Dude, you're embarrassing our profession.

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

Having (no doubt temporarily) wound up some eleven years in techsupport, I've been grabbed by a large-company team which likes to pretend it has anything to do with its name of IT Security.

Still, we do very occasionally repair permissions and whatnot on the network, so it's us that the local helpdesk calls for such things. Fair enough, right?

Only... I don't know if it's something in the water, but this particular helpdesk seems to be utterly incapable of performing basic troubleshooting before trying to pass the buck.

PHONE: Wun, ringy-dingy.
ME: IT Supp... Security.
BOB: Got a user getting access errors to a secured directory.
ME: Yeees, well, that might be security related. What directory are they trying to get to?
BOB: Dunno.
ME: Did they, at any point, ever actually request access to this directory?
BOB: Dunno.
ME: Anyone else getting the errors?
BOB: Dunno.
ME: And what have you tried so far?
BOB: Er...
ME: A reboot? Opening it via UNC instead of mapping a drive? Anything?
BOB: Um...
ME: *headdesk*

Holy chocolate saviour on a pogo stick, Batman! If I'd ever tried to pass off something like this to my security guys, my supervisor would have gleefully joined them in kicking my sorry ass from one end of the floor to the other and back!

...And this is about the sixth call like this I've had from them today.

Do I need to put my T/S hat back on and go pound some sense into these houseplants-with-headsets?

O.M.G.

[red-scully.livejournal.com]

First time post!  I am so glad I've found a community that makes me feel like I'm not alone in dealing with stupidity every day of the week.  I'm a lowly administrator on an IT helpdesk, so all I'm allowed to do is password resets etc (although I do actually know how to do a lot more.. but It Is Forbidden by the powers that be.  OH NOES)  Anyway, I had this little cracker yesterday:

Me:  Hi, this is red_scully of the WECAN'TCOPE Helpdesk.  You called to say you needed to have your password reset?
Scottish Idiot:  Yes, that's right, I can't remember it since I changed it yesterday.
Me:  *rollseyes*  Not to worry sir, I've reset it now to PASSWORDNOUSEREVERUNDERSTANDS.EVER.  You'll be prompted to change it to something new when you log in.
SI:  Ok, thanks.  I can't get to the PC at the moment so I've made a note of it.
Me:  That's fine sir, please just call back if you encounter more problems.  *PLEASE DON'T RING ME*

-- end call --

Ten minutes later...

Me:  WECAN'TCOPE Helpdesk, how can I help you?
SI:  Hi, this is Scottish Idiot, you reset my password, but it's not working.
Me:  Ok, let me just check the account isn't locked.  *it isn't*  Ok, can you just tell me what password you're using?
SI:  *recites password perfectly*
Me:  Ok, that is correct, can you just try it once more and tell me what exactly happens when you try to log in?
SI:  It tells me I need to change my password.
Me:  Ok, that's good, so then what happens when you try to change it?
SI:  Oh... so I'm allowed to put in the new one?
Me:  Yes, that's why we reset it... so you can change it to something new.
SI:  Oh, ok.  Thanks.
Me:  *HEADDESK*

Things I probably shouldn't do while supporting customers

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

( All from tonight )