Community archive
A VP called you as a Helpdesk Staff that he has an urgent problem that he needs you to fix it ASAP.
But you are busy attending to another problem.
The VP is very demanding and he don't care whether you are busy or not. He want his problem be fixed ASAP.
What would you do to fix such problem?
How long will his problem take vs. the problem your already working on?
How urgent is the original problem?
Is he your division's VP or another division?
Ask your Help Desk Supervisor to prioritize the jobs. That's what he gets paid for.
by jrod86
ask your supervisor to prioritize. I work with two of the VP's of my company and they do have a slightly higher priority, but in that situation, Palmetto is partly correct. If the VP can't function with his computer, it needs to be fixed now. If the problem you are currently working on is more severe, and the VP can't get to the internet, I would stay with the current problem.
As far as letting someone else make the decision for you, that is the wrong move in the long run as your manager will see you as unable to make critical decisions and will probably look you over for the next promotion (assuming this is a manager that is worth anything). Too often we let others make our decisions because we are afraid of the consequences, but that is the slow road to advancement.
by stuart
I used to work for a Parliament (country unspecified to protect those still working there) where certain elected Members and officials of said Parliament always regarded their problem as being more important than anyone elses.
We often worked out of hours with no supervision, so couldn't pass the buck.
You have to learn how to say no, as long as you are confident that you have made the correct decision, can justify it, and are willing to stand by it.
Complaints were commonplace, but as long as the decision was justified, the Head of Department would stand by you.
Hence the importance of proper call logging!
by jdmercha
If my first problem was truely urgent, I wouldn't have answered the VP's phone call.
Otherwise I'd have to knnow a lot more about the specific problems and situations.
by rajuegypt
by kimy
by billad
Folks, I have been in this industry for more years than I care to remember, and this has been a problem since there were computers to be fixed. I started on the Help Desk (back when computers were coal powered!), moved to HD Manager, Department Manager, Director, and am currently a PM for Hewlett Packard, working some of their larger corporate accounts. Take it from me: the VIPs come first, have always come first, and will always come first.
We always try to view things in the "perfect world", but in my experience, there is no such thing. A VP is a VP, and will eventually get what he/she wants, whether it is from you or someone else. If you say "no" to him/her, I can guarantee it will be the topic of discussion in the next Executive meeting, with the CIO being blind sided about the issue. One way or the other, the VP's problem will be addressed, and if it comes from the CIO, the priority will be even higher.
Saying "no" to a VP is called a "CLM" (Career Limiting Move).
Complain to your boss, your co-workers, mutter to yourself, or go to the loading dock and scream obsenities into the air, but do yourself and your department a favor and take the call.
by sujit1215
by rob mekel
That is if y're working on a production/delivery issue that will cost this VP his/her job if it is not cleared before closing time on the delivery demand.
BUT THAT'S THE ONLY EXCEPTION.
Unless this is the case TAKE that issue right away and be sure that you do fix it right @ once.
Rob
by chip.guest
by longbow1
by kjq
Our official Helpdesk policy is essentially 'first come, first served' for requests and incidents of te same impact (i.e. one user affected).
This policy is violated all the time by certain key individuals. If I say no, they just go to the Director General and we're ordered to do it anyway. Now I just tell my staff to give them what they want.
The long term problem with this is that the same people who routinely 'jump the queue' are the ones on the management committee that allocates funding. When the topic of IT staffing/funding comes up, they think to themselves "well, I never wait for anything so they (IT) can't really need the resources they're asking for". Catch 22.
by debie2000
by bhs-tech
It's not a perfect world and even the big bosses are computer stupid. However, they run the company and without them...none of us lowlifes has a job. One of those characteristics that we don't or even can't appreciate(bypass protocol or helpdesk queue lines)has gotten them to where they are at and this won't be the behavior that stops.
Unless you don't get along with them, they come first as is the hiearchy of things. This at no point denotes the job you do and if you find that your boss doesn't agree...suggest that they do it or at least communicate to the offending parties that this behavior is not part of his/her staffing policy. That way your boss feels like the decision is still with them and your nose is always clean.
Here is another thing to consider.....I have had many opportunities to go above my bosses head now because I dropped everything for Directors or exectutives. It started simply by knowing my place and then through conversing they learned that I had worthy opinions. Don't miss an opportunity to be heard by your bosses boss. Don't complain...just explain!
by seyffu
Depending if you can fix you current problem within the next five minutes you excuse yourself from the current job explaining the problem. Go fix the VP's fault and return to the other user asap.
We have a policy that all senior managers are to be given priority treatment. You will just have to live with it.
If your setup allows it you can give remote assistance. VNC's the word! It [or something simmilar] will help you a lot!!
by blu97ram
by tantor
The VP could have a lapdog of an IT director tell you to drop what you are doing to fix his problem.
In my former job this happened more than I care to remember. I used to resist, but eventually learned that it was often easier just to go and fix the thing that the big wig wanted (it was usually somethign stupid anyway, like he forgot his password and locked himself out).
