Your post is an important one for me, Mr Mark.
I recently read that a respected management consultant has said the single most important key for an individual's business success is: not to get angry.
Fixing computers - dealing with customer support people - is like being in business or psychotherapy (?). I've learned to project plan the effort. Setting steps, potential alternate courses, time frames, enlisting support from colleagues (wife) and subject matter experts (brother-in-law). I've learned that the emotional person that I am must be controlled to keep the project flowing and on-course. If one knows ahead of time that the emotional part - frustration and anger and fear (as in 'it ain't gonna work for me, and it's never going to work right) will all be present, then one can (sometimes) be alert to those feelings when they do show up and that recognition lets one deal with a response with a choice (as in ah ha I expected it, or a laugh, or a drink) -- as opposed to just reacting by immediately going to ranting, raving, throwing things, etc. etc.)
"It is an art in itself just to be able to fully extract and utilize the knowledge that the average tech support person has." I like this a lot. I don't want to spend my time becoming proficient in diagnosing and repairing computer problems, or even maximizing my computer's resources to my needs. But your statement is a goal I CAN relate to and adopt. If I look at my involvement with computers and tech support in your way, then I can see it as a goal and challenge and positive activity for me. So I'll just clip you comment for the next times I deal with customer/tech support people. And I can use it as well for the people who diagnose my car problems or other people who I deal with for technical support. Thanks,
Paul Senior |
