Would you teach? Dillemas....

The way I do troubleshooting is by going to their computer in person and solving the problem there and then. For easy troubleshooting problems I don't think there is any problem on letting them know how to tackle it themselves.Think of it that if another person has the same problem they might be able to solve it on there own, hence not so much work for you.

A step-by-step to trouble shoot a computer would be HUGE unless you are just talking a few very basic things.

If a user is interested then they should be welcome to watch provided it doesn't impact the time to resolve the issue or both of your bosses may have an issue due to lost productivity.

Many users just don't CARE. And half of the ones that say they do would only if it was real simple and easy. Once they see what goes into it, do you really think that they will understand what it took you years to learn? That is really selling yourself short.

Let them pickup what they want, just don't push them to do it.

One problem with them trouble shooting themselves is they may break the system worse than it already is, and many systems are locked down so that the users wouldn't have the permissions to DO any troubleshooting.

There are rules to the game, if this is a production system and the company is paying you to keep production (whatever production may be) running then you are obligated to repair the machine as quickly as possile to make the employee productive again. It's not personal it's your job. On the other hand I'm a network administrator and a teacher so if the employee has the time and I have the time then why not.

In nearly 20 years of 'helping' users, I have yet to find one that knows 'too much' IF a user were at that level, THEN I doubt they would be a user but rather an IT person. While a little user knowledge can be challenging, it is hardly dangerous to have someone know a little abou the tool sitting on their desktop. IF there is any danger, it is from too many 'geeks' worrying that someone might know more than they and put their job at risk. Those types shouldn't be in their job anyway. MOST users aren't going to be able to retain all that you teach or train them for, anyway. IF they did, they wouldn't be doing their job.

I never have a problem teaching a user if they are interested, especially when it comes to running the daily applications like Word, Excel, etc.

I feel it is their job to know how to run the applications better than I do, i'm around for when a problem comes up.

When it comes to network or server issues the user is usually only interested in very top level theory and wouldn't dream of trying to fix anything, at least in my experience. So i'll talk theory all day with them, time permitting.

As the administrator, that is my job, not the users. You can teach them tips during off time. The more you teach a user how to "trouble shoot/recover" a computer, the more management will look at your job as unecissary. The user is not being employed to repair his/her computer.

We all learnt by asking questions. This user is interested and wants to know so there is no reason not to teach him/her. Next time around, the person will be more capable of taking care of not only their problem, but also problems of their colleagues and friends. Create allies - share the knowledge.

Ravi Kallianpur

I have been in a simular situation. The person who was asking had a history of "doing things on his own". Luckily we had a company policy regarding that issue and I had no problem saying no and backing it up. If you don't already have such a policy, you might consider establishing one.

One of the things my customers comment most on is the fact that I share information with them. I explain to the what happend, why it happened and what I need to do and what they need not do in the future.

Some of them get it and use it, some of them get it but still prefer me to do it, and some still just don't get it and don't care.

Some of them get it, use it and then call me to fix it again. It's all OK, and a part of learning.

In the corporate world I found it useful to to feed those who wanted the info. Over a period of time I could rely on them to do some simple thing which would save me time in the long run.

In the long run I found I gained more respect and customers by openly sharing information.

I do alot of independent work, so when a client calls, they knnow that it is cost them money, so as insulting as it seems, I'm constantly asked to teach so "they won't have to call me so often". Most often this comes from the person who couldn't figure out why she couldn't connect to the server, when she had switched it OFF!
Most often, I teach them what they want to know. I figure, that an educated consumer is the best customer, and that if you teach a man to fish, he's still going to shop at the supermarket. You shouldn't feel threatened- they feel like idiots pouring over a problem that takes you two minutes to solve, and are embarassed calling you in. What's more- most people find themselves in the role of home-CTO these days, and the higher up the corporate ladder you go, the more likely the "poor" guy is to have a slew of high tech crap that he can't figure out how to connect correctly- I billed a significant amount of time last year sitting on hold with the TREO helpdesk for one customer who had a faulty device, the same one who wants to "learn" constantly.

