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    <title><![CDATA[Discussion on Look in the help desk log for lessons end users need the most ]]></title>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630]]></link>
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    <lastBuildDate>2013-05-19T19:32:50-07:00</lastBuildDate>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[RE: Look in the help desk log for lessons end users need the most]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-2611144]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Jeff Your articles are so good that there is a company that is copying them and branding as thiers.http://www.innovatewithprogressive.com/v1/node/12You know what they say, Copying is the most sincere level of compliment and it makes your lawyer happy as well.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-2611144]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[CommonSenseNBusiness]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:30:35 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[List for Computer User Essentials]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-758448]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[When using Windows Explorer, the format of the right pane can be changed by using the &quot;view&quot; option on the menu bar.  Many users panic when Explorer doesn't look the way they are used to seeing it.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-758448]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[tmagnotto@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 28 Apr 2003 03:37:21 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[CAPS reminded me of]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-756200]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Also make sure your monitor is actually TURNED ON before calling the help desk saying &quot;my computer won't turn on!&quot;]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-756200]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[malosa]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2003 05:13:12 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Lead by example]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-751951]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Whether communicating with your customer (user) by phone, e-mail or remote control, ask the customer if they used OS help, application help or how to documents first.  If no, guide them through the process.  Go to Start&gt;Help&gt;Index...30 minutes orientation/training would be nice but my new employer doesn't believe in it.In addition here are the quick call descriptions from our Remedy Helpdesk database: 1 scripts down 2 Acct Locked 3 Password Reset 4 FOB lockout 5 Outlook problems 6 PDC down 7 printer malfunction 8 system needs reloaded]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-751951]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[user support]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 15 Apr 2003 00:48:12 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[CAPS]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-750920]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[TURN OFF CAPS LOCK when entering your password!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-750920]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[palmer2k]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 13 Apr 2003 15:31:41 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Logging calls options]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-750906]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I've just started as Help Desk technician for a 110 user base non profit.  Its a new position with the IT manager handing off user enquiries / questions / problems to me, along with assessing training needs for the company.As such, there is no formal policy about what or how to log calls / email requests / users at the office door asking &quot;can I bother you..&quot;.Can anyone suggest any commercial packages available to track these calls, as it will be essential to justify my role / workload when the position is reviewed in 4 months.Or does everyone just create their own database / Outlook forms / spreadsheet to handle this?]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-750906]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[ibat@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 13 Apr 2003 14:08:14 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Opening files from the wrong application]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-750125]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Our users live in Word and open their documents from there. The inevitable call comes when they open an Adobe PDF or a PowerPoint presentation, say, and gibberish overtakes their screens. There's a good chance the user doesn't know what application they need to open first, so I try to steer them to Windows Explorer, the &quot;United Nations of Applications.&quot; If they've got the necessary app installed, Explorer will open the app and their file with less hassle and confusion for the user.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-750125]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[BuffaloCin]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 11 Apr 2003 01:43:31 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Some Tips]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-748071]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[On our internal help desk website, we posted some tips that we get frequent calls on but are easy for a user of any level to do:  how to set up their Outlook, how to delete mail, how to access their mail from home (internet), how to share their calendar, how to change their password (including what do if your account is locked), how to find their computer name.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-748071]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[mknight2]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 07 Apr 2003 23:42:52 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Good point]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-747911]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[The instructions for rebooting are included with the tutorial]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-747911]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[RCOM]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 07 Apr 2003 17:12:10 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[The Basics]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-746775]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I've lost count of how many times I have instructed an end-user to reboot a computer only to hear that an error message still appears onscreen. Upon further questioning, I determine that the user is rebooting the monitor. Users should be taught how to properly reboot a computer.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-746775]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[jlking]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 05 Apr 2003 05:42:05 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[All users should know the basics?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-746669]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[People that call the support line for simple problems like saving or finding files lack basic computer skills. They may have been using computers for years but have never learned some of the main functions and how they work. That's why I'm a strong believer in having users go through the quick tutorial that's included with all versions of Windows. The tutorial covers  most of the user complaints listed in this discussion. These calls would have never been made. Users that still have problems need to take the tutorial until they fully understand.  