How to have humility in tech support?

[Nirex]

How do you keep humility when customers do st— er.. seem to lack common sense in the tech support field? Like for example I spent the better part of 2 hours trying to fish a microsim out of a regular sim slot in a router and giving it my best to not look down, but they make it extremely hard. Anyone else deal with this or have coping strategies to catch themselves?

[Tortuga]

I'm not in tech support or deal with customers however I always appreciate it when others treat me and my mistakes with kindness. 

[Hope]

I just sent this to our friendly IT guy this afternoon.  He said it does fix a lot of things... 😉   

 

 

 

[Nirex]

2 minutes ago, Hope said:

I just sent this to our friendly IT guy this afternoon.  He said it does fix a lot of things... 😉   

 

 

 

Until you get that one customer that doesn’t have it plugged in the entire time because they took wireless router to be literal. True story from a friend.

[carlos]

I feel your pain, Regina.

 

I have worked in tech support by phone and most of my customers were elderly people with very limited computer abilities. They often had their own funny names for desktop icons and you had to figure them out. A simple task such as copying a file from one folder to another could take a long time, because I had to explain how to move the mouse, how to double click and so on.

 

The company I worked for sold several programs for accounting, staff and tax management. So I had to remind myself that those guys I was talking to were not stupid, they were real experts in their fields. When their questions had to do with particularities of accounting or income tax, it became evident that they had a lot to teach me too.

[Alexa]

Repeat again and again then ask them specifically? Or know their problems specifically. If I were you I wouldn't be able to keep like how you do, so whenever we do Jehovah understands. When Jesus did commanded to preach the word he give instructions to his apostles. Jesus trained them too. Its humility to Jesus because he needed to make them work of the preaching work. The praises Jesus receive, like being good he didn't accept it he give it to Jehovah. When we accept praises we need to understand and give to Jehovah the praise. Many times there are times Jesus talk to Jehovah, he ask Jehovahs help, its also humility in his part :)

 

[shali]

I remember my brother-in-law called me once about his laptop.  He said whenever he turned it on, it would only stay on for a few seconds and then go black.  He thought he got a virus.  I asked him if he was going off battery power or if he had it plugged in.  He said he was going off battery power.  Then I asked him when was the last time he charged the battery - he said he didn't know he had to do that. My brother in law can build a house from scratch (I can barely paint a wall) and he's a wonderful elder but he knew nothing about computers and had to learn in his 50's.  Not everyone can know everything.  I was just glad that I could help him for a change!  I don't get many opportunities to be useful to him!

 

On the other hand, my husband would rather drive glass shards through his feet and hands then ask me for help with an electronic device.  I hear him in his room mumbling and yelling and keep hoping he will come out and want my help, but he would rather not have the use of his cellphone for days and figure it out himself, then ask me for help.  He's in a permanent bad mood until he can figure out his problem so that makes it hard for me to not ask him if I can lend a hand, but I've learned the hard way that some people just wanna figure it out on their own and to leave them alone.  

Edited April 24, 2019 by shali

[Dages]

In my company, I train my coworkers to use a translation software... learn about how to deal with Deep learning / neural network pretranslation output... beginners are fast to adapt but when some people are old in the industry, they still work directly in Office... it's tough 

 

Workflow and technology is constantly evolving... sometimes too fast... I can't wait for paradise, I'll take my sloooow eternal time to do things  

[Nirex]

I'm okay with old people, like that's understandable. So is people not knowing something software or hardware related. But like.. to take yesterday's example. It's obvious the slot is bigger than a micro sim card, why would you still just jam it in and hope it works? It's those type that make it hard to have humility. I can hold my tongue fine, but I mean mental humility, stop myself from thinking of them as an idiot.

 

I just recently got a job at a computer and network repair comany, as bench tech, but my expertise/major was in infosec/ethical hacking, so I'm going to run into a lot of this and was hoping for coping strategies to avoid thinking that way.

 

I'll try the method of remembering the customers own skills, since the job deals a lot with companies computer systems the most.

 

Which reminds me of another question I had. On the service board I noticed there's a few churches that they host and fix the comps of....er... if it came to having to fix a churches computer, is that having a part of btg? I need to know incase it comes up. So far it's only field techs, but they might bring one in-shop.

Edited April 24, 2019 by Nirex

[Tortuga]

2 minutes ago, Nirex said:

I'm okay with old people, like that's understandable. So is people not knowing something software or hardware related.

