Recently, I was reading our customer comments and one in particular caused me to pause: The customer stated that he didn’t know Outlook personal folders could fill up.

I thought to myself, “Where do you think all that mail goes? The great .pst in the sky?”

I thought to myself, “Where do you think all that mail goes? The great .pst in the sky?”

That was the bad-mannered former software consultant in me, and I quickly reminded myself everyone has their own areas of expertise — some technical, some not.

Case in point: I know someone who is a carpenter and general contractor. He had very little formal education; most of it has been on-the-job. If you need to know what kind of wood something is made of — whether it’s a common type like Spanish cedar or an exotic species such as Bubinga (African rosewood) — he’ll tell you in a second. That’s his specialty, and he knows it well.

But when he tries to work with document templates and database files for his business, he’s not so nimble. For that, he brings in help.

All this got me thinking about recession, shrinking IT budgets, productivity, and a mess of other unpleasant business stuff. In particular, it led me to wonder why companies cut employee software training and support in an effort to save money.

The current corporate culture views training as a necessary evil, and expects workers to function as experts upon completion. That is unrealistic.

Instruction is important, practice is necessary, and assistance along the way is vital.

Let’s go back to the issue of Outlook folders reaching capacity. My initial reaction was harsh, and I’m thankful it was just a thought that ran through my head and not a comment uttered aloud. In that particular case, a consultant explained the .pst size limits, and showed the caller how to keep folders manageable using Outlook’s AutoArchive and Rules features.

The customer didn’t know that information before he called us, and he may have spent an hour trying to figure it out on his own or with the help of a colleague. (Think of the double downtime.)

The next time he is mysteriously unable to save to his .pst, he may remember how he fixed it last time, or he may not. This time, however, he knows where to find answer quickly.

Less downtime, more knowledge.

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Jenny Sweeney Rants Bubinga (African rosewood), carpentry, Outlook, software support, Spanish cedar, Training