Skillz

Before anyone gets accepted to our school they have to take a placement test. It's a three pronged assessment that tests reading comprehension, math, and sentence skills. I think before you get to submit a helpdesk ticket you have to pass the reading comprehension skills portion of the test.

Why not sentence skills? Let's not go crazy here. If you can cut and paste a screen shot - or draw me something in paint I can probably figure out better what your problem is anyway - so no need for sentence skills. Again, no point in shooting for the moon when you only have a pogo-stick.

"Ahh Mr. Johnson, I see you're not able to print preview and you're flipping it off, is that correct?"

But I will need you to read and comprehend what I send to you. It's part of the process of "Communication", I know this may be a new concept to some of you but half of the communication process is comprehension.

For Example:

Ticket #345 

Requester: Hey can you set up a thing for me?

Me (E-mailing Requester): You bet. Before I set it up in our live database, I've set it up in our train environment. Can you go test it and if it works how you'd like it too, I will set it up in the live environment.

Requester: Hey did you set up that thing up yet? I really want you to set it up for me. The ticket isn't closed yet, can you give me a status on when you think you can set it up for me?

Me: I set it up in our train environment if you could go test it and let me know that it's working and you like how it's working I can set it up in our live environment.

Requester to my Manager: "Has she set up the thing yet? I want my thing. I asked for my thing on Friday!!

Manager to Me: "Did you set up the thing?"

Me to Manager: "Yes, I set up the thing in our train environment and asked Requester to test it and tell me if it was working as intended. I documented this all in the ticket."

Manager: "So you did!"

Manager to Requester: "Please test the thing in the training environment as you were asked to."

Requester: "Yes."

Me: "Yes? You tested it?"

Requester: "Yes."

Me: Really? Ok then, I will set it up in Live.

(I proceed with setting up the thing)

Me (Closing Ticket #345 with the following resolution which gets included with the closed ticket which gets e-mailed to the requester): I have your thing configured. It's now available for everyone to use in the Live environment. If you have any specific issues with the configuration, or run into any problems please feel free to contact me directly.

Ticket #346: "Ticket #345 is closed. Can you please set up my thing? I really want it configured. Everyone is very anxious to start using it. As am I!"

Me: LOUD BANG* - *the sound of my mind being blown.

Because my brain had been blown at the back of my head it was difficult to find a diplomatic way to respond to this new ticket.