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YASU (Yet Another Stupid User)

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118 replies

by dryflies

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One of my users came into my office this morning with the usual ?I have a question?.
I had set her up with a VPN account to access our intranet. Her question was, I tried using the VPN client to access work last night, I opened the VPN client and clicked on the intranet entry and then clicked connect. It just sat there and then eventually gave me an error ?could not get a response from the security principal?

I said, that?s ok, you probably had high traffic at that time, keep trying. Are you on broadband or do you have dial-up? ?I have wireless.? No, how do you connect to the internet? ?I have Wireless.? Who is your internet service provider? ?What? [frown] I have wireless.? Come to find out she has no internet connection at home. She thought her wireless and the VPN client would magically connect her.

118 replies

by why me worry?

Back in the day when I was doing desktop support, I got a call from a frantic user who said that her computer monitor (CRT screen back then) all of a sudden started letting out smoke and sending sparks flying from the ventilation holes. Also, I had noticed a strange wet spot under her monitor and around her desk area and suspected water damage to the monitor. Supposedly, this idiot user had a small flower pot on top of her monitor and was watering it, causing excess water to run into the vent opening and short out the picture tube. When I openly confronted her about it, she said that yes, she had a flowerpot on top of her monitor because she likes plants. I told her that having a plant in the office is fine, but a monitor is no place for a plant or anything else which holds liquids. I bet this idiot also blow dries her hair while standing under the shower. It's a miracle she did not get electrocuted or the picture tube didn't explode in her face. Because of her stupidity, a silly and pathetic corporate memo had to be circulated around the office, asking users not to keep potted plants on top of monitors.

by cmiller5400

I had a building with plants on a ledge above the printers. Mind you they were NOT directly above the printers, but set back. Well the lady they hired to water them, overfilled the plant pot and it dripped down the wall onto a surge supressor thus tripping the circut breaker. Now for some history, this circut has always been a problem because of the amount of equipment on it. So I just thinking it was a normal trip, went and flipped the breaker. But NOOOO, I go back out there and start to smell that horrid burning plastic/electronics smell. I look behind the printer and the strip is spewing smoke out of it! I then yank the power cord from the wall, then after replacing the powercord for the printer, I leave a nice note for the watering lady to not overwater the plants. I also moved the strip away from that area.

by why me worry?

The electron gods will get their revenge by sending a bolt of lightning from the sky to zap these folks out of their stupidity comas. I've heard that many people become supergeniuses after getting struck by lightning, but I don't advocate trying it at home.

by lhatcher

I hade the same experience, except for my user actually had been connecting to her neighbor's open wireless network, one day they moved, and no more connection.Took me an hour to convince her that I could not "beam" the internet to her from the office.

by why me worry?

Next time they call you with an internet related problem, tell them that they downloaded a virus and have caused the entire internet to crash, resulting in a worldwide shutdown of all web traffic and that the FBI will probably get involved. Watch this user crap his/her pants and start freaking out uncontrollably. The terrified look on their face is priceless.

by spankylogic9000

I always like when they ask for help... or "can you help me with X ? just simply Answer "No" and sit there quietly and let the awkard slience eat'em up ...

by dmambo

I think that maybe you should consider another career. Frequently I read into your posts a level of contempt for users (and management) and a level of arrogance that makes me assume that you'd be happier in a field where you don't have to deal with such folks.

I get frustrated with users in my job, but generally I try to remember that they want to turn the key, hit the gas and get their computers on the open road without any problems. When they can't, they call me. And that's what puts food on my table.

If I'm making too big of a leap of logic about your personality, then I apologize. But from my disinterested point of view, that's what I see.

Good luck.

by why me worry?

I don't have any contempt for anyone, but I absolutely do hate managers who think they are gods and look to please everyone at the expense of their subordinates. Also, what's wrong with cracking a few jokes and gags about stupid users once in a while? If you can't laugh about it, then you are taking your work too damned seriously.

by dmambo

Not really my business anyway. But nothing in your post above makes me change my opinion.

Carry on.

