Lowered Expectations

[ptstech.livejournal.com]

Setup: 'Tis the season for people to replace their old kit with new.  I do refurbs and upgrades for those who don't want to buy from the big boys.  On occasion, this leads to some unintended comedy on the part of a potential client.  Hence, the following email:

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Dear ptstech,

I have received your quote for the refurbished laptop, and have a couple of followup questions:

Does it come with Vista?  I have heard it is more secure and since my kids will be using this, I thought it would be a good idea.

Will the CD drive burn DVDs?

Can the screen be upgraded to a wider version for watching movies?

Thanks,
Clueless Potential Buyer
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Now bear in mind that he was responding to a quote which:

• Explicitly described what he was getting both in terms of the hardware and the software already on it
• Explicitly explained that the unit was being sold "as is" with no upgrades or substitutions at the listed price

And all that notwithstanding, Vista? Upgrading to a "wider screen"?  On a laptop?

Why do I do this to myself?

Comments

[deusmetallum.livejournal.com]

This has better not be a business laptop. I would never let children near a business laptop.

[kitschicat.livejournal.com]

Oh, we tell our users not to. But we have a VP who regularly brings home a department laptop (it's not the one he uses daily so he's not affected) and lets his kids load whatever they want on it. Barbie software, resetting local user passwords and forgetting them, etc. He then brings it in and bitches up a storm about what a piece of shit the thing is blah blah blah and we remove the crap they loaded up and it works great, fancy that! Or better yet, he brings it in and hands it off to someone else in their department without warning about the Barbie bomb awaiting them and they come to us complaining. Either way, the problem ends up in our laps and it sucks.

Unfortunately we do not have a strong IT policy around here. Oh, wait, that's right, we do. It's called "mollycoddling." :P

[ptstech.livejournal.com]

Home users, home kit.

Still, I think hereticorp may have hit the nail on the head...something's obviously wrong with me...

[kitschicat.livejournal.com]

My boss and co-workers chide me sometimes because I am so specifically explicit in my explanations to users.

This person's response is a prime example of why.

And no, they probably will ignore the details I provide and I'll have to explain it to them again anyway. But at the very least, they can never, ever accuse me of withholding information from them. Which they have done in the past when I haven't spelled out every little detail in childish language to them. "You should have put that in the email and let me know!"

As to why you do this to yourself...why do any of us continue in this field? I think many of us got into it realizing that our technical inclinations and helpful attitude could result in a steady paycheck, and after too long in the field, our helpfulness is at like a -13 and our apathy is a +57. :P At least I know that's my problem.

[wxgeek.livejournal.com]

I'm actually finding that I'm pretty adept at fighting apathy. Of course, I'm young, and there's plenty of time for bitter cynicism. =)

[kitschicat.livejournal.com]

*nod* I've been at this quite a few years. Too many, in fact. So I'm pretty burnt out on tech support, at least from the break/fix user perspective. Your icon is a great representation of how I feel on a near-daily basis with most users LOL. ;)

The past few months here at work I've been working toward a promotion/transfer out of my department into more of a DB admin/web server support role (read: minimal user interaction, limited to tech savvy types) and it's all hinging on the timing of a re-org and hiring our dept. intern to fill my current position before she finds another job elsewhere. It's a total catch-22 and I'm not sure it's going to end up working out...but in any case, by mid-2008 I need to be out of tech support, that's the goal anyway.

[wxgeek.livejournal.com]

I totally understand. :) Good luck with that.

[kitschicat.livejournal.com]

Thanks, and may I compliment you on your fantastic icon collection :D

[geekgrrl-ca.livejournal.com]

don't worry, it will be beaten out of you sooner then later and you can be a bitter cynic with no hope like the rest of us.

[wxgeek.livejournal.com]

yeah. :) I'm only five years in, so I've got plenty of time to go.

[geekgrrl-ca.livejournal.com]

only 5 years in? this should have been done by 5 MONTHS....

[wxgeek.livejournal.com]

In that case, I might've just missed the final slip into insanity.