Help desk techs are geeks who use jargon to make themselves feel superior, and delight in torturing users with basic computer skills. Customers who call help desks are governed by superstition, are unable to understand basic logic, and think that computers will take over the world some day.
Chances are one of those stereotypes will bother you. And they should.
A recent post in TechRepublic titled “10 Habits of Superstitious Users,” which lists the most common irrational behaviors of average help desk callers, reinforces those stereotypes.
It’s like turning a hamburger back into a cow.
(Maybe I’m a crazy liberal, but I don’t think jeering at people who know less than I do is fun. It does nothing but widen the divide between the help desk and its customers.)
TechRepublic’s article includes a host of behaviors, including refusing to reboot, excessive fear of upgrades, kneejerk repetition of commands, magical thinking, attributing personality to a machine, believing that computers are possessed, and more.
The issue of rebooting is probably the most irritating — for both consultants and callers. While a consultant may perceive a caller’s refusal to reboot as laziness or irrational fear, the caller may think it’s a consultant cop-out, that he cannot think of anything better to try. If a consultant takes a moment to explain why rebooting can solve a problem, the caller may follow his advice.
The point here is that a concept that may seem clear to one may not be to another. For example, based on the universe of data mining we conduct here at PC Helps, a common request is to convert PDF files back into their original formats (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc.). Callers believe it’s as simple as clicking a button, but it’s not quite so easy.
One of my colleagues explains the process to his customers this way: It’s like turning a hamburger back into a cow. Using humor and layman’s terms, the consultant gets his point across in less than a dozen words, none of which are tech jargon. The result is a more pleasant exchange, and a caller who just learned something new. (Jen Darr)
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Doctors used to say “take two aspririn, & call me in the morning” when they simply wanted their patient to go away. The help desk parallel is telling the user to reboot.
Since it takes a few minutes to reboot, the consultant is able to end the call. Unfortunately, in the event that the reboot fails to solve the problem, the user, frustrated over the perceived blow-off, will not bother with the help desk, helping it to earn a reputation as a “no-help” desk.
Given the reputation of reboot requests as a “go-away” type of support, consultants should never offer a reboot as the advise of first resort.