I have a few tips & trick on our Intranet for people to help themselves. NEVER give a use more than Power user rights and that is only when Absolutely necessary. Someone said create allies...they have not worked in IT very long! Users will never be allies ? IT is always at fault, even Photostat machines are our fault. Signed "worked in IT to long"

A lot of troubleshooting requires administrative access, and since company policy prohibits users from having administrative rights on the workstations they use, it would be pointless to teach them.

I completely understand, I have 200 users who frequently as me "What should I do if it happens again?" Our standard answer is that even though they have seen us fix it, we still need to fix it so that we can keep track of the errors/issues. If we are not fixing them, we don't know there are errors/issues and will not be able to respond properly if they escalate. If someone wants to learn something on the side for their home system, there are several of us who consult on the side and we keep it totally seperate from in house.

most users at least in our network do not have permissions to access and modify or change. We simply explain that for the safe keeping of the network computers users are not given permissions to effectively repair most problems. if it is an office issue share the knowledge they should have enough permissions to make changes.

I provide IT support at a large medical practice in Portland Maine. I am confronted with a dilemma regarding when people ask-- "What caused the problem?" or "How did I get infected with all that spyware? I wasn't even on the Internet." I then have to say that I'll explain it to them but it's technical. The dilemma is how do I say that without sounding like-- "Well, I'd tell you but you're too stupid to understand". I'd be more than happy to tell them if they wanted to hear the technical explanation. I quite often try to use analogies that will put answers into a context that the user can understand like cars for example. Everyone has a car and has frustrations with them and traffic, etc.
On the other edge of the sword, there are the users that you'd like to educate on simple things like dragging an icon from their start menu to their desktop but they can't grasp the concept of right click&hold and drag SO, I have to come all the way across the practice to drag a silly little icon to their desktop---- In fact, to most of these types of users, If they don't have an icon on their desktop pointing to an app, to them, the app isn't installed on their computer!!!---they say "Start menu?, I never go into there."--- Then finally, there are the doctors. Most of them I like to describe as 'Actively Harmful'. They think that because they're doctors, they know everything. They screw-up their computer then call me to fix it and proceed to tell me how to fix it or try to diagnose the problem. I wonder, do they tell their auto mechnics how to fix their BMWs or Mercedes??

Give the users instructions on how to solve a problem themselves?-- HA!, most users couldn't be bothered

UTAS error - User thick as ...well you can guess.
Assume a user is computerdense and you'll never be disappointed.
NEVER teach a user to fix their own machine. You're in the organisation for a reason - take that reason away and you'll stand in good stead for losing your job. In addition, you MAY teach the user to fix one or two particular problems, but remember you're there not just to fix, but to diagnose. That's more art than science, and the average layuser can't do it adequately. Perfectly normal for a user to misdiagnose a fault/problem and compound it using the wrong solution - And increase your workload too.

It is nice to teach a little to user. Be careful not to talk too much about security issues on your LAN. By alleviate the knowledge in IT of your users you help them to gain confidence in themselves, knowing they have a LOT to learn and you will be seen as a great communicator (one of the main asset in any job). Of course the limit I did set was if it append to them home could they be able to solve it on their own computer. If Yes then I explains. If it is about LAN issues you usually need an Admin right (and password) and that where its end.
It might save you some time and also help people to focus the problem to ease your ticket solving by having someone who is more comfortable to help when you are in a rush.

Well, just need not to worry.
- Be Frank, Be open, and Be technical.
- Say, this is due to some network failure.
- Or, this appication is sound enough to tackle the user interactions, but, technically, its have various algrothims to handle only by an technician.
- Or, Well there are various methods to resolve the issue but we have to pick up the best solution.

Jags

Being of service is always the key to success. Everyone is a customer. Besides, no IT professional got to where they are without a lot of help and advice. You day will go a lot better if you look for ways to be helpful!

The first thing you should do is take a look at the company policy and see if there is any documentation prohibiting non-IT staff from making any changes to their computers. That may be the only help you need to stop them from doing anything. Good luck.

Teaching user to troubleshoot is probably not part of your job, nor is it the user's. Your company would consider this a waste of company resources. That said ...

It is good to share the basics - things you are going to check when you get a call.

1) Reboot workstation - does the error reoccur?
2) Check wiring connections - network cables, power cables, mouse & keyboard connections
3) Warning indicators - beeps on workstation boot, UPS alarms, etc.

