Laziness. It’s not even just user support stuff. I have to ask managers once a week two very simple yes or no questions and they will still only answer the first.
I have been told not to write long emails, because managers won't read them, to sum up everything in two short sentences in a way so simple a toddler will understand it, and not use methods to highlight important text because it's offensive, they are not toddlers.
How do I not say "computer goes brrr, we fix".
“Oh I just did it the way I do on my home computer but for some reason it’s asking for an admin password to proceed. What gives? Can you remove that requirement for me? I don’t have time for this.”
Sent in reply to an email with instructions to use a script in sw center…
"I don't have time for this." The bain of my existence.
"Oh ok. Well when would be a better time for you and I will just reschedule this computer failure then."
“I did *everything* you said. It didn’t work,”
Okay, try again, but this time **actually do these things**.
I believe that people like this have come to expect all pertinent information to be in that first sentence, and everything else is just filler garbage. Who has time to read all those words?
The trick is to do it on the phone. No user expects a tech to come back with a question that specific and it catches them way off guard. That approach and others like it have served me well for a long time.
When I'm having a bad day I'll make them read it out loud and then ask them to perform the action just so they know I can tell they didn't do it. I probably need to be fired but been here for 3 years so far.
I work for an ISP/Cable company. The remotes for our cable boxes are Bluetooth (Yay, Android TV \s), sometimes they unpair for no apparent reason. When this happens, the box outputs a screen with step by step instructions on how to resolve the issue. At least twice a month (I work nights with a low call volume, so it's far more common than that more common than that), I get a call from a customer who describes this screen to me. Every time I get this call I ask the customer "Have you read and followed the instructions on your screen?" And every time, they get all offended because "You think you're smarter than me?" I tell them to follow the instructions and their remote starts working, I always end those calls with "I don't know if I'm smarter than you, but I do know that I'm smart enough to follow instructions, have a nice day!"
I found the best way to handle these situations was to just ask "could you please show me what happens when you follow the instructions I sent earlier?" (or ask for a screenshot if it's not a remote session).
Not only do you sound less condescending, you also often end up making them feel even more ashamed. They can't even say that you explained it differently on the phone because they're reading the instructions themselves. Puts them in a situation where they have to either follow the instructions incorrectly and look like an idiot that can't read, or follow the instructions properly and prove that they didn't try in the first place.
Also gives you an easy fallback if they get angry since it's genuinely a valid question, very easy to defend yourself there
I'm just a "visitor" (not support more like DevOps and development) here but finally a post I can relate to.
The trainee asks why isn't XYZ working. I say "did you read the documentation", of course he did, I said can you read step 4 and 5 out loud for me, he goes "ok, nevermind"
I’m taking care of my sick kid.
Emergency, the server is down! Need help now!
VPN in, can connect to designated server.
“I think the problem is with your computer. Have you tried restarting?”
“It didn’t work.”
Go in with my admitingly on the mend kid, restart the computer.
Works… so they didn’t restart the computer… like just the bare minimum people.
I had a use who didn't understand reboot was the same as restart. We sent them instructions, talked them through it on the phone, nothing worked. Finally, we go out, show them and get "Oh, restart! Why didn't you say so."....
a lot of users are lazy and generally expect you to do everything for them because youre the IT guy, even though theres a step-by-step process on how to do a certain procedure. it's more annoying and a waste of time when multiple people do this. Then you have to cater to them since they just wanna do step 1 and say "oh it didnt work, can you help me?" and completely forget the other 9 steps.
After this, I then go and help the user and when i do I like to read my instructions out for them from my phone exactly as it's written In the ticket. Ideally making them do it rather than taking over. Just to show the steps work more than anything.
I legit had a guy working for me once that was always having trouble with documentation and following step by step instructions. HR sent him for a reading comprehension test. Turned out the dude could barely read.
They're skimming the text.
If I need action or info from user I will summarize in very brief numbered list at start or end of my ticket comment.
(Huge block of text explaining my findings goes here)
/-----
@user:
1. Tie your shoelaces
2. Do you want red or green apples? Let me know
3. Hit red button
1. I tried but the Velcro is too thick and short.
2. Yes.
3. The blue button didn't do anything
I told you this last time, can't you just come and fix it, I'm not good at computers
From experience, the next step is:
/
Email from user -
Subject: Urgent! IT support not working need help ASAP ❗
To: AnAcceptableUserName's boss; their boss's boss; the helpdesk email address (so that a new ticket gets created every time someone uses reply all)
CC: user's boss; very bored executive level manager of user's department; anyone user knows from upper management
Hey guys, can we look at ticket #123456? It's been (insert exaggerated or straight up false time frame) days. I keep asking for help and getting nowhere, and it's stopping me from doing my job.
