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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