Do you tell? 1

[LadySlinger]

I'm sure you've run into people like this at your office.

I have one guy that calls me after something happened on our network. (I.e. the INternet goes down, it's the ISP's issue) and he WANTS to know what happened.

This guy is a Sales person, not my boss or anyone from upper management. You know he just knows the terms by talking to him, but he doesn't fully understand what he's talking about.

How do you respond...especially if its something a little more indepth than the ISP going down?

Sometimes I throw a bunch of acronyms/initialisms at him to go way above his head in hopes to deter him from asking me again. Which doesn't work. He'll sit there totally confused by what I said try to clarify with me and half the time I cut it short by agreeing with whatever he said.

I to try and stay aloof by saying "Oh the computer/router/whatever" had a brain fart". Unfortunately then he starts to ask more questions.

I personally only like to share information such as incidents like firewall rules issues, DNS issues, anything more indepth than a problem at the ISP on a "need to know basis": my boss may need to know, the upper management may need to know, but the sales people don't need to know.

So, how do you stay aloof? Or do you tell all?

 

[tfg13]

"We think that a bit of the cat-5 was picking up low frequency inductance from flourescent lighting, causing packet loss and continual retries on our switch, until the switch buffer overflowed and had to be rebooted."

Simply hilarious. I wish I had used this one in the past.....

 

[gbaughma]

tfg13:

Hmmm... actually, I was being serious... that *has* happened before.



Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly exchanged his dilithium crystals for new Folger's Crystals." -- My Sister
--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[pokerace]

You could come up with an IT policy for releasing information that covers everyone at the company who isn't at a certain management level or higher. That way, when this person wants to know what the problem was, tell him that you can't give out specific details about IT issues in accoradance with the policy.

 

[eyetry]

Hmmmmmm...... Carefull with the comments to a user.... Unless your in a high tech industry and very good; or the boss's kid tech people aren't usually thought of as more than typing monkeys. Sales people are usually considered the life blood.

While you are the IT department I'm sure you have a boss. Discuss the problem with that person. Define a procedure with that person and have that person broadcast it thru the company. Perhaps a broadcast email that there is a problem, with an estimated solution time and updates should it appear it will take longer.

At that point you can fall back on the procedure if someone gets annoying.... No matter what though be respectfull and professional.

I recall, one time, I invited an upity tech support person to my office after he helped me with a problem. Upon arrival he asked me what I needed. After he sat down and I closed the door and said I was going to talk with him about investments. He asked why. I said he spent 10 minutes making me feel like a moron when I simply asked him for some help. It was my turn to make him feel like one. He went white, I laughed and said I thought we could learn a lot from each other.... after all we were both good at what we did, both jerks and both frustrated.... turned out to be a nicer guy to work with for a lot of people after that. Officially, my boss didn't think I was very funny.

 

[LadySlinger]

Hmm..well the update with this particular guy (in addition for him looking to blame IT for sales), is that I'm now refering him to his boss.

Mainly he's getting a little more "comfortable" with me in regards to the questions (some I will respond to others I won't). Now he's in the process of trying to copy all contacts for the department that he's in onto his work laptop. (this is never a good thing in general IMO, but this particular user is under the watchful eye of his boss hint hint).

Only selected users have privileges like these. Basically I told him that in order for me to allow him this access I need approval from his boss. He then turned around and said "Oh so you can't just grant me access?"
"No, I'm IT, I'm not your boss. I set up privileges based on what the managers want". We finally hung up.