Why do computer problems for non-techies cause them to forget how to read?

gettothechopper said:
Worked at a place during a Uni summer job doing IT support

Was back in 2001 and at the time LCD Screens were new (ish) for desktop use and looked "cool" and took up less desk space
All staff had big CRT monitors unless they a)a new starter or b) their CRT broke in which case they got an LCD

Call comes in from a lady in accounts "monitor is broken"
go down to see what the problem is:
"I want an LCD monitor"
"well I cant just give them out - oh its just unplugged "- plug it back in all good now
walk back to my desk, 10 mins later:
same lady from accounts "my monitor is broken"
go back down
she pushed the CRT off her desk and it had smashed
now she gets an LCD...
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That would have won them a P45 at every company I’ve ever worked for.
 
Few occasions I've known staff break equipment on purpose so they can get a newer/better item. Loads of adults who are just overgrown children.
 
i must admit, sometimes i get annoyed at IT departments when they seem to be making their job putting people off asking for help by giving (usually) unnecessarily overcomplicated answers and/or just not doing anything.

then i read threads from the other perspective and i'm reminded why this is the case.......
 
dLockers said:
PICNIC.
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Flibster said:
That's the one I used to use.

Or it was an ID 10 T error.
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Hah! I used to work in an IT department and we said PICNIC (problem in chair, not in computer) and ID 10T error. as well.

The other one was - there are only 10 people who understand binary, those who do and those who don't.

As for people not being capable of reading out error messages, I fail to understand why. If you're 30 years or younger, then IBM-PCs running Windows have been mainstream for your entire life! If you're older than 30, then PCs have been mainstream for at least the last 30 years of your life. Hell, even the internet has been mainstream in the UK since around 1998, so that's over 20 years too!

IT departments should have the same hiring and firing power as HR departments in handing out P45s.
 
V F said:
Is that why Windows 8/10 gives a sad smiley face on blue screens? "Something went wrong? :(" :cry::cry::cry::cry:
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I can understand it as a mercenary thing when the manufacturer of the equipment or software either provides support itself or has an arrangement with the company that does so. Ensuring that customers have to pay for support more often is a profitable business. McDonald's ice cream in the USA is a currently notorious example of that. But it seems to be the new norm even when that's not the case. MS doesn't make money when the useless error message "Something went wrong" prevents customers fixing the problem themselves.

EDIT: Or maybe it does. I was thinking in terms of home users of Windows. If MS sells support to business users of Windows, that would explain the useless error messages.
 
I wonder if there should be some sort of penalty system for stuff like that?

I mean if you were a third-party company, certainly with stuff like application support, and a client wasted your time (obvs we'd then be talking more than a quick call), then you'd bill them for it. Perhaps that ought to be the case for internal teams too, it could work in some companies like banks etc.. where costs are attributed to individual desks, teams etc.. and could impact profitability, bonuses etc...
 
I wonder if there should be some sort of penalty system for stuff like that?

I mean if you were a third-party company, certainly with stuff like application support, and a client wasted your time (obvs we'd then be talking more than a quick call), then you'd bill them for it. Perhaps that ought to be the case for internal teams too, it could work in some companies like banks etc.. where costs are attributed to individual desks, teams etc.. and could impact profitability, bonuses etc...
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It was called chargeback but then IT were reminded that they were a cost line not a revenue line and they soon got back in their box.
 
Laziness and an unwillingness to problem solve and think for themselves is what it boils down to. IT is just an annoyance and time waste when things don't go exactly as their little minds expect it to go like the other 50 times.
 
Angilion said:
I can understand it as a mercenary thing when the manufacturer of the equipment or software either provides support itself or has an arrangement with the company that does so. Ensuring that customers have to pay for support more often is a profitable business. McDonald's ice cream in the USA is a currently notorious example of that. .
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrDEtSlqJC4

The McDonalds ice cream machines are basically rigged on purpose..

Interesting video.
 
Bluecube said:
The bane of my life is people who seemingly lose the ability to read when put in front of a PC.
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Some people have no process to sort/filter what is on the screen and/or it takes them some time to understand what is and isn't relevant information. Some people naturally have a knack for it for others it is an acquired skill and can be quite prohibitive at first for those who aren't confident with computers.

Though in many cases it comes down to laziness and/or unwillingness.
 
how do these people even pass an interview.
It's not the employees fault, it's whoever hired them

Ayahuasca said:
Few occasions I've known staff break equipment on purpose so they can get a newer/better item. Loads of adults who are just overgrown children.
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people do that to get better modems from virgin etc too lol
 
jaybee said:
Laziness and an unwillingness to problem solve and think for themselves is what it boils down to. IT is just an annoyance and time waste when things don't go exactly as their little minds expect it to go like the other 50 times.
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I do love problem solving. It's the sporadic troubles that can be the worst. You think you've cracked it then it wasn't really it. I remember troubleshooting bugs for some router companies tech support that went back and forth for 2 months. As well as their software developers trying to track it over the course of weeks. I eventually tracked down the cause for them to fix it.
 
Bluecube said:
The bane of my life is people who seemingly lose the ability to read when put in front of a PC.
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No, they seem to lose the ability to THINK, sometimes you have to give them radio instructions for every step. Including asking them to put in their email address or password when it's blatantly obvious when to do so.
 
Ayahuasca said:
Few occasions I've known staff break equipment on purpose so they can get a newer/better item. Loads of adults who are just overgrown children.
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I had one guy try that on me. I gave him increasingly older machines every time until he stopped breaking them. And the reasoning to my boss was "He can't be trusted with a new machine" which he saw my point. I think he tried 4 times until he realized he was on machine 5 years older than everyone else.
 
robgmun said:
I had one guy try that on me. I gave him increasingly older machines every time until he stopped breaking them. And the reasoning to my boss was "He can't be trusted with a new machine" which he saw my point. I think he tried 4 times until he realized he was on machine 5 years older than everyone else.
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Doesn't sound like an effective IT function if youre keeping assets for that long :confused:
 
I stopped doing most desktop support years ago. After a while the morons grind you down. Mostly server and back end work now.

Nowhere would function without IT now, yet most IT departments get treated like ****.
 
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Nasher said:
I stopped doing most desktop support years ago. After a while the morons grind you down. Mostly server and back end work now.

Nowhere would function without IT now, yet most IT departments get treated like ****.
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Read this very thread and you'll see why IT get treated badly. It is a fallacy to expect people to be able to understand computers as well as computer enthusiasts. It is the same reason why IT isn't asked what the balance sheet liabilities are. I mean it is bloody obvious and written down in front of them, so why can't you get your head around IT asset depreciation curves? :rolleyes:

I'd say IT is one of the worst for the peter principle too.
 
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