When a user asks me for instructions on how to fix a problem (that isn't obviously recurring for the same reason), I tell them that I can't give them instructions on how to fix it because it may be a different problem the next time, and they may further damage their system. Simple enough, and I haven't had anyone disagree with my response.

Lol, you have users that want to learn how to do it??? I just wish I did and we have 40 here & 1 IT guy!! Me.

I get irrate, which isn't the way to go!!, but when you get emails like:
-------------------------------------
"There was an error on LPT1 ....etc....
The printer has run out of paper"

..... please help!!
-------------------------------------
I tend to think they shouldn't be employed in the first place!!

I agree with Mitch. If users looking to improve their skills, then the onus should be on them to learn, not for you to teach them. Their intentions maybe good, but (this goes doubly in large corps) if they make a mistake, it could be more costly for someone in IT to fix the mistake the user made while "troubleshooting"

As far as informing them that you cannot give instructions, just offer some good directions for them. Give them books that they can learn from or point them in some IT newbie sites. By saying no you can't teach them shouldn't preclude you from offering helpful advice.

In my company, Any problems related to IT is the responsabiltiy of the IT department. It doesn't matter how small the problem may be. The users have all been told that if they experience a problem to call IT and if it does not inhibit them from doing their job time will be scheduled to correct the problem. If it inhbits them from doing their job, IT will correct the problem on the spot or provide an alternative for them until the issue can be resolved. I am the only IT person in the IT department but have two other people that can help with some of the issues when they have time. I have shown a few users whom I feel very competent how to resolve some very minor issues they seem to have but our fear is if you give the user too much limited knowledge they tend to make matters worse rather than better.

I'm aften faced with this type of question. And it is difficult to turn away from somethin glike this. I tend to give people some pointers on how to acomplish, or resolve the issue in question. But I always give a warning about making certain changes.

I'm sick and tired of giving away free information and saving other peoples butts in the technology field. I paid a lot of money to learn what I have and people expect you to teach them how to get out of their mess and in turn, teach them so that the next time, they can get themselves out of the mess they put themselves in to begin with. I used to give away free information and over time running my own computer repair and manufacturing business, I've come to realize that after I've gone to people homes to service a computer which I have manufactured, only to find out that it was a problem on the ISP's end, them loading incompatible software, or trying to install a 1998 printer onto XP only to realize it had nothing to do with the hardware that I had used in the manufacturing of the computer. In turn, I've left without money in my pocket (I've been too nice), but no more Mr. NICE GUY! Either they pay me a minimum or I don't show. Also, in the business environment, I get paid to do tech support, that means me doing the tech support. I tought at the local community college and that's where they need to go if they want to learn. That's where I teach/taught and that's where they need to go to update their skills. My education wasn't free, nor should theirs be. Unless I'm told my upper management that that is my job, they can take a flying leap off the nearest building.

If they really want to learn and not just have you show them the same thing over and over in a trick to just get you to do it for them, then by all means.

NOT recovery though.

I may walk a user through something over the phone if it is simple and they are a two hour drive away, but I do NOT want a user trying to "fix" a system on their own.

I LOVE the office guy that "knows all about computers" and plays with them at home. It is one thing to work on a home system where it only costs time, but when you add in the presure of losing important data AND down time most of them are just not up to the task. If they were, why are they in the office instead of applying to IT?

I teach basic Windows & do repairs, reinstalls, new system setups, etc...as my home biz. I realize that this discussion is directed more at a corporate level but some things still do apply.

Getting people more comfortable with using and keeping their computers running properly seems a good idea to me. Perhaps they do not have the permission required to do much with their work PC, but most have one at home, as well.

I finally took the time to write up some "how-tos" on a lot of the subjects that I kept seeing the most of. Setting up a system properly from the start, fixing internet connection issues, tackleing spyware (one reason for no internet), tuning for best performance...etc...

I email or print & hand these out if the person wants more info. You could title them "PC help for the Home User" so they know you're targeting their own systems & not those they use at work.

Make it clear that only you are responsible for the IT on the job- but this way you inform & do a good service for everyone.

