It’s February and although Valentine’s Day is coming soon, the cold weather just tends to make some people more callous. There is an increasing and disturbing trend that it is acceptable to be hostile and rude when getting technical assistance.
These same obnoxious nitwits wouldn’t dare act so contemptuous in a restaurant for known retribution. Being vile and questioning competency while IT is trying to help you is like yelling at the surgeon while dying on the operating table. It doesn’t help and it is plain not smart.
The following are some things you should consider the next time you feel the urge to fly off the handle:
- Such behavior is unprofessional, is a poor reflection on you, and a bad example for other staff. Read this one regularly and often or better yet practice some of the tenants of your religion.
- It doesn’t help to complain about how busy you are, how much money you’re losing, and how you can’t get any work done. Long gone are the days of IT Support making money when you are down. IT rates are as high or higher than yours, it is an IT cost to help you, and if it is so important have a spare workstation or failover system.
- Don’t question competency. More often than not, IT could do your job but you can’t do theirs. The IT industry covers a wider breadth of knowledge than legal, medical, and accounting combined. IT changes more than any other field and IT staff are charged with keeping current with less time and budget than any other department or industry segment. That suggestion from PC Mag may be heeded, but you’re not on the same playing field even though the answer may be Googled.
- If you don’t cooperate to answer questions and test resolutions or can’t be available, you have no grounds to complain afterwards.
- Learn the rules of the road. It’s no excuse for traffic violations and simple computer usage that you don’t know is not IT’s fault.
- IT is often charged with enforcing management policy without guns or authorization to penalize. You’re not at home, but at work. Be good citizens. Johnny don’t surf for porn and get malware and Sally stop trying to get into payroll files and spending half the day on eBay.
- When you’re enjoying your families at night, weekends, or holidays somewhere some IT staff is upgrading and maintaining systems for you. While you’re well-adjusted and rested, IT is weary from getting you the next greatest thing.
- No other profession puts an individual under direct customer scrutiny. Other professional services have armies of skilled and non-skilled workers that can research, work, and bill greatly separate from the client during service.
- If you break your arm or the car must be towed or that widget must be sent off for repair, do you yell at those people trying to help you? Then why are you yelling at IT for something that is not their fault?
- Treat people well and they will do the same. See number 1.
No one is perfect and all of us have tough jobs. Try to love your IT.