My experience being on the receiving end of IT tickets has led me to an undisputable conclusion: customers don?t want to be told to open tickets. Don?t believe me? Ask for yourself. The next time you run into one of your customers, ask if they would prefer to open a ticket when they need service, or if they would rather leave you a voicemail instead. Be careful though, you may just open Pandora?s Box.
I spent some time thinking about this, and admittedly could not find a feasible reason that tickets were so dreaded until one day the tables turned. I was recently assigned the responsibility of reaching out to the companies IT teams to gain assistance with a new server build. Sounds simple, right? Not even close.
I spent several hours fumbling through what seemed to be an endless array of options. I surfed through so many that I eventually made a full circle back to where I started. Under the pressure of a deadline, I started to crack. I called the help desk, who logged a generic ticket that we both hoped would land within the proximity of someone with a glimpse of knowledge about the process.
Two days passed before I received a response, which directed me to another ticket system. The next system required special access and approval before I could even begin to start my search over again. I filled out the forms, sent them off to the abyss, and continued my wait.
Three days lost now, I finally reached a hardware tech with a big heart, and no clue what he was about to be dipped into. Thankfully, this gentleman fought along my side to find people who could help, and even helped me bypass more red tape that any other poor soul would have faced. We eventually found our way, and the project was successful.
It?s fair to say that my experience was not pleasant, and also fair to admit that my situation is probably not the norm. Nonetheless, it seems that one our most vital IT resources for gathering information and servicing our customers may also be a major contributor to the notion that IT is out of touch with the business. I want to argue the opposite point, and provide some convincing statement that it is somehow the customer that is to blame; however, my experience was much like being dropped in the desert without a compass or water.
It seems like the real culprit is process management, with a hint of bad system design. Is there something better? How do we bridge the gap without spending millions to replace what we have already invested in?