Tracy ;^)

If the problem is a simple fix - A printer "dissapears" from the computer, a link no longer works because the "network computer" can't be found- I'll teach the user some basic trouble shooting tips. One, it saves me the time from having to go over and clicking a few buttons to make a fix, and second, the user becomes more familiar with how and why his system works.

Once, many years back, I had to drive 5 hours (one way) to a client, because thier network was down. Upon arrival, I found that it was "down" because the network cable to the server had been unplugged by the nightly cleaning crew. Yes, we did charge the client a partial fee for this... but that's ten hours of drving time I could have done without.

My philosophy is this - Using a computer is like driving a car. You can teach someone the basics of why and how it works, and what to look for when it doesn't. You don't want them to try and rebuild the engine (or go into regedit ) themselves- but if they can figure out that the car won't start because it's out of gas (a cable is unplugged), then it's one less "trouble call" I have to handle that day.

That's a double-edged sword. There's a reason that the user is the user and the IT guy is the IT guy. Sure, you may save yourself some work by teaching them to solve their own problems, but you may also cause yourself some greater headaches if they use their newfound knowledge to become dangerous.

All in all, though, I would just gauge their competence. I am an applications programmer, not an IT guy, so technically I'm supposed to call in IT for my IT-related issues. But then, I have enough expertise to install WinZip on my own, thank you... heck I could write my own if I really had to. So, my IT guy gave me admin rights to my box because he trusts me. But if I screw something up, I have to be ready for him to shrug and just re-image my box. Or else I may get the "you broke it, you fix it."

If you choose to refuse the user's request, I would just smile and wink at them and say, "you trying to put me out of a job?"

-Mike

Been in the help desk arena for 15+ years, companies from 40-1,000 users. The people you teach will be better suited for dealing with problems. With some you may have to go back over things, over and over again. But in some cases you will win true converts and these folks will sing your praises.

Further, identify the ones who are sharp and teach them to teach others. The most important thing I do is to assess the level of skill of folks I work for and with. Some computer things are not intuitive, but remember, everybody has special skills.

They may have problems fixing a jammed printer or updating their virus protection but they may be a wiz at page layout in Word. The woman who complains about her email may be an expert in Excel. These folks are the resources you need to tap and work with them to create lunch time forums to teach on their special skills.

The more involved is your community, the easier your job becomes. I love getting a call that I know nothing about but I have someone I can contact to resolve the problem. The helper feels good about sharing their knowledge and in many cases a relationship is formed.

Teach, build and unite! Then sit back and surf TechRepublic for more good ideas!!

It's the answer for everything, but it really does depend on the task and the user. If the user is asking for help because his machine is running very slow, isn't it okay to show them how to defrag their hard drive (or is that something only a highly experienced, extremely intelligent IT pro would understand)? In the situation you mention, I would probably explain to the user it is fairly complicated and not let them undertake this themselves.

Certain users can take more complicated tasks themselves. If you are at a huge company you probably don't know the skill level of each user. But, their are certain task "most" people, IT pros or not, can undertake themselves. Document the corrective action to perform this task and make this information available.

I'm not an "IT" person, there's certain things I feel comfortable doing and some things I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole!

First of all, know that you're a service provider. Where you have the needed procedures at hand, deliver it. Otherwise, your customer service tactics are put to question. You need to be frank if you don't have the solutions at hand but could provide within a reasonable future hour, day or month, etc depending on the particular need. You also need to keep in touch with the customer regularly. Also note that while providing solutions, try to put yourself in the customer's position, try to understand the language of the customer. By so doing you could get the solution together with your customer. Also know that, you can learn a lot from your customers.

I therefore suggest that you obtain some training on Customer Service.

Thanks.

It's nice to help people learn, but there are two reason why you might not want to:

1. Company security and policy: Do you really want other users tinkering with the workstations and possibly messing things up? Do you know for sure if they are qualified/can handle doing so? And what time would it take out of THEIR work that they are supposed to be doing to do the extra work on the workstation?

2. Some users may want to learn, BUT, as with some folks I've worked with online, the just don't "get it". They will do something other than what you told them and come back and say "it don't work." But you won't know until 10 emails or an hour later that they didn't follow your instructions exactly. It's "oh, I did this and that because I thought it'd work." When approached why they didn't follow your instructions it's "Oh, I did. I told you it didn't work." and you have NO idea exactly WHAT they actually did! I've been in that position with a few people throughout the years I've had a web site online and had to help those who were having problems that others weren't.