Experienced users will more than likely complain about going through this but may just find something that makes things easier for them. Training like this is cost free and doesn't take much time. When there's OS upgrades its a great way to get started training users.Since everyone has learned the the same basics, trouble calls become much easier. When you ask the user to go to &quot;Device Manager&quot; they [should] know how to get there. If not its back to the tutorial.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-746669]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[RCOM]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 04 Apr 2003 14:47:42 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Desktop Shortcuts vs Desktop Files]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-746505]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[One thing I always point out to our network users is that there is a big difference between a file saved on the desktop and a desktop shortcut to that file actually saved on a network drive. If their computer crashes the file is lost, but the shortcut can always be re-created to the safe and sound (backed up) file on the network.If I don't see that little shortcut arrow on desktop documents I stop and educate the user.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-746505]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Cyn]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 04 Apr 2003 05:28:05 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[My First Advice to Users]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-746164]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[My first advice to Users would be to try rebooting their computers before they call for Support.  People hate to hear it, but it's amazing how many problems this simple act will solve.  It helps restore them to the network, fix mouses that are acting &quot;funny&quot;, copy and paste problems (from to much memory being used), etc.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-746164]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[pasmith@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 03 Apr 2003 21:37:17 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[My favorite shortcuts]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-745764]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[My users have consistently been amazed by Ctrl-X Cut, Ctrl-C Copy, Ctrl-V Paste, Ctrl-I Italics, Ctrl-B Bold, Ctrl-S Save, Ctrl-P Print, and Alt F4 Exit. Even experienced users frequently don't know, or don't remember, how easy it is to use keyboardshortcuts.Another biggie, since you brought up the mouse, is how to hold it so clicking gets the desired results. This is how I used to start Windows classes.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-745764]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[jeanm]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 03 Apr 2003 04:14:51 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Keyboard Shortucts]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-745203]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[With only 50-or-so users, our facility is small with a Help Desk staff proportionally sized (three of us, thanks...).  I enjoy working with our users face to face, and since we're all in one building and easily accessible, I many times take opportunity to do that.  One thing I notice, perhaps more than any other, is that users will grab their mouse for an action that can be quickly and easily done with keyboard shortcuts.  This is especially an issue at my workplace because I feel the work stations are not very ergonomic.  In some cases, the keyboard may be attached to the underside of the work surface (in a slide-out drawer) while the mouse is up on the surface and &quot;worlds away.&quot;  Obviously this can make for wasted steps, time and, more importantly, overstresses the arm, hand and fingers.  Understanding and using keyboard shortcuts is, I believe, one of the most essential skills a user can have.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-745203]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Skeetre]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2003 08:27:01 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Write it down]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-745105]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[And when the screen shot suggestion didn't work, I then told them to write it down.  They would complain that it was too time consuming and that they wanted a new pc.  I would tell them that there is no way to justify a new PC unless we prove, with written error messages, the excessive problems.  I found this worked with my users a lot of the time.  I've even stressed this in our newsletter.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-745105]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[malosa]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2003 05:11:02 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Screenshots]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-745103]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I agree - I used to require this too.  However, sometimes it was a little tough to get a user to understand the concept of a screen shot.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-745103]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[malosa]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2003 05:09:07 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Write it down]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-744587]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Users will never write down error messages; they can't click that Ok or Cancel button quick enough. Then hours later will call and expect you to know what it was and how to fix it. I once had a user draw a perfect diagram of the BIOS screen and leave it on my desk which is the other side of the coin :o)]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-744587]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[JustinF]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 01 Apr 2003 09:21:35 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Send an error message/ screenshot]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-744511]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[It would save alot of time if users just forwarded their error messages (copy/pasted into an email) or sent sceenshots in an email to the HelpDesk instead calling or emailing and trying to explain what happened.  That way the technician can search for the error message before responding to the call.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-744511]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[jmason@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 01 Apr 2003 05:04:52 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Forgot to add to previous post]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-744381]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I forgot, on the reply all, we once had a user send an email to the entire company that her email address was changed due to her married name change.  Her friend in another department replied back...by using REPLY ALL...that it was ABOUT TIME MIS got that done and that it took them long enough!  What the friend didn't realize was that it wasn't MIS's fault because MIS never rec'd notification that her name had changed.  It was actually the employee's fault for not submitting the required documentation of the name change.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/12-123630-744381]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[malosa]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 01 Apr 2003 00:49:32 -0800</pubDate>
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