Those unintelligible questions about computers
By RamRes
@RamRes (1723)
Argentina
September 28, 2010 9:45pm CST
I'm working as a computer programmer and sometimes I have to tell clients how something works or why something is failing. And many times, when they see something that don't works as expected, they submit a request saying "It doesn't works, please fix it". Great, I'll, but thinking about it, I know nothing about the problem, they simply say "don't work", how is suposed to fix that????
I often get very upset with that kind of things. Many people don't handle computers very well, I understand, but most also have big troubles in defining exactly what they are complainig about. I do my best to know what's going on, but guessing and adivination is for sure not the best way to go on computing.
On many forums I've seen the same, "please help me, that program don't work help me!!!". OK, I will be glad to help you, I think, but how is supposed to help you if you tell us absolute nothing about your problem. There are some basic fact that everyone sees, and still keep for themselves. I think is not that hard to post something like "that program showed the error XXXXXX, when I click on that other option, and after installing another thing".
So, what about you? When it comes to ask for help, do you really explain the problem or let the other guess? And if you're going to help out others, have faced the same problem as I do?
Happy MyLotting!!!
5 responses
@aeisle (377)
• Philippines
29 Sep 10
Being a system administrator, I often do technical support for end users here in our office. Complaints and reports like that are just normal because you can't even expect them to know the technical details of the problem. If something like this occurs, this is how our troubleshooting skills work. After they have reported that they have problem, we will then begin to ask them a series of questions. These questions should also be non-technical so you can only expect non-technical answers from them and based from the answers that they have provided we should be able to know already what was actually the problem that they are experiencing. If the cause or the problem itself wasn't determined yet, then just keep asking question until you have fully separated the just possible problem to the real actual problem. -)
2 people like this
@RamRes (1723)
• Argentina
3 Oct 10
Of course I don't expect they to know anything technical, that's my work.
The exact matter is when they don't say anything, and just tell you "it don't work, fix it". But don't tell anything about what happened until then, or what they did, or even what they see at the screen.
Many times we have to guess what is the error that poped up before their eyes, and spend hours on it while they refuse to say what they see.
After that, of course, comes the habitual questions to find the actual problem, those things that they often don't know about.
@rosdimy (3926)
• Malaysia
1 Oct 10
Even though many computer technicians are not psychics, the training that we received and the experience that we went through should enable us to ask appropriate questions. We should be able to make intelligent guesses as to what the problem may be.
I had encountered similar cases. What I used to do was to start the computer, and work my way from there.
@RamRes (1723)
• Argentina
3 Oct 10
Of course, we are able to ask inteligently, but my complain here is, why we should spend our time to guess what's right before the other person eyes?
Our experience and knowledge lets us to find the problem source and give apropiate answers, but making us guess what them is seeing is just a waste of our time.
@fanzejian (372)
• China
29 Sep 10
I also do the hardware and software services.those problems which you post are often heard by the telephone .I have to say that you will change job if you are bored especially the same questions which are not exactl .
but reward I got are ok,I continue doing the same job with not very politely.I hate me like that in fact .
@pratikm23 (139)
• India
30 Sep 10
Ofcourse when i have to submit a query, or post for help, i will have to be as descriptive and clear about what problems i am facing so that the person who is gonna help me feels easy to understand what the problem actually is.
If you are facing problems with your clients not being clear and descriptive then tell them to convey their problems that they are facing in detail. Tell them that you are not totally understanding their problem, tell them to say at which particular point they are facing problems.
@RamRes (1723)
• Argentina
3 Oct 10
Thanks for being all that descriptive!!!
It not only helps better understand, but also not having the guessing phase helps improve our response times, as we don't have to ask them for more details. I have patience, but when the same problem comes over and over by the same people, and they remain on their "it don't work" complain, it gets annoying.
@walala138 (4)
• China
29 Sep 10
This is a very general Questions,I think this is commnunication problems,because most of the clients computer skills are very poor,They cann't express what they saw.As a good engineer,should have the ability to communicate with the clients.
@RamRes (1723)
• Argentina
3 Oct 10
Yes!! It's communication the problem, the lack of it.
And the average people have poor computer skills, if any, so I don't expect they to tell me the exact problem, but at least they should tell me what they see.
And I'm not any enginner too, just an ordinary person with knowledge of computers, developing my ability to understand some things about clients.