My favorite time was when the Lap Dog called to complain that the VP couldn't get his email. We explained to him that we were aware of that, because the data store on the Exchange server went haywire and NO ONE was getting email. The Lap Dog said, "no, you don't understand. He can't get his AOL email. His personal email."
We had to send someone away from an email outage that affected 750 users to fix an email account that the guy shouldn't have been using anyway.
Notice I said "former" employer.
by lcave
The problem belongs to your boss. The VP is cutting him out of the chain of command, thereby making his job unnecessary.
Ask your boss for guidance. That is the person who has to decide your task list.
Unfortunately, this doesn't always lead to good results for anybody.
by averagejoe
Yeah, from my experience this creates a chaotic workplace--nothing gets done because of all of these dumb "personal services" issues.
I had a boss (who BS'd his way) who tried to explain to me how a print spooler works, and I am the Systems Programmer who had already written several I/O device drivers before! Even worse, by the end of his presentation, he was totally confused!
I looked at this way, they are getting the high paying salaries, let them figure the simple stuff out for themselves!
Sincerely,
Average IT Joe
by jkaras
your fellow teammates, that is what they are there for, team effort. Pecking order always plays a part of any business so it is a "no brainer" that they get premier service over others, is it wrong? Yes but that's life, power has it's privledges.
While taking the VP's call, listen to the basic issue, get off the phone with that person and call a teammate to investigate the issue with the basic information gathered. Sure you wont get any face time, but you made things happen when things were going south, it's called multitasking and it makes you look good. If that isnt an option that your teammates are unavailable then it is a judgement call on the level of effected. If the office is having problems office wide that you are working on, then VP waits. No VP is going to be upset about office productivity over their issues, time is money unless its during a presentation then it high tail time! If only one person is effected than they wait behind the VP's needs.
by beoweolf
Even though it is not correct, the VP should have priority. However, you should let the person you are working with know that you have a higher priority issue that must be addessed. Then contact your boss and or another person in your department to take over the problem that you are bing pulled away from.
Related issue, did the VP contact you directly or was the call a generic Help desk call? How did the call get past the queue? Finally, your department should have or should address this issue as soon as possible...you need directions on what constitutes an priority. If the VP of finace calls while you are working on a problem with a VP of SW development, or CIO; who gets to wait?
The issue can be handled with a little dipolmacy just as easily as it can with set rules. As help desk, your job is not to make value judgements only to assist, there should be policies in place to help you make the right decision. When in doubt, priority should go to the job that has the potential make the company bottom-line better or put the comany in better light with outside customers. Think of it this way...if the building is burning down, do you help put out the fire or finish your assigned task and continue putting up drapes?
by rtroncone
by jdgretz
Every one of us has horror stories of the VIPs getting preferential treatment. Everything that has been suggested has been tested and some of it actually worked.
One company I worked for had a VIP support staff - these guys would go out to the VIPs house and set up their home computer, laptops, office machines, their wives and childrens' machines as needed. As stupid as that may sound, it's what it takes to keep these folks happy.
The upper level is different and it's not so much that they think about it, it's just what they have come to expect.
If you do not have a staff dedicated to assisting these folks, you'd be surprised how often a simple "I'm in the middle of getting the company email system back on line - should take about another hour to complete - can you wait that long or do I need to put this on hold for you?" will get an answer of "Please get to me as soon as you can, but get the rest of the company back on line first."
These folks are not unreasonable (most of the time), but when they are, you'll know it and then you jump.
Obviously you can't use that excuse all the time, but if you really have something critical on your plate, most of these guys are sympathetic.
jdg
by excorpguy
Others have responded, but this deserves repeating: Work the
VP or Executive's problem first. Trying to explain that another
outage is more important will get you nothing but grief.
Where I worked at a Fortune 50 in the past, EVERY executive (VP)
issue was a Category One. Trust me, not treating each one as if
your job depended on it will be dicey at best. No manager wants
to defend a peon (you) against VIP flack as it will be a career
limiting move on their part. You will almost certainly be on the
outside looking in if it comes to that.
Ironic thing is that they outsourced all of the helpdesk support
to a 'low cost center.' Everyone else in the company had to deal
with extended wait times and often the language barrier.
That is everyone except the people on the top floor. They had
their own private support staff formed to deal with their issues.
No waiting on the phone nor the other issues involved.
Must be nice to have your own support staff to go along with the
Gulfstream 5s jetting you off to a meeting. Quickly followed by
a few rounds on the links too. :)
by bg6638
It has happened several times where I used to work. But you can turn the tables on them too!!!
For example: Emergency 1) Screen's dead nothing works. Hmmmmmmm. Helps if you turn the monitor on! Emergency 2) My friend gave me a program to try, and it will not load. Hmmmmm. Helps if you ask for the PC version, since MAC OSX software will not work on a PC. Emergency 3) My laptop will not power on, and I've got to make a presentation in 5 minutes. Hmmmmm. Helps if you plug in your power adapter, when you've run the system on battery power the night before. Makes them feel like Tom Thumb, especially when they have ranted all over the office about "THEIR" problem!!
by dmiller
This discussion is closed to new replies.
Sort by Trending