You know it's time to cut and run when...

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

- when management gets the idea that you're a "customer service" general assistance desk and secretarial pool, rather than a technical repair and resolution team.

- when you have personally logged more tickets (by around 50%) than anyone else in the entire 25,000-user organisation

- when 60% of your incoming calls are issues your team can do nothing about, and no-one is prepared to address this

- when, despite a constant tickets-resolved-per-personnel-dollar figure, management insists on hiring many underpaid burbling morons instead of a handful of ultracapable bright sparks

- when you spend half your strength each day wading through the rising tide of red tape and management crap


What have I missed?

Comments

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

I should add:

- when management tells you you'll be supporting Microsoft Outlook as of next week

- when the proportion of your team declines from 90% to under 50%

- and this is because the amount of management positions increases faster than the amount of phone tech positions

- when you realise that three-quarters of your job could be done by a potted plant

[fenrirvallin.livejournal.com]

Just walk away.

You're in such a bad position you can't even screw them up by leaving. They're so messed up they won't even notice for another 3 months.

[kayfox.livejournal.com]

* When there are more managers than technicians.

[gilmoure.livejournal.com]

They're requiring you to support apps? As in, not technical problems but actually show people how to create calculations in Excel, format pages in Word, and what account numbers to put in accounting apps? How about questions like "what computer access should I give new college kid (who will be making more in one year than you do in four)?

Ooh, ooh! Here's a good one; are they requiring you to answer questions and provide basic support for management's home machines?

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

They can 'require' me to support use of apps all they like - what they're getting is "press F1". Any questions about home PCs will be answered according to how much cash it's accompanied by.

"Your kid needs an Altair. They're pretty rare - you may have to hunt one down. But it's worth it. (To see the look on your face.)"

[vaxhacker.livejournal.com]

Of course he/she does. Best way to teach 'em about computers. "Dad? What's 11 010 001 mean on the lights again?"

Not that I've turned my Altair on for a few years, but it's still making a great top-of-the-rack ornament.

[ravenshrinkery.livejournal.com]

You know it's time to run when upper management thinks it's a good idea to allow a pirated DVD copy lab to operate in one of the training labs. Shutting it down would be detrimental to team morale.

Nobody believes in paying for things like health benefits, but here, have some bootlegged movies. It'll make ya feel better :).

Wahayyy Off Topic

[ace-brickman.livejournal.com]

I always saw your user icon and thought it was a wolf. I followed the link in your profile userpics, and found out it was a cat. Just thought I'd share.

--anyway, I've been the switchboard a couple times. I simply let my voicemail sift through the mess, and people got the point.

[katyism.livejournal.com]

- When the front desk, the switchboard operators, and the "comments and questions" line transfer to YOU when someone calls them to have a conversation containing the word "email"

[devilkitty0.livejournal.com]

-when management thinks that student workers are the answer to all you problems. (I love student workers, they've saved what's left of my sanity, but we do need a couple of full time people.)

-when no one in the department is 'good enough' or 'qualified enough' for any of the new positions created.

-when management gets excited about bright shiny things, but refuses to pay for basic needs of their works.

-when the help desk turns into call central because the management thought that it was a good idea, because of merging of departments.

-when blackberries rule the campus.

[lovemonster.livejournal.com]

dude, sounds like it's time to find a new job! Let them wallow in their own vomit for awhile w/out you!!

[azzy23.livejournal.com]

You missed the part where they gradually take anway any small goodies you used to get. Example:

We used to have a small cafeteria. The seating area had tabletop videogames, and it was a great way to blow off stress during lunch. Then they sold the seating area to another dept., which walled it off and made it a lab... then they stopped doing any cooking in the cafeteria, so all you could get was cold salads and sandwiches....then they took that away too. Then they told us we had to bring our own coffee cups.... then no vending machines. Then we all got laid off.

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

Heh.

- when only five percent of the team have been there longer than three years

- when people spend more time talking about how it used to be better five years ago than they spend doing real work

- when you realise that there are easier ways to make money than being harangued by fools and idiots all day