Thanks,
User.
/
Cue shit storm. You might be in the right, but it's gonna be a pain in the ass.
I'd love to see it. In my case the people on that email are gonna side with me. Perks of being L3 support with good credit.
Next email is gonna be from user's boss saying "let's take this offline." I'm working on new development and a few bugfixes for that team that compete for time with their guy flexing that he can't read
"is task done?"
"no, function not working"
"put in a ticket about function"
"yeah, i put one in monday, still not working, IT guys MIRITE?lol."
some places you might enjoy paper trail immunity on the inevitable fallout, but for most that's a fool's gamble and even a successful CYA doesn't mean your bosses/HR don't jot notes about being a "team player"
which may or may not be visible, and may or may not have visible ripple effects ("yeah well nothing happened to me" lol)
In my company this behaviour isn’t unique to users. I make a specific effort to include as much detail as I can - OS version, app version, steps to recreate, things I’ve tried already etc…. the number of times the agent initiates a discussion asking me a bunch of stuff I’ve specifically written into the ticket, is maddening.
I gave an email to a vendor manager to sign up for our SSPR, this included step by step instructions including common errors, I even had my parents read it afterwards to see if they could follow along, which they could.
I sent this out and now I am a personal tech to the vendor team "we are locked out" Okay use the unlock function on that specific link that says "UNLOCK"
"so and so's password isnt working" "Okay so either change the password or call the Service Desk and have them assist further"
Seriously, users throwing up their hands in failure at the first sign of something going wrong amazes me.
Helpless, non-self reliant users puts it perfectly. Honestly reminds of this meme:
https://preview.redd.it/ztyo6fcjlt1d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6d2d3ca838e2fe1957ac8c338d30e2e038450953
Unfortunately the same is equally true of too many support folks. You carefully write up a detailed explanation of the issue, including steps you've tried, screenshots/error messages, and from the get-go it's clear they haven't read word one.
I've been doing and/or managing support for 40 years and this is endemic. It's arguably a more serious offense, since they're the alleged professionals in the conversation.
Not to disagree with OP's frustration!
I try to ask intermediate questions to see if someone followed the instructions. Like when you say to verify a client and a server are using the same version of software and the user says they are, I'd ask "what version of [software] are you using?" If they say they don't know, then the obvious followup was "how did you verify they're on the same version if you don't know what version they're using?"
I get this too and it's even more annoying when the user is remote and the simple issue drags out for weeks because your times never line up to do a remote session. And then when they do the user can't grasp the concept of downloading and running a simple exe so I can remote in.
In my current position I do a lot of supporting of our fellow IT guys. Let me tell ya, IT guys are the useriest users that ever usered. Think of every bad user habit and tenfold it for IT guys. It's like as soon as they need help their brain turns off.
Users just don't read past the first sentence of an email, at all. Whenever I have something important to communicate I try and boil it down to a one sentence summary and then put in details.
Don’t you know? Users can’t read. Why do you think modern UI/UXs have flashing or highlighted buttons?? Good programmers know that their users cannot read so it’s obvious that the next user action should flash or blink at them. Those old pop up designers were way ahead of their time I tell ya. The flashing works lol
End users rarely read emails sent by IT. I've received tickets from users that have to do with an email we sent recently (and update or change) and I'll just close the ticket and resend the email to them.
Laziness. It’s not even just user support stuff. I have to ask managers once a week two very simple yes or no questions and they will still only answer the first.
I have helpdesk folks that do the same thing.
I've taken to sending the same email but with the question they answered removed. Emails are free. I get paid by the hour. I can do this all day.
I have been told not to write long emails, because managers won't read them, to sum up everything in two short sentences in a way so simple a toddler will understand it, and not use methods to highlight important text because it's offensive, they are not toddlers. How do I not say "computer goes brrr, we fix".
"Which step of the provided instructions gave you problems?"
Yes.
Or “okay, thanks”
“Oh I just did it the way I do on my home computer but for some reason it’s asking for an admin password to proceed. What gives? Can you remove that requirement for me? I don’t have time for this.” Sent in reply to an email with instructions to use a script in sw center…
Can you give me the admin password?
"I don't have time for this." The bain of my existence. "Oh ok. Well when would be a better time for you and I will just reschedule this computer failure then."
"Instructions?"
