Front line IT workers are the first to encounter someone who needs help with their technology. That means they need to know a lot about everything — and that they will encounter a lot of people! IT front-line workers usually respond to everyday support issues, frequently asked questions, and basic difficulties. Sometimes, as you will read in this article, they deal with the unexpected!
On places like Buzzfeed, Not Always Right, Bored Panda, Ranker, and Reddit, these stories from IT professionals show just what front-line pros have to deal with. You might laugh, you might cringe, but most of all, you’ll come away with a new respect for the people who keep tech working.
The Case of the Broken Keyboard
One front-line help desk analyst received a call from a customer with keyboard issues. The customer indicated their keyboard simply was not working anymore. Of course, the IT pro’s first step was to ask if the keyboard was plugged in, but the customer said they couldn’t get behind the computer to check.
The tech asked the customer to pick up their keyboard and walk several steps backward. Upon confirming the keyboard did move with the customer, the tech informed them that their keyboard wasn’t plugged in.
The solution? There was another keyboard plugged in the whole time.
Oldie but Goodie
Back in the floppy disk days, a user was instructed to take a copy of their disk at the end of each business day for a backup. After six months, the original disk was corrupted, so the IT technician asked about the copies. The person opened up their filing cabinet, and there it was: a thick stack of paper, with a photocopy of the floppy disk on every sheet.
Password Problems
As you can probably imagine, front-line IT workers often encounter password problems. While many people legitimately need a reset, sometimes password problems aren’t quite what they seem.
One help desk pro encountered a user whose password was not working. They reset the password, but the user kept saying it wouldn’t work. Finally, the tech asked what, exactly, the error message said.
It turns out there was no error message — but when the user typed in their password, they only saw asterisks and not their password. The tech patiently explained that this was a privacy feature. The user thought that was a pretty smart idea.
Another tech got a ticket saying the user could not log in to their voicemail, so they reset the password to the default. The same person then sent another ticket saying they didn’t know the password, and the tech reset it to the default again. The third ticket then arrived, asking the tech to tell them the password instead of resetting it.
The tech explained that they didn’t know what the current password was, and that it had again been reset to the default. The next response: “Please set my voicemail password to 1234.” The tech, at this point, explained that the password didn’t meet security parameters. That was the end of the ticket chain until two days later, the user sent a new ticket: “I don’t know my voicemail password. Can’t you just tell me?”
And, to close, there are always the help desk tickets saying a user can’t remember their email password and they want a new password emailed to them.
Problems Techs Can’t Fix
IT technicians are highly skilled and can fix many things, but they can’t fix everything! In this scenario, a user called to say ‘Google Bing’ was not working for them. The tech explained that Google and Bing are two different search engines and that the IT desk supported neither.
Ultimately, the tech remote accessed the user’s computer to find a shortcut called ‘Google Bing.’ It opened Bing Search in Google Chrome. The user had accidentally changed the shortcut’s name, so the tech changed it back. In the end, the user scolded the tech for messing around with their computer and changing Google Bing.
While we can’t help you avoid end-user issues, we can help you with great help desk technology and other systems to make IT work easier and more efficient!
At GroupLink, we offer cloud-based e-workflow and work-from-home solutions that benefit organizations of many kinds. Our solutions include GroupLink everything HelpDesk, SafestSchools and Workflow Process and Incident Tracking. With these platforms, you can increase efficiency, collaboration, and accountability.
Connect with us online or call us at 801-335-0700. You can also email us at info@grouplink.net for more information.