I would say it's best to just leave them do their job and you do yours. Everyone is qualified and working on the job they are because they know how. When someone tries to "learn" another job, that can be a problem, especially if they are not getting professional training from a trainer that is used to handling problems those learning can encounter. And the employer also will have to want to have the particular person trained in that other area as well.

If someone asks, you could let them know that if they would like to learn, to ask their supervisor if they can enter a training program, because you're job description unfortunately doesn't allow you to train others, as much as you'd like to help. If they snare you with "how about when we're not working, you know... maybe you could slip me some info on our break and I can try it at lunch..." just reiterate that you are not allowed to do so (or if you are, just let them know you're (whatever job you do) and not a trainer for that job.

It can be sticky to deal with some of these folks, but there's ways to gracefully get out of it if you have to.

IF you DO decide to help out, be sure there's plenty of time, and before you do even that, be sure of the person's technical skill level and that it matches the task they will be performing. If they are underqualified, be sure you know how to get them up to qualification or ability to do the task (may have to write extra steps or information/explanations). If they are grossly underqualified, then you need to somehow gracefully get out of it.

Just be careful if you try and help. There can be snares with some that don't know much other than their own job. It's great to learn, and some pick up fast and become gurus. But there are some that just never "get it right".

Good luck. :)

rather than just have me do it for them. The more your end-users understand about how their computers operate, the better off we all are. There are limits to that however, if you have a locked down environment where users can't install their own software, the last thing I'm going to do is show them how to get around that. Anything they want to learn that doesn't have a risk of blowing up their desktop/the firm, I'm more than happy to teach them. Anything I think is dangerous for someone to know how to do if they don't have the understanding of the "whys" for not doing it, I won't teach them. And I'll just make a joke out of it and say "ooooo, you want me to show you how to be dangerous huh?.... noooooooo" -- they usually laugh, but get the point.

I have spent 3 and a half years as a Desktop Tech for the State of
Indiana and the past half year as an Information Technology
contractor. These 4 years as an IT Pro I have encountered what
you are facing. And yes I have invested the last 2 years in
Associates Degree at Ivy Tech Community College as well as
becoming A+ and Network+ certified.

Here is what I do in those situatians. First if it is a question of
how I had troubleshooted the problem, I explain it to them like I
would to another tech. Since most users can get access to the
ticket resolution, I provide step by step resolution that any tech
would read. Either the end user will give up their dillussional
idea that they can do my job and drop it or it will inspire their
interests to learn computers to get into IT. At that point I
recommend that some books and web sites and recommend that
they talk to Ivy Tech. If someone wants to go from user to tech
then I am open to mentor them if they listen to my advise. If
they choose to act like they know more then me, then I politely
ignore their requests.

Dennis Richmond is the in house tech that supports the Civil
Rights Commission for the State of Indiana and my agency also
assigned me to provide them desktop support. With Dennis it
was both a friendship and a partnership. We had a free
exchange of information and neither of us dictated to the other.
In contrast the Public Employee Retirement Fund (PERF) in house
IT Manager Diann Clift and her flunky Bob Paglia both had God
complexes and even though they lacked the technical knowledge
decided to dictate to me how to troublshoot and then had the
nerve to try and pick my brains. In that situation I held back
information from those jerks.

Now if the questiosn for step by step help is more how to's like
access webmail or for a user to perform a job related function
on their PC, I will write technical documentations using Snag It
from Tech Smith (http://www.techsmith.com) and have one
screen shot per step. I have a documentation template that
clearly states that I am the author and once a few other peers
have reviewed it I convert it to pdf and distribute to end users.

Technical Writer appears to be one area of IT that has a demand
but not that many people stepping up to the plate. On my
current assignment a fellow tech told me that he wrote a how to
book aimed at home end users. He placed it on E-Bay for 50
cents and with in 2 months made $7,000 which shows
opportunities to train end users.

With all situations in and out of work that we encounter in life it
is how we choose to act and react to them that makes it a win-
win situation for ourselves or something very miserable.