I've never had the misfortune to work for anyone that bad, so I guess I can't relate to your comment about managers. Some haven't exactly been princes, but.......

by maecuff

Like when you insinuated that my husband probably surfed for kiddy porn when he made a suggestion to JDClyde's inquiry in a different thread. Now that was funny. We laughed for hours. I mean, really, who would take something like THAT seriously?

by too old for it

When the first version of the "put your computer in a box and send it back where you got it" joke made the rounds, he wrote a multi-page dissertation on proper customer service, and detailed how use of same would help the user be able to use thier computer, even tho the power was off. We all had to read and initial each page.

Missed entirely that it was a joke.

by jamesrl

In a major metropolitan area, like mine, even if you didn't have an obliging neighbour with an open wireless router (which I don't condone), there are options.

We have Wireless broadband, our local electricity department is busy putting up acecss nodes on their poles for a city wide network, and of course many coffee hosues etc have wirless availability for free.

It would have been quite possible for her to have wireless access that she didn't pay for.

You know I would agree that a user who puts a plant over a monitor is stupid.

But to call people stupid because they aren't as literate in technology as you? How bloody arrogant and rude. You weren't born knowing what you knew. You learned. People who knew more than you taught you. Some of them must have been patient with you.

How would you feel if you went to the doctor and he laughed at you because you didn't know the difference between LDL and HDL. Would you like dealing with that doctor. Would that help you address your cholesterol problems? Or would you rather the doctor explain what it means and why its important?

I used to manage a team of 20 desktop techs. If I heard you laughing about your customers like that, you'd wouldn't have been one of them for long.

James

by why me worry?

"I used to manage a team of 20 desktop techs. If I heard you laughing about your customers like that, you'd wouldn't have been one of them for long."

Nice way of retaining talent by punishing people for having an opinion and a good laugh once in a while. You must have a very high turnover rate if you take such a communist approach to people. I'm sure the customers laugh at techs and badmouth us no less than techs badmouth their customers, but that is no reason to fire anyone over it. There has always been a love/hate relationship between techs and their customers, but for you to go to such extremes as to fire techs for having a good laugh only shows what an ass of a manager you are. I pity anyone unlucky enough to have been working under you.

by jamesrl

Go ahead and pity them. I have a pretty loyal crew. I've had top talent in other teams ask to join my team.

I have a mature team. They get frustrated with techs, sales people, and customers. But they are PROFESSIONAL. They get miffed with people who have attitude, but I can tell you they don't punish people who don't know, unless they really prove they can't be bothered to know - willfully ignorant.

I've had two people out of 10 leave in the past 3 years, both went to other opportunities in the company, both I consider to be friends and maintain a good ongoing relationship with.

I had a supervisor who worked for me call me a PITA - pain in the a$$. That supervisor and I are still friends 5 years after I left the company. I've called a former boss a dragon lady. I have a sense of humour - with people I have a relationship with, and in front of them, not behind their backs. If you get your jollies making fun of people who know less than you, you're pretty sad.

James

by tig2

Why Me Worry- I have seen other posts of yours and read them with interest. You're a bright guy. But you have seemed lately like there has been a major chip on your shoulder- and that isn't like you. Or at least, I have not ever read this in you before.

I get where James and DMambo are coming from. We have all, at one time or another, indulged our frustrations with some (in many cases) really bad humour. I just know that any more, I can't afford to even think down that road. That end user is my customer and I can never afford to forget that.

I'll tell you that for me, personally, the tone has gotten harsh. Not that I'm griping. I just hadn't run across that element of your personality before so I am a bit taken aback.

Incidentally, good discussion on wi-fi "hot-spots" and responsibility for security.

by jeffykins

It's "anal so-called manager".

It's fascist, not communist.

But you're right, of course.

by jamesrl

Despite the honorific of "insider" and despite being the proud owner of a Tech Republic Mug(took me a whole thread to earn it), I still have problems getting to the insider section.

Max, never worry, I take your word for it.

James

by maecuff

Our IT department is away from nearly all the users, in it's own little building (attached to one of our warehouses), so it's very easy for us to let off steam every once in a while, however, if any of my people behaved in an abusive or disrespectful way toward any users, they would get one warning from me and if it happened again, they'd get a trip to HR. Seriously, If I had an employee flat out tell a user that he/she wouldn't help them just to watch them twist? I'd have a serious problem with that. It's our job to assist the users. IT is a service department.

