I had a guy on the phone tonight with some simple little problems …. no connection, cos his modem wasn’t logged in and he also wanted to get a second PC online.    So we went through the steps, accessing the modem, entering the settings, getting the network name and security info, saving all that … going to the PC, configuring up the wireless and hey presto, we’re all online and he’s Happy Customer #368.   While we’re waiting for his machine to reboot at some point, he starts telling me that he was very impressed with my customer service and said the call was “the most pleasant IT support experience he’s ever had”.   At which point he told me he works in IT recruitment and started asking me if I wanted a new job!

I just laughed and told him I’d barely been there for 3 months and this was my first IT job so I was in no hurry to jump ship just yet…. Well he was gobsmacked, said he’d never have guessed and thought I was ‘confident and concise’ and wanted to know what I’d done before this.   Upon hearing that my background was predominantly in financial administration and photography he was doubly impressed.   Said he could find me work any time, and was I sure I wanted to stay where I was?  🙂

Everyone loves a bit of positive feedback, and it’s particularly appreciated when you’re still not sure you’ve got a decent grip on your job.  I can’t believe how far I’ve come in this job in such a short period of time…. from barely ten weeks ago when I was stressed beyond belief and having great difficulty understanding all the jargon let alone the processes…..to now, when quite a lot of things have become routine, and I’m no longer struggling with the answer for every single little question.  There’s some rather patient people to thank for the transformation (one in particular – big kisses for him!) for putting up with my constant questions and all !!!

So it was great getting a really nice caller, so much better than the ones who want to rip your head off for something you know nothing about and had nothing to do with!  I hope Happy Customer #368 is still all connected and happily surfing for porn as we speak… thanks Meester!  You made my day.  🙂
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There’s one thing I’ve discovered at work that is worse than all the strange things the customers throw at you… and that is discovery of just how dodgy some of my colleagues are.  I have seen some people at work hanging up on customers because they don’t like dealing with them.   And for any of a multitude of pathetic bullshit reasons… . they don’t like dealing with old people…. or can’t handle the technically challenged people…. or perhaps it’s all together too hard dealing with people for whom English is a second language…. or  (and I’ve actually seen this) just because they’d been on the call too long and were getting sick of it. 

It is beyond my comprehension how these people still have a job!

But worse than the pure laziness and lack of work ethic displayed by some, is the misinformation that seems to get thrown about.  I got a call on Sunday night, and in the account, found some notes left by a Vista trained support person who had informed a customer that they were unable to use their onboard wifi in their brand new laptop because the drivers weren’t available yet  😐   I mean honestly!  I’m about the second least technically savvy person in the place, and even I know better than that.  Un-Vista trained borys, then talked the customer through configuring their centrino and within about 20mins they were a happily connected little Vegemite customer again…. 

I foresee with a bit of luck and a fair breeze that I could do well here.   And as much as I would like to believe it would be though virtue of my own talents and merit… ’tis much more likely any success I might eventually experience would merely be due to being less mediocre than my neighbours.   :S
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