Keep in mind that a lack of knowledge doesn't necessarily mean a lack of intelligence.

When I need help with something I appreciate people that can softly talk about what they are doing and why they are doing it. 

[Hope]

I've had to be the "help desk" for my mother with her laptop, phone and tablet.   It is not an easy job - especially since she's 2,000 miles away and is 83 years old..   But I have incredible patience with older ones, including my mom.  I just try to absorb their frustrations, remember she taught me how to eat with a spoon and tie my shoes and help her know she can do it.

 

It's probably a whole lot different with people you DON'T love... but, it's a living.. ❤️ 

[On the huh]

1 hour ago, Tortuga said:

Keep in mind that a lack of knowledge doesn't necessarily mean a lack of intelligence.

When I need help with something I appreciate people that can softly talk about what they are doing and why they are doing it. 

This is so true, and just because you may have expertise in one field, you probably don't have in many other fields.

You see this in the building trade.  Many trades working together, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, plasterers, bricklaying.  Each need humility to know that the other one is the expert in their trade.

 

How do you react in the ministry to "simple" bible questions?  Like, where did Cain get his wife? 

We are humble.  We don't reply - "Don't you know your bible, that is such a simple question!"  It is such a simple question to us, but for those who have no or little knowledge of the bible, that is a question they don't know the answer to.   So, we answer, "Let me show here in Genesis … ".  So in way, we are already trained to be humble in answering people.  And also with our training in the use of questions and reasoning we can put to use in tech support.  Thus we "teach not tell", those who don't have the tech know-how like we do.

 

[SheyZ]

16 hours ago, Nirex said:

How do you keep humility when customers do st— er.. seem to lack common sense in the tech support field? Like for example I spent the better part of 2 hours trying to fish a microsim out of a regular sim slot in a router and giving it my best to not look down, but they make it extremely hard. Anyone else deal with this or have coping strategies to catch themselves?

We all must keep practicing meekness, humility and fruits of our Loving God's holy spirit towards all... We will benefit in the long run ...

Isaiah 45:17 ... 

Phil 2:3-4

Last Sunday's W. study on meekness and humility was a very up building reminder 

 

[Qapla]

Currently I wok om irrigation systems. Most of the clock controllers work in a similar way. Most have multiple programs that can be programmed and most have multiple start times that can be programmed. However, there is quite a difference in a program and a start time. There are also zones that are programmed.

 

I can't tell you how many people get them mixed up and "over program" their system so that it run way more than needed because they can't seem to understand the difference in a zone, a start time and a program. Even when you explain it to them, the next time you get called to service their malfunctioning system, you find the same mis--programming you fixed the last time.

 

Most people cannot seem to comprehend the difference in the watering rates of various types of heads. So, even when they do get the start times and the programs separated correctly, they do not get the zone timing correct because they just want to program all zones the same to "make it easier" - and they don't understand why some portions of their land gets over watered while other areas are under watered.

 

I have somewhat given up trying to get some of them to understand ... I just correct the problem each time I service their system.

[jwhess]

4 hours ago, Nirex said:

Which reminds me of another question I had. On the service board I noticed there's a few churches that they host and fix the comps of....er... if it came to having to fix a churches computer, is that having a part of btg? I need to know incase it comes up. So far it's only field techs, but they might bring one in-shop.

Sr. Regina, there re several points to consider about employment.  Below is a summary paragraph of an interesting article.  I do not usually use WT articles older than 2000 but this isw interesting.  You might consider reading all of the article.

 

*** w99 4/15 p. 29 Questions From Readers ***
Now let us go back to the main question of working on a church building, such as installing new windows, cleaning the carpets, or servicing the furnace. How might the above factors be involved?
If the Christian is an employee without the deciding voice over what jobs are accepted, other factors ought to be considered, such as the location and the extent of involvement. Is the employee asked simply to deliver or put in place new chairs on an occasion or to render human service, such as a fireman’s putting out a fire in a church before it spreads? Many would see this as different from an employee of a business spending a long time painting the church or regularly doing gardening to make it attractive. Such regular or extended contact would increase the likelihood that many would link the Christian with a religion that he claims he does not endorse, potentially stumbling them.—Matthew 13:41; 18:6, 7.
 

[carlos]

On 4/24/2019 at 11:08 PM, jwhess said:

*** w99 4/15 p. 29 Questions From Readers ***

Great reference! This is the go-to article whenever we have doubts regarding our work. I recommend reading the whole article, since it contains several questions that make it easy to reach a conclusion that leaves you with a clean conscience.

