can you help me??? my scanner is broken...

[oggsmith.livejournal.com]

so it's lunch time, my food is in my mouth, and i'm trying to forget about the first half of my shift. when a lab aid finds me...



she's convinced that the scanner connected to her computer is broken. and she wants me to come right away and fix it for her. I told her that i would be down later, explaining that fixing a scanner falls very low on my list of things to do after lunch and that she needs to follow the proper channels before i can help her anyway. in the mean time i was going to finish my lunch. apparently this was an insufficient responce as she come in to bother me 2 more times in twenty minutes.

As lunch ended i decided that i needed to make sure that she indeed hadn't followed the proper channels with the amazing discovery that she hadn't, i spoke to my supervisor and explained the situation to which i got well then don't help her until she logs a ticket. five minutes later as i was responding to some issues the lab aid enters the room. can you help me? i really need that scanner working right now. i'm busy it will be a while. 10 minutes again can you help me i really need the scanner working. this time my supervisor steps in and questions whether or not a ticket was created. the answer yes i created a ticket. it was never created, so my supervisor created a ticket.

five more minutes pass and again the lab aid finds me please help me i need the scanner right now. i tell her that i'll be down in a few minutes. so that made 6 times in less than an hour that this lady came found me and cornered me about her damn scanner.

at my supervisors request we went to look at the scanner together. i instructed the lab aid to log into the computer and click on ther scanner icon. the scanner light comes to life and makes its little noise. i insert a peice of paper she clicks scan and voila the page begins to scan. the scan completes and i ask how exactly is it broken to which she responds well it wasn't working earlier. so i leave and my supervisor stays to discuss the "issue".

me thinking that the issue is now resolved am very relieved. not ten minutes later she corners me again. to explain that there was an error message and it really didnt work. as well as the rest of the typical crap that i hear when i walk into a room and theres nothing wrong. i don't care if it worked or not its working now right???

to shorten the rest of this the lady found me 3 more times today with endless banter about that damn scanner. i think i'll revoke her rights to everything and disconnect the scanner.

Comments

[ladynisa.livejournal.com]

fuck, I would to. That bitch doesn't need a tech, she needs a damned nanny.

[greeklady.livejournal.com]

Ok this is when you stare her down over your lunch. And let her know that

1. you are not the only tech in the building. IF she had followed proper channels someone may be helping her right now.

2. it is your lunch hour and you are entitled to the rest

3. unless she is scanning something for a vp or she is a vp/ceo head honcho, it is not urgent.

When she has come into your office for the umpteenth million time, let her know the more she interupts you the longer it is going to take to get to her. Yes you use damn veiled threats at this point.

Also you need to make it clear to your manager how much she is interfearing, not following proper channels and get your manager to speak to her and if that doesn't work to speak to her manager. This is not ok behavior. I am not saying that IT are gods (we are but we don't need to act like it all the time) but shit needs to be done the proper way to keep headcount ect.

I'd love to have kicked her ass but I want to kick yours for not having a back bone. Don't get me wrong, been there done that but I am currently out of work due to a lack of proof of headcount because of shit like this.

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

Veiled?

I would suggest using "Get. Out." the moment they interrupt anyone's lunch.

Just the thought of someone acting as if I was at their beck and call... geez. Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets away with that. Not my colleagues, not my boss, not the C-E-freakin'-O. "Please" and "would you mind" are not bizarre speech constructs from Mars.

It sounds like this lab aide needs a short sharp lesson in manners.

On the flip side, they can be greatly assisted along this path by the judicious use of the word "No."

"Can you- ?"
"No."
"But I-"
"No."
"But the-"
"No."
"The scanner-"
"Is it the 'N' or the 'O' you are having problems understanding? Are you deaf? Or perhaps blind, and you can't see that I'm at lunch. Or maybe you're illiterate and can't read the sign saying to call the helpdesk. Or you can see I'm having lunch, you can hear me saying 'no', and you can read the sign, but you're over here annoying me because you're just goddamn STUPID."

[jecook]

been there done that but I am currently out of work due to a lack of proof of headcount because of shit like this.

Yeah. the first word out of my mouth lately are "fill out a work order". We use handwritten work order forms, as we have not setup help desk software just yet. THis way, I don't forget what the person was talking about, the person has a paper trail to make sure of that, and I get my life back with minimal interupptions. I do keep track of things using a request tracking software, but still...

[tmercenary.livejournal.com]

Make a sign that reads "Tech Support is a privilege, not a right"

hang it where this assistant will see it numerous times. ( In her workpace)

[jcaswell.livejournal.com]

Or on top of the scanner :)

[jecook]

or scan it in using her scanner and set it as her desktop. ::evil toothy grin::

This is why I lock my door when I'm at lunch, or doing something that I can't tolerate interupptions on (like wrapping my brane around a PBX manual for the first time).

I usually stick a note on the door to indicate such items as well.

[darkblade1.livejournal.com]

I like scanning the sign, then setting it as her desktop option. Then set the options so she can't change it. :)

[docskurlock.livejournal.com]

Images of Bad Santa flash in my head.

"I'm on my fucking lunch break lady!"

LOL.

[viper0775.livejournal.com]

classic PEBKAC, eh?

heh