[OPLINTECH] What's your worst "head meets desk" moment?

Wed Jan 16 16:12:09 EST 2013

My most (least?) favorite tech communications issue is that classic moment
when I hear staff speak the phrase "The computers are down." This single
descriptor is used to alert me that 1.) the ILS software temporarily lost
network connection, 2.) a workstation lost network connection, 3.) all
workstations lost network connection, 4.) a workstation will not boot, 5.)
an unexplained message appeared on a workstation, 6.) a given website will
not load, 7.) someone has disconnected the display from the workstation, or
almost any other possible occurrence. 

My most favorite tech communications improvement came when I successfully
(it took some time) encouraged staff to use the Windows 7 "snipping tool" to
capture, save, and email me an image of what was on the screen that prompted
their issue/question. When staff can save and show me a picture, I can skip
the diagnostic question asking stage, and go straight to fixing or
explaining! Hooray! 

Jessica D. Dooley

IT Specialist

Adams County Public Library

dooleyje at oplin.org 

From: oplintech-bounces at lists.oplin.org
[mailto:oplintech-bounces at lists.oplin.org] On Behalf Of Chad Neeper
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 3:51 PM
To: OPLINTECH
Subject: Re: [OPLINTECH] What's your worst "head meets desk" moment?

My own "favorite" head-meets-desk moment was a complete Fail on my part many
years ago to diagnose an audio problem on my own laptop. Sound had suddenly
stopped working, but I didn't have a strong need to use it and so wasn't in
a hurry to get it fixed. Some few weeks passed and the one-year warranty
expiration was approaching, Because I used the laptop as my primary work
computer, it was an extreme inconvenience to be without it for the
one-to-two weeks round-trip it would take to/from the manufacturer. Even so,
I figured I probably ought to go ahead and send the laptop back to have it
fixed under warranty.

Fortunately, it arrived after only about one week. A standard repair slip
was included with the laptop to inform the end user (me) what repairs had
been made. Hand-written on the slip was simply, "Turned up volume control."
Not using audio all that much on the laptop, I had forgotten that there was
a small volume control on the side of the laptop. I'm sure the
manufacturer's service tech had a good laugh at my expense. My boss at the
time certainly did.

There's probably a lesson in there somewhere.

Chad

______________________________
Chad Neeper
Senior Systems Engineer

Level 9 Networks
740-548-8070 (voice)
866-214-6607 (fax)

Full LAN/WAN consulting services -- Specialized in libraries and schools

On Thu, Jan 10, 2013 at 10:07 AM, Laura Solomon <laura at oplin.org> wrote:

Hello,

I'm putting together an updated version of a presentation I did several
years ago, called "What Your Tech Wants You to Know."  It includes how to
communicate technology problems to library techs and how to approach
problems so that staff can do some basic troubleshooting of their own.

I'd love to be able to share some real-life stories from you all (no
identifying details, please) about things you've had to deal with:  you
know, those moments when you drove out to a branch, only discover that the
thing wasn't plugged in, or when someone called you about a broken
"cupholder." :)  (Is that last one an urban myth, or has that ever really
happened, I wonder?)  Things that were especially frustrating, and
especially those that could have been avoided or solved easily by some
action (or knowledge) on the part of the library staff.

I won't share your name or your library with the attendees--just the story.
Feel free to share here on the list, or to email me directly at
laura at oplin.org.  Thanks in advance for your help!

Laura

--

Laura Solomon, MCIW, MLS
Library Services Manager, Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN)
(614) 728-5252 <tel:%28614%29%20728-5252>  (voice) | (614) 728-5256
<tel:%28614%29%20728-5256>  (fax)
laura at oplin.org |http://www.oplin.org/

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