Tech in the Trenches

More Thank You’s

By Carl

On January 17, 2013

In Introspection, Observations

There are not enough “Thank You’s” in my line of work.

I’m always the villain.
Never the hero.

It would be nice to hear more thanks for the work I provide to my customers everyday.

This got me thinking. How often are other thankless jobs recognized and appreciated?

How often does the legal team get a Thank You?

How often do Human Resources get a kudos?

What about your own manager? Do you ever tell them you appreciate their time and efforts?

It’s easy to get lost in feeling under appreciated and overworked.

Take today to tell someone how much you appreciate their work. Find a teammate, co-worker, or even someone in a department you barely know and say Thank you.

Send them an email.

Pass along a Card Against Apathy.

Or even better, put a handwritten note or card through inter office mail or on their desk.

Do something small for someone today to show you appreciate what they do.

We could all show more appreciation to those around us.

A customer at Tim Hortons decided to pay for the order of the next person in line. The trend continued for 3 hours and 228 people.

Can you start a chain of kindness today?

Shipwrecked

By Carl

On January 9, 2013

In Introspection

I read one book. Now I’m trapped.

I finished a story. I got all three parts. Completed. Finished.

But it was merely a glimpse. An introduction. The tattered edge of a map waving invitingly in the breeze.

Beckoning me. Begging me. Calling me to it. Demanding I dig deeper.

Deeper I went. There is another book. A sequel. Well reviewed and available.

It fills the gaps in the first story. It was less a sequel as the rest of the story.

The completion of a tale only half told.

I was excited. And conflicted.

I had other worlds to visit. I tried to dive in. Dangling my toe into their literary waters.

I swam in them. Forcing myself into the crashing waves and chilly depths.

But each time I regretted leaving my first world. It has stuck with me. Demanding my attention. Begging to show me more.

Hiking its skirt up and showing some leg. Legs that went on forever. There were even more books. An entire universe to explore.

A huge world I was merely a tourist in. I had stumbled in unknowingly.

It has me and it won’t let me go. I need to know more. I must visit. I must move there.

I must return to the world I know only vaguely. Armed with more questions than answers, I tip toe closer to its Siren’s song.

I am taken. Shipwrecked. With no hope of escape. Unless I learn all I can. And to do that…

I must read.

Customer Service Is

By Carl

On December 12, 2012

In Observations

Customer Service is…

Working three hours past lunch time to fix problems.

Staying a little late waiting for a meeting to finish.

Relentlessly tracking down a customer who works odd hours.

Cover for a teammate when they get sick or slammed with work.

Communicate outages and issues to the larger team quickly and accurately.

Read notifications about upcoming maintenance.

Read emails from the team and management.

Read.

Learn.

Toiling all day in a basement then leaving to a beautiful sunset.

Saying Yes. And meaning it.

Promising to followup. Then following up.

Taking time to answer questions. No matter how mundane or simple they may appear.

Speaking slowly and clearly.

Remembering to smile.

Calling people by their first name or preferred title.

Politely pushing back when a customer want something unethical or illegal.

Treating every customer like they’re the first person you’ve seen that day.

Knowing every problems has a solution.

Putting the customer first.

Remembering the customer is a human being too. Not a ticket number. Not a line on a spreadsheet.

Remembering we are all fallible.

Remembering we all make mistakes.

Being kind.

Being confident.

Being trustworthy.

Being trusting.

Being approachable.

Job Insecurity

By Carl

On December 10, 2012

In Observations

For the month of December I am writing a journal entry each day called Today I Learned where I talk about what I learned that day. It could be something like a technical fix at work. It could be something bigger about my life. Earlier this month I was thinking about work and the time I got laid off.

I learned today I am thankful to have a job. I am thankful to be drawing a pay check. I am thankful to have that measure of stability in my life. But I have thought about my quality of life. What kind of life do I want to have? What do I want to get out of my life? How do I want to spend my days?

I have settled for a lot of jobs. I have settled for jobs. I have settled to sub-par situations. I have worked below my potential and I learned nothing in the process. I have done a lot of things I am not necessarily proud of. But I got a pay check. I had health insurance. I had stability.

Or so I thought…

Until the day I got laid off.

I was working for the help desk of the City of Richmond, VA. It was my first help desk job. I took the job because it paid more than the position I held. I was happy where I was and I was making pretty good money for grunt work. I was content because the work was easy and I could listen to music in one ear and take calls on the Bluetooth headset on the other ear. I was content there.

And then I was told I was going to meet with the head of the IT Department there along with my manager. I figured this was not a good sign even though I was working circles around the other help desk tech. So I went to the meeting and I heard the words that still ring in my ears.

“This has nothing to do with your job performance. You are a great employee who works hard…” and the rest is a blank in my memory. He talked for a few more minutes but the writing was on the wall. The city was going through a round of budget cuts. Because I was the last person hired, I was to be the first person let go.

Last Hired, First Fired.

I was not going to have a job in two weeks. Maybe it was longer. Maybe three weeks. But I was out of a job as of that day. The rest of the time was worthless in a way. I was gone. Deadman Answering Phones.

And because one of the desktop support technicians had been hired before me, he was given the choice to take my job or lose his own and be laid off too. He opted to take my help desk position. I can’t blame him. I would have made the same choice. But I was expected to teach him what I did. I was expected to train him to take my job. That was just too much for me. I couldn’t do it. My pride was hurt. I was freaking out because I didn’t know what I was going to do next. I was freaking out inside and trying to keep myself together outside. But I was unemployed. And no amount of hard work and effort on my part would change that.

I was unemployed.

15 Minutes to Critical

By Carl

On November 20, 2012

In Observations

Critical ticket comes in 15 minutes before I’m scheduled leave work. Computer won’t boot. I cringe. I debate. I call the customer. He is there. I act nice even though I’m secretly disappointed. I agree to see him. I race upstairs.

Windows 7 greets me. Looking cranky as ever. “Inaccessible Boot Device” flashed across the screen.

I cringe again. This could be fast or this could be days. I say a silent prayer as I calmly reboot and talk to the customer. Reassuring him everything will be OK.

Inside I pray louder. It shuts down.

A pause.

It starts up again. Black screen. Blank. No beep. No messages. Yet.

I wait. Milliseconds seem like eternity as the machine decides my fate.

It sings to us. I see blue. Not a sickly error blue but a soothing corporate blue.

Windows Starts Up.

Press Ctrl + Alt + Del to Logon.

Success.
Inside I cheer.
Outside I’m calm and smiling confidently.

My customer thanks me for my quick response. I thank him for his patience.

He logs in.
I leave.

Victorious.