no light change is coming!
"They're just pulling up! I know just what they'll do!
"Their mouths will hang open a minute or two
"Then the drivers on Cold Spring will all cry BOO-HOO!"
"That's a noise," grinned the Light,"That I simply must hear!"
So he paused. And the Light put a hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising out from a Jeep.
It started in low. And it wasn’t a beep...
Or a honk…why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn't be so!
But it WAS merry! VERY!
He stared down at Cold Spring!
The Light popped his eyes!
Then he shook!
What he saw was a shocking surprise!
Every driver on Cold Spring, the tall and the small,
Was driving! Without any light change at all!
He HADN'T stopped traffic from moving!
IT MOVED!
In a manner of which a cop wouldn’t approve.
Cars at the light, that should have stayed still,
Moved, two by two, into traffic, at their drivers’ free will.
And the Light, with his light-top-up-high-on-the-bar,
Hung puzzling and puzzling: "How could go those cars?
They moved without warning! Those Fords and those Rangers!
Right out onto Cold Spring, ignoring the dangers!"
And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Light thought of something he hadn't before!
"Those drivers on Cold Spring," he thought, "they simply don’t care
"They won’t let me stop them from getting somewhere!"
The drivers don’t really care if they’re hit,
All they’re thinking is “I don’t have time for this [edit].”
But the drivers in cars still remembered the dangers,
To their Volvos and Jettas, their Fords and their Rangers.
They thought, “I cannot sit by and stay mute
And let a bad light mess up my commute.”
And the drivers in cars, those Volvos and Jettas
Thought, “I know just the way to make it all better.
I’ll call up O’Malley and he’ll start to work
On timers too small and lights that are jerks!
And what happened then...?Well...in Bawlmer they sayThat Martin O’Malley, he saved the day!The Mayor got that old light working right,
And traffic, it flowed, through the day and the nightAnd the drivers, they left that old JFX,
With less hassles and less of a chance of a wreck.
And those drivers, well they did much to remember
The work that O’Malley had done in November.
They drove to the polls, and there they concurred
That O’Malley should be our next governor!
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
RENT
It was cold, it was rainy, I was sick as a dog, but it was so worth going to see RENT last night at the Senator. We ended up sitting next to Tracie's mom's college roommate and she was gushing and glowing about the little girl who she watched grow up. Sounds vaguely familiar... :)
The movie was a little choppy (director's fault), but the performances were outstanding. I think that if Anthony Rapp and Jesse L. Martin piece their clips together (and leave Chris Columbus out of the decision making), either of them would make a good case for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Idina Menzel too...the cow scene was great.
Tracie Thoms was brilliant, and it was definitely weird sitting there realizing that she, Anthony, and Wilson were sitting in the audience watching the film with us. We were clapping and reacting after certain numbers, and they were there...watching and listening. It was amazing.
I finally got my question answered (by Anthony Rapp himself!!!). Mark goes to help Maureen, but then meets up with Collins and Angel. This wasn't an issue in the movie b/c Collins shows up the next day. But wait, it's the next morning and Angel is still singing "Today for You." Oh well, I'll just go with it.
Photos to be added when I get home.
The movie was a little choppy (director's fault), but the performances were outstanding. I think that if Anthony Rapp and Jesse L. Martin piece their clips together (and leave Chris Columbus out of the decision making), either of them would make a good case for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Idina Menzel too...the cow scene was great.
Tracie Thoms was brilliant, and it was definitely weird sitting there realizing that she, Anthony, and Wilson were sitting in the audience watching the film with us. We were clapping and reacting after certain numbers, and they were there...watching and listening. It was amazing.
I finally got my question answered (by Anthony Rapp himself!!!). Mark goes to help Maureen, but then meets up with Collins and Angel. This wasn't an issue in the movie b/c Collins shows up the next day. But wait, it's the next morning and Angel is still singing "Today for You." Oh well, I'll just go with it.
Photos to be added when I get home.
Monday, November 21, 2005
No day but 11/21/05
In just a few hours I will be sitting in the Senator Theater in Baltimore watching Tracie Thoms present her first big movie, Rent. I have not been this excited about a film since...ok, I'll admit, I've never been this excited about a movie!! It's got that perfect combination of plot, music, and casting that could make this
The reviews so far have been positive...Rottentomatoes.com has it at a 100% fresh rating, and that's good for a Chris Columbus picture. I was a little worried when I learned he was attached. The first two Harry Potter films were good and faithful, but they lacked the spark and freshness that the last two installments have brought from the helm of Alfonso Curon and Mike Newell. I've still got a few doubts, but I'm starting to feel a lot better.
Only a few hours left! I'll be back with my own review tomorrow!!
The reviews so far have been positive...Rottentomatoes.com has it at a 100% fresh rating, and that's good for a Chris Columbus picture. I was a little worried when I learned he was attached. The first two Harry Potter films were good and faithful, but they lacked the spark and freshness that the last two installments have brought from the helm of Alfonso Curon and Mike Newell. I've still got a few doubts, but I'm starting to feel a lot better.
Only a few hours left! I'll be back with my own review tomorrow!!
Friday, August 12, 2005
I made Cosmo
Yesterday, Becca called me out on the fact that I never post on this thing. So I posted missive #1 while at work (Chris says I never work all day, and ok, it's true).
So I get home from work, and Julia goes, "Your new name is Maribel."
"What?"
"The Cosmo article that Rebecca Onion pitched, your bonfire comment made it. Your name's Maribel."
