They are conditioned to expect terrible service from their IT department. That’s truly sad.

And although his anecdote is about the business-to-consumer market, it could just as easily be used to illustrate the state of customer service within companies.

This company, PC Helps Support, is an outsourced software support provider, so we’re chin-deep in issues surrounding customer service on a regular basis. When a firm partners with us, our consultants become part of their help desk.

One of the most surprising — and troubling — things I have seen in my time here is how taken aback callers are when a real person (one of our consultants) answers the phone and doesn’t put them on hold. And when we solve an issue within one call, it blows them away.

They are conditioned to expect terrible service from their IT department. That’s truly sad.

One point in Snyder’s piece that resonated with me was about lingo. Indeed, the lingo needs to go. I wrote a few blog posts on this subject, and in one in particular, I noted how the recession has made IT/business alignment that much more important — alienating the rest of your company by speaking in terms no one but programmers can comprehend is not alignment. Understanding how technical tools and practices relate to the business as a whole, now that is.

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Not everyone knows what a mouse is, or what a gigabyte is, or how the Internet works.

To people who have used computers since the 1990s, this is an unnecessary dialogue. Doesn’t everyone know what a mouse is?

No, not everyone does. Nor does everyone know what a gigabyte is, or how the Internet works, or what a virus does, or the difference between Office 2003 and Office 2007. It’s called the digital divide, and it’s still an issue.

Granted, the digital divide really isn’t an issue in most office environments — you can expect your colleagues to have experience with computing and the Internet. But the fact that it still exists, even when computers are so inexpensive and ubiquitous, should remind us that we are not all at the same level, and it’s not always for lack of interest or aptitude.

I’m on this kick because I recently had the opportunity to spend a few hours with a half-dozen senior citizens teaching them basic computer skills*. We covered a range of topics, including search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo; e-mail, including attachments, replies, forwards and address books; and how to avoid being scammed.

While explaining e-mail, I mentioned in passing the utility of spam filters. Spam naturally led to mentions of phishing, malware, spyware and CAPTCHA programs. But I was way ahead of myself. I had to stop, back up. I realized they didn’t know what spam was. The challenge was explaining in a way that was jargon-free, and not condescending.

In a post I wrote last week, I talked about the importance of help desk staff knowing how to explain technical terms in plain language, and how such a skill can can encourage IT/business alignment.

Here’s what I think should be mandatory for all IT personnel: Spend a day or two teaching people who have never, ever used a computer. It would do wonders for IT/business alignment — plus give staff some much-needed perspective.

*I found the opportunity through the nonprofit Greater Philadelphia Cares, which uses volunteers for dozens of projects. For information, visit the organization’s web site (www.philacares.com).

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Think about the last time you called the help desk. Did you need two hands to count the number of acronyms used?

I was in danger of failing the class. Plus, he made me feel stupid.

It’s only when he began to teach theory using everyday examples, like pizza and beer, that I began to grasp the concepts. (Not that I am a fan of either.)

The very thing that inspired (or didn’t inspire) the aforementioned Temple University economics professor’s pedagogy is alive and well in some of the folks who staff your corporate IT department.

In a recent post, TechRepublic head blogs editor Toni Bowers explains that knowing how to explain jargony subjects without jargon encourages IT/business alignment, which, she writes, is becoming increasingly important with the growing reliance on fewer workers for the same amount of work, social networking and Web 2.0.

Think about the last time you called the help desk. Did you need two hands to count the number of acronyms used? Did you walk away feeling empowered? Will you be so quick to call back when your Excel formulas rebel?

I doubt it. And that’s the point: Alienating the rest of your company is not alignment. To paraphrase Bowers, understanding how technical tools and practices relate to the business as a whole, now that’s an idea.

And regarding that macroeconomics class – I passed with a perfect grade.

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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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