May the Force be with you.

Kawarimi,
I would say it all depends on the situation, and the user.
I would ask myself is the end user competent enough? Do I think this would be a bad mistake,? Will this knowledge cause more work for me if they make a mistake? Some users I have no trouble giving them step by step instructions, and other users I would not, especially if the situation has anything to deal with system files, or registry hacks.
In those cases I would come up with a reason why. I start mentioning things like system files or registry entries need to be edited or modified, and explain what the registry does, and if a mistake is made how that will mess up their computer.

Why wouldn't you tell them how to solve a problem? If users can handle the easy problems, thats great! Less busy work for me! I always encourage users to do as much as they are capable of doing.

IT isn't some kind of priesthood with secret lore and rituals.

I respect everyone one response, and found myself in many of the same situations.

However, I've observed, throughout my 10years on the job, thru the trials and tribulations of dot.com, to the direct impact of how our job title is closely tied to how much we get paid, that we are dispensable. Why? TMI "Too Much Info". Help menus, Tour guides, google.com, virtuals, look at the company intranet help forum first before you call the helpdesk... yada-yada-ya..

I work for a fortune 500 company, billions in sales each year, but training, promotions, increases, epp, no OverTime, "my salary position has been downgraded to hourly, as well as my ranking" has pretty much evaporated. I like being current, I like learning new technologies, but that cost $$$$ cha-ching...

Futhermore, off-shoring (they read scripts that we have documented when we trouble shoot a case) and many of the senior IT staff are getting shoulder tapped (involuntery early retirement) is happening.

I believe expierence should teach the unexpierence, but get paid for it. Your time/money in obtaining the knowledge, learning software/platforms/pda/wi-fi/security/virual-malware/shcool/books/overclocking chips and exploding, boards :) isn't free...

One more thought, information is privy. Caveat should be used.

Because I am self employeed, I have often wondered if was a good idea to share what I was doing with the client who hoovers over my shoulder, but I have found 90% don't remember how we did it and the 10% who do still call me, even when they have done everthing right. Thay help their friends and then have their friends call me. I do have one client who I wish would remember and not call me anymore but after three years I do not se it as a possibility. :)

Users are your customers. They are paying for your services. Of course, you have to teach them as much as possible about their workstations so that they can do their job effectively. They should, for example, know how to map to a network drive or add a network printer. BUT, you, as IT Manager, want to limit what they can do with their workstations. Users should never have admin rights. They should not be able to access the registry, see systems files or even install software (you need to manage those licenses!!). The golden rule is: give them enough knowledge and rights to help them do their job effectively (after all you don't want users to come to you every 2 minutes with "how to do" tasks) BUT make sure the rights you've given them don't cause you major headaches (as in restoring workstations every day!). If a user is curious enough to want to learn about how to restore a workstation, you can simply reply : "I can only SHOW you how it is done because this task requires admin rights. the process is actually rather simple and boring. But we cannot give you admin rights as it would be against our security policy." If you don't have a security policy in place yet, that should be your next task. Then teach your users all the nifty things they can do with their workstations and NEVER mention what they cannot do unless they ask. And if they ask, then tie it up to your security policy!

Natou0609 (Service Delivery Manager)

YOu could explain to the user that a step-by-step explanation is impossible. Because each and every problem that arises will/can be different, no two troubleshooting techniques would be alike.
That is also a way to keep users from making problems worse before you get a call that there is a problem. Some will not like the refusal, but it will make your job easier in the long run by keeping non-IT's out of the notwork or workstation.. Have a great day.....

If you company has a policy to prevent curious users from tinkering around with their machines (read breaking them) then follow that line. You can fix it faster than you can explain it. Many companies also have the users locked down so that they cannot install other non-company software (licensing and control of user-inflicted damage)..

A question with a very site-specific answer... Sorry

First, it is never a good idea to learn in a production environment. If they are hired to do a particular job, then they should focus on doing that job rather than performing yours and an abundance of other jobs.

Second, it is never a good idea for someone who does not have a clear amount of experience to work on settings. I have gotten to a point where if a user wants to learn the methods and step-by-steps, then he is not interested in doing his job, he is interested in being a savior. The step-by-steps are clearly outlined in many books, the unfortunate thing is that they do not have an experience guide.