So I look, and sure enough my love lesson is in there, right on page 199 and with a fake name and grammatical editing (incorrectly, I might add)! I don't understand the need for a fake name on that particular one -- the engagement story would have made a much better fake name one -- but I'm happy just the same.
In full, it's "Save the litle things when you first start dating a new guy, like ticket stubs and cards. When you realize he's a keeper, you'll be glad you have them -- you can can enjoy the bonfire if he turns out to be a total dud."
I'll see if I can find the original email I sent Rebecca. I think that there's some real keepers (ticket stubs and all) in there.
So I get home from work, and Julia goes, "Your new name is Maribel."
"What?"
"The Cosmo article that Rebecca Onion pitched, your bonfire comment made it. Your name's Maribel."
So I look, and sure enough my love lesson is in there, right on page 199 and with a fake name and grammatical editing (incorrectly, I might add)! I don't understand the need for a fake name on that particular one -- the engagement story would have made a much better fake name one -- but I'm happy just the same.
In full, it's "Save the litle things when you first start dating a new guy, like ticket stubs and cards. When you realize he's a keeper, you'll be glad you have them -- you can can enjoy the bonfire if he turns out to be a total dud."
I'll see if I can find the original email I sent Rebecca. I think that there's some real keepers (ticket stubs and all) in there.
I'll take awkward moments for 100, Alex
Ok, so I ran into CM last night. He looks amazing; he’s had to have dropped like 20# and he has a beard now. So cute.
We’re talking, and I say something that JR interprets as me bringing up the night in Annapolis (which I wasn’t!!). So he starts talking about how he was stuck hanging out with the guy who wanted to come in and interrupt us. At first neither of us knew what he was referring to because he kept saying “the last convention” and CM wasn’t there. I figure it out about the same time that Jason leaves to go to the bathroom. As soon as he’s gone, CM turns and goes, “Do you know what he’s talking about?” So then, I have the joy of explaining it, which opens a completely new can of worms.
I didn’t think it could get much worse, but then we reach the DAILY DOUBLE. He gets all cute/funny and gossipy and goes, “So, how long has this been going on?” Now it’s my turn to be confused. Turns out, he’s had the impression all night that JR and I are together!
So THEN, we get that one straightened out, and we move on to FINAL JEOPARDY. I’m about to tell him how great he looks when he opens his mouth and starts talking about how this girl who never gave him the time of day last year ran into him in a bar and told him how amazing he looks. He was going on and on about how he didn’t appreciate it because he thought it showed how superficial she was (he included some extra details that suggested he knew the difference between a compliment and a pick-up). Even though I think I’m really over my crush on him (no, seriously, I am), I do think he looks great. However, with the fact that the whole Annapolis episode was just brought up, I figure it’s just better to keep my mouth shut.
Yes, I’m a spaz and I’m not afraid to admit it.
We’re talking, and I say something that JR interprets as me bringing up the night in Annapolis (which I wasn’t!!). So he starts talking about how he was stuck hanging out with the guy who wanted to come in and interrupt us. At first neither of us knew what he was referring to because he kept saying “the last convention” and CM wasn’t there. I figure it out about the same time that Jason leaves to go to the bathroom. As soon as he’s gone, CM turns and goes, “Do you know what he’s talking about?” So then, I have the joy of explaining it, which opens a completely new can of worms.
I didn’t think it could get much worse, but then we reach the DAILY DOUBLE. He gets all cute/funny and gossipy and goes, “So, how long has this been going on?” Now it’s my turn to be confused. Turns out, he’s had the impression all night that JR and I are together!
So THEN, we get that one straightened out, and we move on to FINAL JEOPARDY. I’m about to tell him how great he looks when he opens his mouth and starts talking about how this girl who never gave him the time of day last year ran into him in a bar and told him how amazing he looks. He was going on and on about how he didn’t appreciate it because he thought it showed how superficial she was (he included some extra details that suggested he knew the difference between a compliment and a pick-up). Even though I think I’m really over my crush on him (no, seriously, I am), I do think he looks great. However, with the fact that the whole Annapolis episode was just brought up, I figure it’s just better to keep my mouth shut.
Yes, I’m a spaz and I’m not afraid to admit it.
Thursday, April 28, 2005
A Take Your Kid to Work Day poem
It’s 8 AM and all is well,
But this day soon is shot to hell.
Invaders from the kinder care
With plans your workday to impair!
You’re sitting quietly at your desk
But turn around to find a mess
Your plant uprooted and markers strewn
Around your peaceful office room.
The parents are at their last wits end
And pass them to you, their single friend.
They shout: “Entertain Joe or Bob or Billy!
You need the practice too, you silly.”
You grit your teeth and try to work
You resolve to call the pharmacy clerk.
No way in Hades will this happen to you
And you tell these wayward brats to “Shoo!”
Now kids are great, please let me say.
There’s just too many on this one day.
Small and mighty, they pack a punch.
Thank God, they’ll only stay through lunch.
But this day soon is shot to hell.
Invaders from the kinder care
With plans your workday to impair!
You’re sitting quietly at your desk
But turn around to find a mess
Your plant uprooted and markers strewn
Around your peaceful office room.
The parents are at their last wits end
And pass them to you, their single friend.
They shout: “Entertain Joe or Bob or Billy!
You need the practice too, you silly.”
You grit your teeth and try to work
You resolve to call the pharmacy clerk.
No way in Hades will this happen to you
And you tell these wayward brats to “Shoo!”
Now kids are great, please let me say.
There’s just too many on this one day.
Small and mighty, they pack a punch.
Thank God, they’ll only stay through lunch.
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