And being in management has NOTHING to do with it. I felt this way long before I went into management. I can't stand the high-handed, self-important attitude that you see with (some, not all) IT people. It reeks of insecurity.

by jdclyde

IT has one purpose, and that is to make it so the user can do their job.

Not to make sure a system never crashes, or to keep a user from playing a game, but to give them the connectivity they need and the applications to perform their work.

Today, many of the users are people that use computers, not computer users.

by techexec2

You make an important moral and ethical point and I completely agree.

Humiliation of an ignorant user, or a patient, is something that should never be done. And, people who specialize in a technical discipline should not be too cocky about their skill. Technically skilled people whose [i]job[/i] it is to help customers/users/patients should view it as a privilege. Work is a gift.

On the other hand, sometimes it is difficult to not find humor in things that a person does because they are ignorant of a given subject. This is just part of being human. The key here is how you do it -- Never to the subject's face or in a way that hurts them personally in some way (such as discrediting a specific person behind their back).

THE QUESTION FOR YOU

How do you know that "dryflies" is not just telling a funny story?

"Dryflies" did not mention [i]anything[/i] about humiliating that user and did not identify him/her in this post. It does not [i]have[/i] to be [i]"bloody arrogant and rude"[/i]. You slammed the door pretty hard on "dryflies".

The only harm I see that could be done by dryflies' post is to encourage people who do not understand the ethic that you have pointed out so very well. That is not to be taken lightly and his post would have been complete if he made that disclaimer at the end.

EPILOGUE

I know you meant well with your post and I think everyone should take it to heart. I applaud you for making your point, especially in light of recent events here on TR.

All the best to you.

by why me worry?

I do admit that I tend to get fired up and hot under the collar at times, but in no way is my intention to offend, attack, or insult anyone here. You've seen many good discussions authored by me and I take your complements with much appreciation, but let's not engage in he said, she said finger pointing and bashing. Someone please pass me my medication. :-P

No harm intended!

by tig2

I say you and I drop in on Kentucky.

We'll BOTH leave with a mug!
:)

by maecuff

I know my way around and I know the lingo..but I didn't know Mambo was in KY. I guess I don't hate him THAT much, then. But I WILL still go and steal his mug.

by willjamr

What coffee cup? I don't have a TechRepublic mug and I've been a member for years.

I remember asking a coworker in another city why their colleague didn't get the training they needed to do their job. They put the person's boss on the line and I found out that they had the training, but they still asked stupid^H^H^H^H^H^H uninformed support questions.

by maxwell edison

as follows:

...in the case of IT, I've never been one to jump onto the "stupid end-user" band wagon. To the contrary, my job, per se, is to serve them, not insult them. And when I say something like, "serve them", it doesn't even come close to filling a subservient role. My doctor "serves" my needs, and if he wore a shirt that insinuated something that could be insulting to someone ("I'm wasting my time with another big-mac attack case"), he wouldn't be my doctor for very long.

On one hand, we (collectively as a profession) expect to be treated like professionals, not a bunch of lackeys. On the other hand, we often come across as a bunch of snobbish lackeys. If we want to be seen a certain way, we must present ourselves a certain way. It's about as simple as that.

by why me worry?

when all you have is a cough, probably due to a cold or strep throat?

"Hey Doc, where has that tongue dispenser really been before you put it in my mouth?"

by zlitocook

Have a great personality and be able to explian what they have done wrong? You can laugh to yourself latter.
And explain to them that they need a connection to the internet before they can use the VPN and connect to the network at work.
Expain to them that a wireless connection at home is not a connection to work and ask what kind of wireless connection they have?
It needs to be a internet connection and you need to be able to connect to work.

by why me worry?

you may not get a coffee mug, but perhaps a guaranteed mugging if you venture into the wrong neighborhood

by why me worry?

and yes, make one wrong turn in NYC and you will end up in a bad remake of Mad Max or Terminator 2

overall, NYC is a safe place, but there are certain places among the 5 boroughs that you definitely don't want to venture into

by jdclyde

the secret hand shake to get in?

