01:50 PM
Sometimes the Help Desk Could Use a Little Help
Now that time has quelled the techno-anxiety posed by Y2k, IT consultants can relax as end users smoothly operate at their workstations, right? Not exactly. An independent research firm and RHI Consulting conducted a survey of 470 IT consultants that revealed that many technology users are struggling with Computer Literacy.
The IT staffers were asked, What is the strangest request you have ever heard of, or received from a client or end user? Some help desk technicians skills were put to the test by such questions as, This PC just performed an illegal operation! Will I get in trouble? and Can you please warn me next time my computer is going to crash?
Aside from being good for a laugh, these client questions illustrate the potential for miscommunication on technical issues, states Greg Scileppi, RHIs executive director, in the prepared survey results. Since technology is becoming more complex and organizations lack the time to properly train their non-technical personnel, effective help desk staffers need more than technical expertise. Empathy, strong interpersonal skills and, at times, a good sense of humor are necessary to keep operations afloat.