IT support: 5 most ridiculous requests from employees
October 16, 2008 by Sam NarisiPosted in: Employee computer use, IT staffing, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views
It’s no secret that IT employees and non-tech staff don’t always get along. One reason might be too many questions like these.
A recent survey by Robert Half Technology asked tech pros about the oddest and most bothersome requests they’ve gotten from employees. The most ridiculous answers:
- “Can you rearrange the keyboard so the keys are alphabetical?”
- “How can I block all e-mails from my manager?”
- “Could you make it so I don’t get any e-mails on Fridays?”
- “Can you install wireless computer access in my mobile home?”
- “My laptop was run over by a truck — what should I do?”
If anything, those queries send a clear message about tech staffing: Patience, understanding a sense of humor should probably be job requirements for IT positions.
What unusually requests have you heard from employees? Let us know by leaving a comment.
View all the Latest StoriesTags: help desk, Robert Half, technology questions
October 21st, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Employee: “My screen-saver doesn’t work.”
Me: “But everything else is ok?”
Employee: “Yes.”
Me (wanted to say): “Maybe the screen-saver server is down, let me ping it and check.”
Me: “I’ll be over in a minute to look at that.”
I’m laughing right now as I type this…
If you’re laughing because your screen saver doesn’t work either – there is a patch released from Microsoft that corrects a problem with wireless keyboards and mice that prevent the screen-saver from starting. See, all-in-all I learned something out of it.
October 22nd, 2008 at 3:18 pm
I worked at a company that went under 2 years ago. Here are several calls I’ve gotten:
Sr. Executive: We just sent out a corporate-wide e-mail with a link that doesn’t work. Can you fix the link?
—
CEO: I have a very important problem….
Me: How can I help you solve it?
CEO: Well…. my home computer isn’t working correctly….
—
Sr. Executive: If I buy this computer without an operating system on it…. I can still install Office, right?
—
Sr. Executive: I need to fire this person. Can you please dig through their e-mail to find me a reason?
—
Sr. Executive (to the CIO): I’m under a lot of pressure from the CEO to increase revenue, but I just can’t do that. How can I cut my IT spending?
CIO: What services do you want to cut?
Sr. Executive: Nothing… I just want to pay less for what I’m getting today.
—
Sr. Executive: I accidentally sent a file to someone that they should not have. Can you make it go away?
Me: Just recall it.
Sr. Executive: If I recall it, they still might see it before it’s recalled. They REALLY can’t see this file.
—
Sr. Executive: I’m getting a new laptop (and your team always does a great job, by the way), but I want to just keep the old one, so my kids can play games on it.
—
Sr. Executive’s Admin: I keep getting e-mail replies saying that my e-mail was rejected as spam. I haven’t sent any e-mails to these people…. how is this possible?
Me: Someone outside the company (a spammer) is using your name and e-mail address to originate spam to these other people. The e-mail appears to come from you, so that is why you are getting the “bounce backs” stating that your e-mail was rejected.
Admin: I don’t believe you.
Me: ……….. OK……….. What would you like for me to do to help you resolve this problem?
Admin: ………….Um……….. I guess what you told me makes sense.
—
Sr. Executive’s Admin#2 (Has wireless mouse and keyboard, even though we don’t support / recommend this): Come up here immediately! Someone is hacking in to my computer!
Me: I will come up there immediately. Can you please tell me what you are seeing that makes you think your PC is being hacked?
Admin#2: My mouse is moving without me moving it! When I try to move my mouse, it won’t move!
(It was interference from the wireless network we had just installed. When we turned off the access point near her desk, problem solved)
Sr. Executive’s Admin#3 (Uses laptop with port replicator, no external keyboard / mouse): Come up here right away! My computer is being hacked!
Me: What makes you think your PC is being hacked?
Admin#3: Well, Admin#2’s PC was hacked the other day, and now MY mouse is moving by itself!
( As she typed, she was moving her thumb over the “touch pad” on her laptop’s keyboard, thus making the mouse move )
CEO to the CIO: What are we going to do about this PC hacking problem?? Isn’t this really serious??
—
Sr. Executive’s Wife (Calls me directly): I have the “teddy bear” virus!!
(For those of you who don’t remember this, it was an e-mail-based social-engineering attack that made people think they had a virus. When they deleted the “teddy bear” icon in Windows\System on a Win98 machine, it broke their web browser)
Me: DON’T do anything, just let me take a look at the PC. Can someone bring it in so I can take a look at it (I didn’t say: or do we have to make yet another costly house call)
Exec’s Wife: OH, I already took care of it. I deleted the file.
Me: You know, that e-mail is just a scam…… You don’t really have a virus. I want to take a look at the machine to make sure everything else is running OK.
Exec’s wife: I got the e-mail from my friend who is a lawyer. He is a smart man, and would NEVER send me anything that isn’t true.
Me: …………….
Sr. Exec (Calls me directly): I had the “teddy bear” virus, and now my explorer (Internet Explorer) won’t work!!
Me: Did you get an e-mail? You know it’s fake, right?
Sr. Exec: No it’s NOT! “Other Exec’s wife” had this virus just the other day!
(After 10 more calls like this during the course of the week, I finally used a resource editor to remove the offensive “teddy bear” icon from the file in question)
—
Sr. Executive (in meeting with myself and CIO): We are buying this other company, and I have already put together an IT integration budget for you. It’s (some rediculously low figure)
(When I started to laugh, the CIO looked at me sharply)
Me: You’re kidding, right? What do you expect my team to deliver as part of the integration?
Exec: Well….. we need to all work together, share e-mail, and use the ERP system. You know, like we all do today, but include the new offices.
Me: The number you just handed me doesn’t even cover the cost of the equipment needed to connect the two networks. In addition, you have not budgeted for recurring connectivity, nor maintenance. How was this number generated?
Sr. Executive: ………….. I was obviously given some incorrect information. (He hated me from that point on. Later, my boss found a book on his desk entitled: “Due-dilligence for Merger’s and Acquisitions” )
—
It’s no wonder that this company is no longer in business.
October 22nd, 2008 at 4:12 pm
After installing a new computer in an English Professor’s Office.
Phone rings.
Me: Computer Services.
Employee: My mouse isn’t working.
Me: Knowing the professor had little computer experience, “I’ll be there in five minutes”
Arriving at the professor’s office she meets me at the computer desk. I reach for the mouse and flip it over and tell her it works better when you have it on the desk the correct way.
October 30th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
I had a professor call about a problem and I asked him to right click on the task bar.
He thought I said “write click” on the task bar. I heard typing in the background and took about 15min trying to clarify semantics with him.