Click on "start discussion". then hit "back". Then do a page refresh and you are in.

(sure hope no one else sees this!) B-)

by jdclyde

you had your head tilted to the right a bit when you were clicking on your mouse? You know that will get ya every time! :D

by tig2

I replied to Mae before I read your post.

We are going to get coffee cups!

Of course you can drive. I'll navigate. Poor you. I have no sense of direction.

Maybe Mae will navigate...

by tig2

I was thinking that we go straight to the source- show up at TR and demand that our need for coffee cups be satisfied. We are valued contributors after all!

And wouldn't it be fun!!!

NeverBusted can bail us out...

by shellbot

ok..maybe it shouldn't be called a "stupid user" story..but it is an amusing Tech Support incident.

Whats wrong with having a bit of a chuckle (in private of course)??

Some days i pick up the phone in a nice cheery voice "Hello, Shell speaking, how are you today?" only to recieve "that f*cking computer..&**&%$%^ RAISED Voice..fix now..me want..it broke..blah blah" . I calmly try and get the full picture from them, reassure them, and talk them through it, and end the call with "thanks for calling me and if there is anything else dont hesitate to call me back or drop me an email."

THEN i go to my collection of "quirky" user stories and have a bit of a laugh to remind myself that its not all that bad. I'm not a bad guy though, and i would never dream of offending my users..well..ok, i dream of it a lot..but you know..

by techexec2

This is a great post, Shell!

And bravo to you for doing such a great job at tech support, the "front lines" for all of us in IT.

by maecuff

disagree with this one bit. Trust me, we all have a good laugh over 'user' incidents. We've had our share. And we b*tch about the ones that need their hands held, are overly demanding, etc. What I take exception to, is when an IT person gives a user misinformation just to make them squirm, or tells them that they won't help them just to watch them twist. That isn't what we do. Quite frankly, I am of the opinion, that if you are being paid to do a specific job, then you have an obligation to do that job. And I'm pretty sure that 'torturing users' isn't in many IT job descriptions. :)

by tonythetiger

not specifically anyway.... I have a formal job description where 10% is "other duties as assigned". Maybe it falls under that :)

by shellbot

professionalism all the way..

i do have a few mates who are users..and i must admit to pulling a few fast ones on them..but they can take it :)

hmm..if you run across and job specs with torture in them..pass it on to me will ya ;)

by techexec2

[i]"What I take exception to, is when an IT person gives a user misinformation just to make them squirm, or tells them that they won't help them just to watch them twist."[/i]

I presume you're referring to the "Why Me Worry?" post. I appreciate your strong reaction and I could not agree with you more. Giving misinformation or refusing to help a user would almost certainly result in an immediate termination from me. I cannot imagine a satisfactory explanation for such behavior.

It sounded like "Why Me Worry" was just trying to be funny (unsuccessfully in my view).

by jdclyde

When certain users call me up and tell me their system is down or can't connect to the network, that I tell them to send me an email with the details of the problem and I will get right on it.

The stunned silence is golden.... :D

They know I take good care of them. B-)

by shelleykm

How come we techs are supposed to be respectful, etc, etc, and can't expect a modicum of politeness/civility from the other end of the phone/conversation/whatever? Yes, once in a while, we all get a little jacked but *all the time*? I think not. That's an environment I am happy to be removed from.

The measure of a person is not how nicely you act when everything is going your way, but how nicely you act when it isn't.

by jamesrl

Unless you are working on the product end of a software company (which I do come to think of it), people in IT are in the service sector. Their job is to do what they do to enable all the other groups to function.

I find sometimes civility is a two way street. If they think you are not sympathetic to them and following the party line, they rant and rage. If you continue to demonstrate that you are at least trying to help them and understand their point of view, they soften. Don't be defensive or hide behind process and procedure - for some customers thats like throwing raw meat in the shark pool.

Two years ago, I was on my first call where a customer - who pays us thousands a month - screamed at me. Today that same customer is one of our best test sites.