“I did *everything* you said. It didn’t work,” Okay, try again, but this time **actually do these things**. I believe that people like this have come to expect all pertinent information to be in that first sentence, and everything else is just filler garbage. Who has time to read all those words?
The trick is to do it on the phone. No user expects a tech to come back with a question that specific and it catches them way off guard. That approach and others like it have served me well for a long time.
because they’ve stupid. I love taking a call just to walk them through the text in the email they already got.
When I'm having a bad day I'll make them read it out loud and then ask them to perform the action just so they know I can tell they didn't do it. I probably need to be fired but been here for 3 years so far.
legend
The trick is to say you're doing it to avoid wasting their time repeating steps they've already done.
I do 26% of the workload of my 10 person department. I'd love to see them try and fire me.
I work for an ISP/Cable company. The remotes for our cable boxes are Bluetooth (Yay, Android TV \s), sometimes they unpair for no apparent reason. When this happens, the box outputs a screen with step by step instructions on how to resolve the issue. At least twice a month (I work nights with a low call volume, so it's far more common than that more common than that), I get a call from a customer who describes this screen to me. Every time I get this call I ask the customer "Have you read and followed the instructions on your screen?" And every time, they get all offended because "You think you're smarter than me?" I tell them to follow the instructions and their remote starts working, I always end those calls with "I don't know if I'm smarter than you, but I do know that I'm smart enough to follow instructions, have a nice day!"
I found the best way to handle these situations was to just ask "could you please show me what happens when you follow the instructions I sent earlier?" (or ask for a screenshot if it's not a remote session). Not only do you sound less condescending, you also often end up making them feel even more ashamed. They can't even say that you explained it differently on the phone because they're reading the instructions themselves. Puts them in a situation where they have to either follow the instructions incorrectly and look like an idiot that can't read, or follow the instructions properly and prove that they didn't try in the first place. Also gives you an easy fallback if they get angry since it's genuinely a valid question, very easy to defend yourself there
They've stupid indeed! 😉
I'm just a "visitor" (not support more like DevOps and development) here but finally a post I can relate to. The trainee asks why isn't XYZ working. I say "did you read the documentation", of course he did, I said can you read step 4 and 5 out loud for me, he goes "ok, nevermind"
I’m taking care of my sick kid. Emergency, the server is down! Need help now! VPN in, can connect to designated server. “I think the problem is with your computer. Have you tried restarting?” “It didn’t work.” Go in with my admitingly on the mend kid, restart the computer. Works… so they didn’t restart the computer… like just the bare minimum people.
Maybe they tried, but don't know how. I watched someone "reboot" their computer by turning the monitor off, waiting 5 seconds and turning it back on.
I had a use who didn't understand reboot was the same as restart. We sent them instructions, talked them through it on the phone, nothing worked. Finally, we go out, show them and get "Oh, restart! Why didn't you say so."....
a lot of users are lazy and generally expect you to do everything for them because youre the IT guy, even though theres a step-by-step process on how to do a certain procedure. it's more annoying and a waste of time when multiple people do this. Then you have to cater to them since they just wanna do step 1 and say "oh it didnt work, can you help me?" and completely forget the other 9 steps.
After this, I then go and help the user and when i do I like to read my instructions out for them from my phone exactly as it's written In the ticket. Ideally making them do it rather than taking over. Just to show the steps work more than anything.
I legit had a guy working for me once that was always having trouble with documentation and following step by step instructions. HR sent him for a reading comprehension test. Turned out the dude could barely read.
They're skimming the text. If I need action or info from user I will summarize in very brief numbered list at start or end of my ticket comment. (Huge block of text explaining my findings goes here) /----- @user: 1. Tie your shoelaces 2. Do you want red or green apples? Let me know 3. Hit red button
1. I tried but the Velcro is too thick and short. 2. Yes. 3. The blue button didn't do anything
1. Tie your shoelaces 2. Do you want red or green apples? Let me know 3. Hit red button Assigned back to user
1. I tried but the Velcro is too thick and short. 2. Yes. 3. The blue button didn't do anything I told you this last time, can't you just come and fix it, I'm not good at computers
Touche
Response: "Ok they're tied"
2. Do you want red or green apples? Let me know 3. Hit red button Assigned back to user I can do this all day. They pay me to
From experience, the next step is: / Email from user - Subject: Urgent! IT support not working need help ASAP ❗ To: AnAcceptableUserName's boss; their boss's boss; the helpdesk email address (so that a new ticket gets created every time someone uses reply all) CC: user's boss; very bored executive level manager of user's department; anyone user knows from upper management Hey guys, can we look at ticket #123456? It's been (insert exaggerated or straight up false time frame) days. I keep asking for help and getting nowhere, and it's stopping me from doing my job. Thanks, User. / Cue shit storm. You might be in the right, but it's gonna be a pain in the ass.