I have always rejected people in that if they wanted to learn the ins and outs and how-to's, it is best to do it off the clock as a passing hobby rather than try to step into the technical support arena without proper knowledge since for the most part, the company has specific requirements for security and encryption that can easily be whacked if the person with just enough information can get in there.

I am afraid that the appopriate answer is to tell him that the best way to go about knowing the troubleshooting process is to do what you did to get here, and that is to get the books and other materials, understand them, then find broken computers and fix them.

I have an engineering degree and have been doing this for 10 years. So I can tell him the step-by-step process all the way down to how the atoms flow in the computer. There is where I commonly start when I am doing troubleshooting. Software is not always the problem, and it is never the medium to fix bad hardware.

We have a policy where we work. You must be coded in the department to have access to the knowledge bases. If a user is attempting to get information, then they should be referred to outside schools or other areas where they can go on their free time to gain the education that they need.

I'm afraid all the naysayers here are stuck in a medieval timewarp. They seem to think that IT is a dark art to be practiced only by suitably qualified magicians.

If you are not helping me do my job then you are a drain on the company's resources and should be fired forthwith!

They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing but having your value-producing colleagues know too much just means that you are not keeping up with your own sphere of expertise.

Humor does diffuse a IT situation quicker than a kiss on the cheek. I try to get a funny line in with what I'm doing. It really softens the user up to seeing how the solution works and how computers aren't the devil.

"If any of my guys had the responses on some fo these messages I would not let them near users. Aggression and superior attitudes need to be minimized. One nasty tech person can ruin it for the entire IT staff."

That's exactly why no one here likes the MIS dept at my job, because of one person---the director. The superior attitude he has made users not like much less want to go to do work orders or just for assistance.

i would choose who i taught very carefully. if you teach the wrong person or give them admin rights, which they would need, at least locally, you may be creating more work for yourself. in the past i have show users simple tasks and explained why the problem happened in the first place. while explaining the solution, they heard the word registry and started using regedit because they decided they were capable enough. of course disaster followed and i had to fix the problem. even disclaimers like "never try this on your own" do not work. i think it makes them feel inferior. so just be careful who you teach.

I think you have to be carefull who and how you give advise to. I always will start with a customer explaining what happened, how I'll fix it and how they can prevent it from happening again. Most of my customers are very appreciative of this. But I also know that my customers are in different groups.

1 they will take what I tell them and use it and never call me back.

1 they will take what I tell them and use it then completely mess everything up come to me and try putting the blame on me. I answer I only gave advise I did not fix or create these other errors. Then I charge them.

3 after giving my advise will let me know thanks for the advise but I'll mess it up worse and just have me fix it.

4 after giving my advise smile and say you studied computers I studied xxx you do your job and I'll do mine.

The one that bothers me most is number 2. Generally if they spend a little money on me they expect me to always walk them trough there problems with a computer at no charge. Then after giving the free adivse and they mess it up blame me for there mess up.

IMO the biggest thing to consider is who they are and what is the problem. If it is basic stuff, then I can help out. Otherwise, I don't like to just give everybody free advise. That doesn't help pay my bills.

More than anything else in the world, knowledge should be shared. Never pass up an opportunity to impart what you know to a greater audience.

Most users may be looking for a new career and if they grasp what you're getting at then you've started someone on the path to a new career. You don't need to worry about whether they'll take your job because in terms of knowledge and experience, you'll be many years ahead of them.

Most IT people won't teach because they feel threatened. But why horde knowledge? What possible threat could a user with a small bit of knew knowledge cause you?

If the knowledge they seek is basic, relatively benign, and software related, yes. If they want to learn how to tweak the registry or open up the box, no.
Whenever someone asks me to teach them how to do something, I encourage them to take some basic computer literacy or repair classes at the local community college. Some just roll their eyes, but more than a few will actually take one.
For every mundane task my users learn to deal with, I save myself several minutes which I can use for more important things.

just teach them what they need to know there's is no way the company will fire you and hire them they don't have any certifications or schooling so it would be stupid to your job is safe and it makes it easyer for you if they can handle it themselves the next time and hey if they screw up then you can just fix it and they won't normally ask you stuff that would put the OS in jepordy so just show them and make your job a little easyer

When I get called to help someone on something that in my mime are small I show them and tell them it is there learning trick for today. Most of the time the tricks are not really IT work but how to do day to day business. Make a PPT do what they want, or how to do something in a spreedsheet. As for plat with the reg or anything beyond user level, I tell them that is what I get paid for and you are my job sercuity.