I develop a thick skin, but there are limits. I have had some of my staff receive personal insults, and that sometimes results in talks with HR (who call the client and advise them that they can't do that). But there is a difference between threatening and getting insulting on a personal level, and simply venting your frustration.

James

by shellbot

this user is a pain..gets frustrated very easy..and takes offence very very quick..he was onto me about files which the "computer" deleted. I was trying to see what was going on..feasible that there was an IE issue (we've had it happen before) but this time it was him who had gone and deleted several files (ID & date time stamp) but anyways..my mail to him:

Hi [ ],
The original client file for [ ] seems to have been deleted last week. The history log says it was your log-in ID which deleted the file.
Its entirely possible it was done by accident, but I just need to ask if its possible that someone else has your log on details if you are certain you didn't delete the file?
I have re-enabled the file, and will transfer the information from the new file for you, so you don?t have to worry about it. I should have that done within the hour :)
If you come across any more, just let me know and I will get it all sorted out.
Thanks very much
Shell

*keep in mind he has short fuse and is arrogant and rude to me..

His reply:

During the week i was practicing exploring the computer and i must have deleted [] by mistake,how i dont know,i didnt even know i could. was i on the database at the time? very sorry for any proplems ive caused and ill be more carefull in future and stick to my windows for dummies book
kind regards
[ ]

Then he called me to verbally give me a going over..

Now..when i have days like that.."quirky user" stories make me laugh..and keep me sane.

by jdclyde

I get people calling me all the time that "The VPN is down".

"Can you get to yahoo?"

"no"

~sigh~

Before people get their laptops, I spend a few hours going over this. It is still the same people calling about he same thing.

After a while you learn who really are the "dumb users" that all the jokes are told about. While I try not to join in on the bash, I do understand it. Just like road rage against the loser in the fast lane that refuses to go the speed limit, and has to match the speed of the cars in the slow lane. I don't advocate or condone, but I surely understand.......

Anything that can make us laugh, at least to ourselves, can't be all bad, can it?

:x

by jamesrl

I will retell the one stupid user story I repeat. I've told it here before, but we have some newbies.

At one company I worked many years ago, we were transitioning from PCs to Macs. For a short period of time people had both on their desk.

One user had the Mac installed, and asked me where he could print to - he had a laserjet in his cube. I told him that the Macs printed to the network printer around the corner. He asked if he could use his laserjet connected directly to the mac. I said no, we don't have that capbility, they don't interface to each other (this was before PostScript Lasserjets.

Now the laserjet's parallel connection has the same plug/pin combination and the SCSI port on the back of the Mac. You can guess what happened.

I would call that a stupid user because he ignored information given to him.

But the difference, in the original post, is not someoen who ignores good information, but someone who doesn't know.

Face it even within the realm of IT, we all have gaps in our knowledge. Not knowing something doesn't make you stupid.

James

by techexec2

Hopefully they will drop the charges due to SENILITY! :^0 :^0 :^0

P.S. You're SO much fun to tease! :x

by tonythetiger

I save mine up for work.... I damn sure don't get PAID for doing it at home :)

[i][b]ESCAPEE[/b]
Definition: a fart that slips out while taking a leak at the urinal or forcing a poop in a stall. This is usually accompanied by a sudden wave of panic embarrassment. This is similar to the hot flash you receive when passing an unseen police car and speeding. If you release an escapee, do not acknowledge it. Pretend it did not happen. If you are standing next to the farter in the urinal, pretend you did not hear it. No one likes an escapee, it is uncomfortable for all involved. Making a joke or laughing makes both parties feel uneasy.[/i]

After one of these, if someone is standing at the next urinal, put a puzzled look on your face and ask "Do farts have lumps in them?"

by tonythetiger

A colleague was teaching a user how to enter workorders into a mainframe application. This particular program requires pressing 'PA2' to finalize the transaction.

Our user was having a tough time figuring out the 'keyboard template' concept, so my colleague thought she'd help the user out by taking a pencil and writing 'PA2' on the space under the center 'PageDown' key on the keyboard.

Next she had the user enter a workorder, and when my colleague told the user "Now press 'PA2'", she pressed on the letters that had just been written :)

by why me worry?

