LEGO my... D'oh!

I was going to hold off on writing this, but I decided, I needed to get something written in the month of April, so here we are.

Along with the test I suggested everyone take when they are hired, I am also going to recommend all new people get a pack of LEGOs with their welcome packet to see if they can understand the concept of putting together basic shapes.

I was playing phone tag of sorts with this particular user for a day or two. In my defense, my ticket only said it was a local printer install, so while I was attempting to make find a conveninet time for both of us, he was not my most pressing issue as he could always just walk the extra ten feet and go to the other print device. I walked into this person office and his boss says "Finally, (person x) can start working)!" So, I proceed to find out what needs to be done. Turns out, he needs his Docking Station, SECOND Monitor, Blackberry configured, and Printer setup. The only thing that actually requires IT help, is the Blackberry and printer setup, as they need software installed. The docking station and second monitor is "Put the round peg in the round hole" Sesame Street stuff that two and three year olds do (shout out to Peter and Aaron!). This user was apparently telling his boss that he couldn't do any work without all of his accessories setup.
I think I'm going to claim that I am unable to work because I don't have an iPad. I wonder if my company will cave and get me one....

Printer? I hardly knew her.

Phew. I am glad I got to blog one more time this month. Two thousand and ten started off pretty fast, but things started to slow down these past few weeks. However, if I haven't said it before, I am saying it now, never underestimate the power (or lack there of) of the human mind.

I received a ticket regarding a printer that "Suddenly stopped working". So, I go down to take a look at it. There, on the printer in question, is a note that says "Printer broken, ticket number ". Well, the first thing I notice, is the printer, is in fact turned off. Chuckling to myself, thinking there HAS to be more to this, I turn the print device back on. After it powers on and runs through the test, I get another notification of what just MIGHT be wrong with the printer. There, on the screen, is a message saying "replace toner on three drums". So, my question now isn't whats wrong with the printer, its "When was the "printer broken" sign put on the machine?" Was it when the message was displayed that you need to replace the toner, or was it placed on the machine when it was turned off?


/facepalm

Paper Weight

Ah blogging. How I have missed you. Its such a shame that I don't get more blog-worthy entries on a daily basis. I guess that just make the select few that much more special.

Now, pay attention, maybe you can help this user too!

Yesterday, we stopped in on a user who explained to us that his printer doesn't work properly. Apparently, the printer "shredded" paper as it was trying to feed. He then mentioned that it only does it when he puts a lot of paper in the tray, but when he puts about 3/4 the normal amount, the printer works fine. He then showed us, that the printer does in fact work, when he only put one ream of paper into the tray. The one tech that I was with told the user that he will "Take a look at the printer." Can you guess what I said to him, and what I advised the user to do in the future?

Change of pace

Every so often I stumble across some entertaining technological tidbit and feel compelled to share it. This is one of those times. The video is about the direction technology (and life) are headed, and how video games have influenced it. It may SOUND boring, but if you, or someone you know, plays games then you are familiar with the topics he speaks about and should definitely give this video a look. I found the last ten minutes highly entertaining.

http://kotaku.com/5479125/points-for-toothbrushing-the-gaming-speech-everyone-is-talking-about

Vagueness is key

Oh Tier 1 support. I've talked about our phone support staff before, but this is a new high... or low for them. Maybe I'm feeling particularly picky today, but I don't see how the following phrase is helpful to the person you are trying to escalate the ticket to: "The computer is totally blank or something."

Stupid Metric System

Every once in awhile, everyone makes mistakes. I am no exception. However, if I made an exception for everyone I blogged about, I wouldn't have a blog at all, so I'll post my ID10T moment.

I was shopping online the other day for a USB Extender. I figured I needed about six feet. While searching on Amazon, I found a cable but quickly discarded it because it only measured two meters.

*sigh*

Printer Printer against the wall.....

What started off as a drum replacement turned into much more.
Somewhere along the way, the drivers for the print device I was working on became corrupt. So, instead of going to 50 computers deleting/remapping everyone to it, I decide to go the more "efficient" route, and talk to everyone at once.

First, I was told, by a person in the front, to use the microphone, they can't hear me. I think that is the first time in my life someone has ever told me I'm being too quiet. So, I get on the microphone and begin to explain the process of reinstalling the printer. Surprisingly, it went pretty smooth. The first 80% of my directions went as well as could be expected. I had a few questions, but nothing I wasn't expecting given some of the people in the room.

"Double click on the B_9500 icon, and that will map you to the printer." Without fail, someone objected.
"Which one? There are two 9500s"
"There is only one B 9500"
"No, there are two, 9500, and 9500c"
"Again. There is only ONE 9500 in B, the other is in A."
Somehow, this person CONTINUED to argue with me.
"No, there are 2, a 9500, and 9500c!"
"Again. There is only ONE 9500 in B. The other is in Area A"
No. I did not mistakenly type the same conversation twice. This is how it actually played out.

Thankfully, there was another tech standing who went over and showed this person the error of their ways.

My story does not end there though.

No sooner do I get back to my station, then another "Punisher" comes up and says "The printer isn't working for me, and I know its not my fault, one of your guys set the printer up for me." *sigh* I decided to follow them back. This "All-Star" tells me the printer isn't printing her documents. Now, I can see on the screen that the document successfully printed. So I ask "When did you print this document?" "About a minute ago." I walk over to the print device and see that nothing else is in the que. I am about to tell them to reprint, when I notice, there, ON TOP OF THE PRINTER, FACE UP, is the document that "did not print."

/facepalm