"Thank you for calling the Help Desk, how may I help you?"

"Call me a cab, have them in front of the building in 15 minutes."

My first IT job was working in the User Help Center of a large insurance company. My first IT manager told everyone that our job was to put ourselves out of business... in other words teach the users to be as self-sufficient as possible. The world of IT is full of new technology all the time... If we teach them how to handle the old, we have time to learn and integrate the new. I was fortunate at the time (early 90s) to work on a few cutting edge projects as Multi-media, digital video, and early web stuff. But at the same time, I was supporting 3 different word processing programs, Desktop Publishing apps and presentation products. The more the users learned about those apps, the more I could concentrate on the new techologies.

Just my two cents.

How many times has shutting down, unplugging all cables, replugging and rebooting fixed problems?

I tell my users to do this first, then let me know if it doesen't work.

Saves many calls for simple reasons.

I'm a Head IT Technical Support in an Internet Cafe in Cebu City, Philippines with 100+ PCs in three branches manned with their respective IT Support.
I teach ITs, users, and even customers on how to troubleshoot in simpler ways and not eating much working time. If they want a deeper understanding on troubleshooting, I give a tutorial off time with a fee.
It's a win-win situation between me and the company. Company gets more customers and staffs are more productive. And I get additional income.

If it's something that a normal user is allowed to do with standard user privileges, absolutely. I provide a written set of instructions to all my users that includes standard user option actions such as changing wallpaper, etc. as well as some more advanced functions that can't usually hurt anything, such as specifying the default folder for an Explorer session. I also provide a written set of undo instructions for the inevitable foulup.

There are basic troubleshooting steps most people can perform easily - Do you have electric power?, do you have a link light?, have you rebooted?. Beyond those steps, I won't teach my customers anything more. I tell them, without demeaning them, that each troubleshooting session is unique and can require varying skills that change based upon each problem presentation. As a follow-up, I remind them it's important for the helpdesk to capture these problems so we can detect trends in the company. If the users fix problems, they are less likely to call.

I am the training manager for a software company and while training the end-user I think is easy, training my fellow workers is hard. I am in the process of developing a set of CBT DVD for them old and new employees to learn about our products. The initial response has been very favorable while classroom training was a bust

For years, there were a set of do-it-yourselfers around, who loved to roll up their sleeves and change their cars' oil, fix that leaky faucet or change a light fixture. We still have plenty of plumbers, electricians and auto mechanics around. In our system, we help our users based upon their abilities. If a machine has been granted admin rights, that user is more than capable of doing above the basics. If it's a locked down machine, with a user that can't even tell us what operating system they're using... we'll be out ASAP!

I thinks it's a good idea to teach users common procedures like adding a printer from the print server or how to look for files on the file server but troubleshooting procedures will just cause more work for the Sys Ops guys. We do not let the users do too much except what they need to do to function. Our group policies pretty much lock the computer down to the point where it's almost impossible for a user to do something damaging. That being said there is always one who manages to do the incredible.

Our company has 400 employees. Each one has their own computer. Of those 400 employees I would say 5% are computer literate, 20% are computer dangerous and 75% are pavlovian dogs..."I always push this button and it works!!!" I spend a lot of my time showing users the basic skills required to operate a computer...power switch, Internet, restart etc.. Even though the job requirements for everyone in my company REQUIRE adequate computer skills, the majority of people here do not have an idea what goes on inside the little black box.

So, to sum it all up. Don't make it complicated. Don't make your job more difficult than it probably already is. If you are hired to troubleshoot, than you should troubleshoot, not the user. If he or she wants to LEARN, then tell them to do what I did. Setup a home network, with 4 or 5 computers, a server,a router, put it all on a domain and have at it. My motto: Keep It Simple Stupid