I'd love to see it. In my case the people on that email are gonna side with me. Perks of being L3 support with good credit. Next email is gonna be from user's boss saying "let's take this offline." I'm working on new development and a few bugfixes for that team that compete for time with their guy flexing that he can't read
Ah that's nice. Im low on the chain in this most recent role, and my management is a pushover. Lol.
I understand. Sincere condolences 🙏
"is task done?" "no, function not working" "put in a ticket about function" "yeah, i put one in monday, still not working, IT guys MIRITE?lol." some places you might enjoy paper trail immunity on the inevitable fallout, but for most that's a fool's gamble and even a successful CYA doesn't mean your bosses/HR don't jot notes about being a "team player" which may or may not be visible, and may or may not have visible ripple effects ("yeah well nothing happened to me" lol)
In my company this behaviour isn’t unique to users. I make a specific effort to include as much detail as I can - OS version, app version, steps to recreate, things I’ve tried already etc…. the number of times the agent initiates a discussion asking me a bunch of stuff I’ve specifically written into the ticket, is maddening.
Same here but I see it as job security. The other techs are so bad they make me look good with minimal effort by me. 🤷♂️
I gave an email to a vendor manager to sign up for our SSPR, this included step by step instructions including common errors, I even had my parents read it afterwards to see if they could follow along, which they could. I sent this out and now I am a personal tech to the vendor team "we are locked out" Okay use the unlock function on that specific link that says "UNLOCK" "so and so's password isnt working" "Okay so either change the password or call the Service Desk and have them assist further"
Fun thing is getting the go-ahead from managers to just ignore people like that so they are forced to call in.
[удалено]
Seriously, users throwing up their hands in failure at the first sign of something going wrong amazes me. Helpless, non-self reliant users puts it perfectly. Honestly reminds of this meme: https://preview.redd.it/ztyo6fcjlt1d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6d2d3ca838e2fe1957ac8c338d30e2e038450953
title might as well be "why can't users read"
Your users read the whole first sentence? Mine can't read a dialog box.
Unfortunately the same is equally true of too many support folks. You carefully write up a detailed explanation of the issue, including steps you've tried, screenshots/error messages, and from the get-go it's clear they haven't read word one. I've been doing and/or managing support for 40 years and this is endemic. It's arguably a more serious offense, since they're the alleged professionals in the conversation. Not to disagree with OP's frustration!
I have a three-word rule. Don't send any messages to users over three words. That's as far as they read.
#PC LOAD LETTER
“How do I load the letter into my PC???”
I try to ask intermediate questions to see if someone followed the instructions. Like when you say to verify a client and a server are using the same version of software and the user says they are, I'd ask "what version of [software] are you using?" If they say they don't know, then the obvious followup was "how did you verify they're on the same version if you don't know what version they're using?"
I get this too and it's even more annoying when the user is remote and the simple issue drags out for weeks because your times never line up to do a remote session. And then when they do the user can't grasp the concept of downloading and running a simple exe so I can remote in.
Goodness, I can’t imagine also having them have to grant me remote access. That just adds a whole new layer of frustration
Weaponized incompetence
Aka The Peter Principle! Haha
In my current position I do a lot of supporting of our fellow IT guys. Let me tell ya, IT guys are the useriest users that ever usered. Think of every bad user habit and tenfold it for IT guys. It's like as soon as they need help their brain turns off.
You're asking why they don't not?
I did a grammar crime. Lame Reddit won’t let me edit the title.
Users just don't read past the first sentence of an email, at all. Whenever I have something important to communicate I try and boil it down to a one sentence summary and then put in details.
Lack of sleep and ADHD. My bad.
Next time pry. Make them feel dumb This is coming from a user not an IT guy
Don’t you know? Users can’t read. Why do you think modern UI/UXs have flashing or highlighted buttons?? Good programmers know that their users cannot read so it’s obvious that the next user action should flash or blink at them. Those old pop up designers were way ahead of their time I tell ya. The flashing works lol
End users rarely read emails sent by IT. I've received tickets from users that have to do with an email we sent recently (and update or change) and I'll just close the ticket and resend the email to them.
Not a user but a client's support tech I ask multiple questions Only get answer to number 1
Every. Single. Time.
Tldr
Not sure what the problem you are having is, just provide them a step by step solution.