Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Why we have the latest toys

I'm a very fortunate person. God has given me many gifts and I am able to use them daily in my chosen field of employment. And man am I lucky that my field has some neat toys!!

I have never met an IT guy that wasn't a gadget guy (I'm sure they're out there but probably shouldn't be). I have a huge appreciation for breakthrough technologies and how they get applied to daily life and business. Personal computers revolutionized the way work gets done. Cell phones revolutionized the pace at which business occurs. The internet revolutionized communication, purchasing, the transfer of knowledge and information, and the way we approach and do business. Smartphones revolutionized who has access to information at any given moment. Social networking revolutionized how we maintain contact with people. All of these things absolutely blow my mind and I get to live and work with it every day.

So there's the "Oh man, that's so cool I can't believe I can do that!!!" side of gadgets, but there's also the "Oh man, that's so cool but what will it do to the network and what vulnerabilities does it open up to the company" side of gadgets. It's almost impossible for us to figure out the dangers of a technology (or the usefulness of a technology) if we don't get to experience and play with it hands on. An example that's going on right now in my company is smart phones. We proved the usefulness of Blackberries but now we have people desiring iPhones and Android phones. I have to understand them and work with them before I can effectively implement them. Also, I'm the first person someone comes to when they have a problem with the technology. How can I help my customer if I've never used the device before?

Since I am so immersed in technology I also have the ability to bridge the gap between technology and business. Maybe I see a gadget on the internet and can visualize a use for it at my company. Before we buy one for every employee, someone needs to experience the product and try to fit it into their daily workflow. Who better to do this than the IT guy (who also needs to know how to fix it if we do happen to buy everybody in the company one)?

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Cursing me out will not put you on the top of my list

A couple of weeks ago I had a new experience.

I was working on our barcode capture system which forced me to visit 8 terminals around the plant to find the one causing the issues (this system is 15 years old but for the most part is rock solid). Fortunately for me, the terminal causing the problems was right next to a computer that allowed me to remote into the server and send it configuration commands.

A gentlemen (I had never seen him before which suggested to me he was a recent hire) approached the barcode terminal to which I told him it wasn't working and I was fixing the issue. He proceeded to curse me and the 'blasted' (edited for content) barcode system up one side and down the other. He definitely was NOT a happy customer.

Because I work in the IT field, I work in the customer service field by default. I've had some pretty ticked off customers before but I've never been spoken to like that before. I don't know anyone would speak to their dog like that. I understand frustration when a tool you rely on to do your job stops working; I do not understand transmitting your frustration in such a way that not only demeans the person fixing the issue but also makes you look like a buffoon. I have other morals and values at play but I essentially prescribe to the golden rule (treat others the way you want to be treated). If you show me respect I am more than willing to show you respect.

I did resolve the issue (about 4 minutes after the gentlemen left) despite his attitude because many people more people other than he rely on that system. If I had a place of business and was treated that way by a customer I think I would politely explain that their business wasn't appreciated.

All that to say, I understand what I signed up for. We are often the scape goat for people and/or problems and I'm fine with that. But if you respect me and what I do, I'll be more inclined to respect you and what you do. I might also be inclined to give you better service.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

IT Personality Types

A good friend and colleague sent this web page to me this past weekend. I thought it fit right in with what I was trying to accomplish with this blog.

Personally I have not deal with every single personality type. I have seen all 8 tendencies in different people I've associated with over the years but am not familiar with each individual job role.

Are you familiar with these tendencies? Do you work with any one of these people?

Friday, November 5, 2010

Are we just lazy? Why we don't fix your problems

Please stop calling me every 2 hours to ask if I've fixed your problem yet. I understand that you have a job to do and if something is preventing you from getting that job done, it really is a big deal. There is, however, something I need you to understand. I don't work solely for you; I work for the company that you work for.

You see, I have a lot to do every day, just as you do. Not only do I sift through log files to find out why a backup failed last night, setup new computers for new users, recondition computers that have seen better days, read up on the latest virus/malware that's threatening to take us back to the stone age, but I also have to be on call for the 135 other people that work for this company. I understand Outlook is running slow for you and I will get to it at some point. But I currently have a SQL server that is crashing and a network switch that is going down for no apparent reason.

When I receive an issue request I immediately have to prioritize it. I might already have quite a list and your request gets placed at the bottom of the queue. I might be working on your issue and something more important comes up. I might be walking out of the building on my way to lunch and ignore your email or phone call. Also, the requests don't end when I leave the building. Occasionally I will have to drive an hour back to work and stay until the problem is fixed (try being at work at 2AM when no one else is around; talk about quiet).

Sometimes I forget that you submitted a request via phone call or in person. In that case, please send me a reminder via email. Sometimes I sit on issues until I have a better understanding of the problem. Sometimes there is no fix to your issue and I send the request to smarter people than myself. Sometimes I'm told that it will cost too much money to fix your issue and you have to deal with it.

I must also admit that I am human. Sometimes I attach less of a priority to your issue because I don't fully understand it. Maybe you ask for so much help that I try to focus on another problem because you've already called me 3 times today. Maybe you were a jerk to me and I don't want to work on your issue now. I hate to admit it but we all struggle with that sometimes.

I see it as my job to keep my customers happy. It would not be conducive to that relationship for me to simply ignore an issue. As mentioned before, I do understand your job is important and I simply ask for the same understanding in return. Also, it never hurts to be nice to us :)