This is a departure from the typical things that I blog about.  However, given some recent dealings I’ve had supporting users, I think this could serve as being, somewhat, cathartic.

And yes, I realize this topic has probably been covered a million different ways on other blogs.

The audience for this post would be the average user that has to come to us for help.  I understand that, at times, this can be an arduous process.  I would like to clarify what, I think, are some misconceptions that users often have.

Just because you think it’s easy, it’s not

I know that, at times, the solution to the problem seems so easy.  I’ll hear users say things like:

“Well all I need is…” or

“It can’t be that hard to add…” or

“I don’t understand why it’s so hard to…”

Believe us when we say that it will be difficult to do what it is you’re asking us to do.  Keep in mind that most IT folks support a multitude of systems and keeping them all straight in our heads can be a challenge in of itself.

Your request, as small as it might seem, may just be the one thing that blows everything up or ruins the experience for everyone else.  We’d like to try and prevent that.

We love tackling challenges, just not everywhere we go

I’ve been asked to offer IT support in some of the oddest places.  A co-worker I used to work with was actually asked about a laptop issue while giving birth to her son!  We understand that your issues are troubling, but please respect our time.

I know that I would never ask a doctor to look at my bum shoulder at a Christmas party.  I wouldn’t ask a mechanic to look at my car while visiting my house for a BBQ.

I would hope that you would not do the same to an IT person.

It’s hard to say no and, more often than not, we won’t.  So don’t use this as an indication of our willingness to help.

We get frustrated when things don’t work too

We know that when things don’t work, it’s frustrating to a user.  But believe me when I say that it’s much more frustrating for us.

Here’s the big secret.

Often times, we don’t know what’s causing your issue.

Granted, we could do a better job of just admitting that, but we want you to have confidence that we’re going to fix your problem.

Moreover, a lot of times, you’re not the only one that’s experiencing the issue.  By the time you’ve called us, outraged by the impact of the problem, we’ve already heard ten other users irate about the same thing.

We don’t like when you’re unhappy

I sometimes get the impression that users think I live to make their lives difficult.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Most of us got into this business because we have an insane desire to improve the way people do things.  Often times, we have a hard time standing idly by while someone struggles with an antiquated way of doing things.

If you’re still doing something on paper, chances are, one of us is going to show you a way to do it faster, better, cheaper, etc.  We just can’t help ourselves.

Nothing pleases us more than someone saying: “Wow, this makes my life so much easier” or “I can’t imagine how I lived without this!” Those statements are nerd nirvana!

Myself and a lot of people I work with obsess when something is going wrong for you.  We will talk about the problem at lunch, with our spouses, and even our dogs (if they’ll listen).

It’s all we can think about.

When we’re in the shower, at the movies, at church, we think about the problem you’re having and how to fix it.

And as developer, I have another piece to be unhappy about.  I built the thing!  Trust me, most developers are way more critical of themselves than you could ever be.  So please be gentle with your criticisms.

Sometimes, things are just plain out of our control

Most IT departments don’t have control over policy decisions.  We just offer tools to help support those decisions.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve been placed in a position to have to explain to a user why we were implementing a new piece of technology.  A nasty trick your boss will often use is blaming technology as the reason why you’re going to have to do things differently.  It’s okay.  We understand.  However, this often puts us in an awkward spot.

Keep in mind that, sometimes, we are doing things because we have been asked by the higher-ups.  Or that new piece of software you hate?  That might not have been our decision either.

Just please remember that, more often than not, we are just doing what we were asked to do.  Sure we offer advice and council but a lot times,in the end,it’s not our decision.

So when you tell us you HATE this @*^%$@! program.

What we won’t tell you is…We do too.

We would appreciate some perspective

Finally, I would suggest that you keep things in perspective.

Is the problem you’re having really THAT big of a deal?  Sometimes it REALLY is.  I’ve found that most times, it’s not.

A problem is a problem, so don’t think I’m saying this to be cavalier.  But try to keep your problem in perspective.  Imagine all the other issues an IT person might be dealing with that are of a higher priority.

And sometimes, your problem is not really a problem at all.

Sure, you don’t like the color of the window or having to click that extra button is annoying.  But try to focus on all the things that the technology IS doing for you.  Or focus on the things that are faster instead of the one piece that makes you wait.

I think, in general, having this perspective in dealing with technology will grant you less frustration and foster a more productive relationship with your IT people.