I've had the luxury of getting such a call from a user earlier on in my career. It's extremely hard to keep a straight face when confronting the user when you are laughing your ass off subconsciously. Are some users really that out of touch that they just don't get it? Ok, start the random drug testing because I think many users are smoking something illegal.

by tonythetiger

And that's what gets me about some IT people's attitudes. They admit they are there to basically serve the user, but then they insist on forcing and enforcing policies, etc. As I've said before, in my opinion, it is the user's supervisor who is responsible for making sure their employees are doing their job, not the IT department.

by white rabbit

I?ve been it IT for about 15 years mostly in Telecom and Networking but it?s all been in Healthcare. Once at a HMO with 24 clinics and 15 PBXs and now in a 300 bed hospital. I?ve seen the stresses that our RNs and unit secretaries go thru dealing with patients and their families. Talk about bad users, think about people in the hospital for the first time or grieving families. While I can come up with funny stories and some very difficult users, I?ve always treated my users with empathy for what they go thru and have to deal with every day. I try to make their job easier how ever I can. I know what I do is fairly easy for me usually, but I also know I could not and would not want their job.

by maecuff

That's good. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself.. I may be old, but I'm not senile. And I'll just be waiting for the opportunity to get even. You've been warned..

Hey, aren't you the one who called me 'hostile'? I haven't quite gotten over that one yet..

by techexec2

You started by challenging me. And, I challenged you back. It's strictly in good fun and never serious. Your mocking me is no more serious than my mocking you. Your being "hostile" is not serious, nor is my saying you are. Your being "senile" is not serious, nor is my saying you are.

I'm quite sure you will have additional opportunities to poke fun at me and I'm looking forward to it. I always appreciate being roasted by someone who is as smart as you. And, I know you'll appreciate and expect it when I roast you back.

I don't think you would [i]really[/i] like it if you mocked me and I did not mock you back. Would you?

by old guy

http://tinyurl.com/q6yyl This from a TR member since June 2005. Her tone and sentence structure appears to be translated into English. Maybe we do need to be careful how we say things. Just my opinion.

Edited to add: Maybe not a foreign person but still shouldn't have been made to feel that way here. Actually, just found out she's from Norway.

by old guy

keeping up with you and TechExec2 helping her and that is commendable. I hope you two can help her get it fixed. I was just stating that maybe we do need to be careful how we say things.

I just agree that we shouldn't make any user feel that way.

by dawgit

That looks real bad to me, I glad you posted that, kind of opened my eyes, Thanks. We have enought problems with communications, we don't need to be creating more. In Europe things are just a little different, since people are all from some where else, it's just expected courtisy. (or- you're in Italy, then... oh-well, the food is good :-) )

by old guy

I saw your post in the other discussion before seeing this one. I know the other two are trying hard to help her out and I'm really glad you got in there too. Great suggestions and questions for her.

RE: this post, sometimes we have to have our toes stepped on a little--all of us. Glad I got you connected over there.

You are one cool dude. See, we can revisit the 60's sometimes. Peace, brother!

by why me worry?

I was trying to be funny and would never belittle or make an end user, being my customer, feel stupid or inadequate. Yes, email and written text may me misinterpreted or taken offensively or out of context without being able to see a person's true intentions when writing it, but rest assured that I have no ill intentions. I'm just a comedian and have been known to pull of some pretty funny office pranks on Halloween and April Fools day.

by dawgit

And there is a big difference between the two. One gets help right away (the person who uses the computer to do their work) The other, well, that's another problem...

by dawgit

I know of a few IP providers who do just that. Or my T-Com, when their service is interupted (doesn't happen often, but...) has a recording on their computerized tele sys that directs people to report it to www.xxxxx.de. real helpful people. X-(

by techexec2

The old are to be respected. If for no other reason, they have been very successful at living among the skeeery people longer than you have! :-)

P.S. I keep at least one eye open around Mae at all times.

by nz_justice

I want majik wireless internet conenction too. :p not having to pay an isp would be awesome, I could connect anyware, unlimited download and upload bandwidth. play games anyware 24 seven, could even psp or nds connect gloabaly that would be awesome. I reckon you shouldn't blame the user for the majik net connection not being avalible.