[Meditate!]

this is a general comment from being  tech support and watching others do the same:

 

It helps to not assume others know what you are talking about. When you say 'just copy a file over' you may be literally ten steps away from that one instruction, in a newbies experience. Assuming they have done everything you said, without checking 'what is on your screen now?' along the way  can heighten frustration.

 

Of course you also get the terse replies also' Yes! I know how to do that!'  in an annoyed tone..from others who knew the 'ten steps' to copy a file

 

Some 'think' they know computers but then after a while you realise they know a few things very well and a lot of basic things they don't.

 

What helps me is doing my best to remember/visualise what they should be seeing on their screen at any time and prompting them for a description. I often go through a process myself as they are doing it; as long as it is not how to format the D drive 

 

 

 

[On the huh]

I find it hard to give support over the phone.  Its much easier if I can have the device in front of me and do it myself than to explain.

 

Another problem is helping someone fix their "iPad" over the phone, and after 5 minutes of "no, I don't see that on my iPad", you realise it is not a iPad that they have, but an Android tablet.  "Oh, what's the difference".  

[Nirex]

5 hours ago, Jonathan77 said:

I find it hard to give support over the phone.  Its much easier if I can have the device in front of me and do it myself than to explain.

 

Another problem is helping someone fix their "iPad" over the phone, and after 5 minutes of "no, I don't see that on my iPad", you realise it is not a iPad that they have, but an Android tablet.  "Oh, what's the difference".  

My favorite is still "Where's the "any" key?"

[On the huh]

One of my favorities from Big Bang

 

 

What bus do have

What kind of computer do you have and please don't say a white one 😄

Edited May 22, 2019 by Jonathan77

[DarinS]

On 4/24/2019 at 12:37 PM, Nirex said:

I'm okay with old people, like that's understandable. So is people not knowing something software or hardware related. But like.. to take yesterday's example. It's obvious the slot is bigger than a micro sim card, why would you still just jam it in and hope it works? It's those type that make it hard to have humility. I can hold my tongue fine, but I mean mental humility, stop myself from thinking of them as an idiot.

 

I just recently got a job at a computer and network repair comany, as bench tech, but my expertise/major was in infosec/ethical hacking, so I'm going to run into a lot of this and was hoping for coping strategies to avoid thinking that way.

 

I'll try the method of remembering the customers own skills, since the job deals a lot with companies computer systems the most.

 

Which reminds me of another question I had. On the service board I noticed there's a few churches that they host and fix the comps of....er... if it came to having to fix a churches computer, is that having a part of btg? I need to know incase it comes up. So far it's only field techs, but they might bring one in-shop.

I have and still do deal with Tech

these days a bit more training and usually networking and Security - entry level until advanced level -- the classes (not the people always)

 

my absolute BEST BEST advice is.....think - job security

 

if these folks knew what I knew I would be unnecessary.....so

 

im glad they are less trained or completely ignorant

 

I can work part time and make good money and train whomever they send my way -- very happily

 

because it lets me concentrate on my primary avocation - preaching and serving Jehovah

 

 

 

ps - I dont own the company - so i would be fine training someone from a church.....me personally - thats my conscience.....

if I owned the company i would NOT be inclined to solicit business from certain industries.........

 

again you need to decide based on your knowledge and conscience....there is no 'RULE' against this type of service to unbelievers

[McKay]

On 4/24/2019 at 12:37 PM, Nirex said:

I can hold my tongue fine, but I mean mental humility, stop myself from thinking of them as an idiot.

I work in tech support for teachers in a school system. I'll be honest, teachers are the most unteachable people I know. Most of them are nice people, but most of them refuse to learn new technology even though they'll be evaluated on how they use the technology in their instruction! It's super frustrating.

 

Thinking of them as an idiot, huh? I'd go with, as long as you don't ACTUALLY SAY it, you should be fine. lol

 

But seriously, I know what you mean. I use this example a lot: If a person started a job and was told to make a copy and the person said, "Oh, I'm not good with copiers" you'd probably fire them because copiers have been around forever. But when someone says "Oh, I'm not good with computers" we give them a pass all the time, as if it's acceptable in this age to work in a modern world and refuse to learn the dominant tool used everywhere! I've joked that an A+ should be required of anyone touching a computer, but that would probably put us in tech support out of business.