I work with a specific document management computer system. I often have to handle support calls from end users. I am appalled how poor people’s communication skills are.
Here’s the scenario. The helpdesk sends me a case that reads, “User can’t connect to the Document Management (DM) system in IE.”
OK. What the heck is that about? The helpdesk has documentation telling them what to ask but they don’t. OK. Their busy so I don’t mind so much.
I contact the user usually by email as I have other things to do besides talk on phone and like to keep a trail for future reference.
Mind you, these users are often PhD’s in some sort of science discipline.
ME: “Which DM system are you trying to connect to? We have thirteen of them.”
User: “Internet Explorer”
Me: “IE is an interface. Which system do you log into?”
User: “I think it’s ABC.”
Me: “You don’t have an account in ABC”
User: “Oh. It’s the one with the documents about Chemical B”
Me: “Perhaps you can ask a colleague who can tell you which system.”
(What I’d like to say at this point is, “How the $&@$#” am I supposed to know which one that is with nearly a million documents in all systems combined?")
User: “I asked Anne, she said system XYZ”.
Me: “OK great, you do have an account. What type of problem are you having?”
User: “I can’t get in.”
Me (hair starting to fall out): “Are you getting an error of some kind when you try to log in?”
User: “No, it just says I can’t view the document.”
Me: “Wait. If you are able to see the icon for the document then you are “in” the system. Are you able to log into system XYZ sucessfully?”
User: “Yes I just don’t have permission on a document.”
Me: “What is the name of the document so I can check the permissions?”
User: “Chemical B analysis.”
(I find fifteen documents with Chemical B Analysis in the name but fortunately they all have the same permission set. )
Me: “You currently have delete permission on all of these documents so there must be something other reason why you can’t edit the document.”
User: “OK. I’ll call the helpdesk.”
Me: “The helpdesk cannot assist you that’s what I’m trying to do. Are you getting any errors when you try to edit the document?”
User: "No. I haven’t tried to edit it yet. Anne told me I needed permission and to call the help desk.
Me (All hair is gone, teeth falling out, bladder leaking): “Would you please try to edit the document to see if you are able?”
User: “Yes. Finally. I don’t know what was so difficult about this, you could have told me to try it right off and avoided this whole thing.”
At this point here’s what I’d like to say:
ME: “MAYBE IF YOU HAD TRIED TO EDIT THE DOCUMENT BEFORE CRYING TO THE HELPDESK AND MAYBE IF YOU COULD COMMUNICATE AND ACTUALLY TELL ME YOUR PROBLEM RIGHT OFF THEN I WOULDN’T HAVE TO WASTE BOTH OUR TIME PLAYING TWENTY QUESTIONS!”
This is just an example of a state of affairs I’ve noticed everywhere. Newspapers with terrible spelling and grammer. Technical journals full of typos and educated people who cannot communicate even the simplest concrete thing.
That’s my rant. Thank you.
