I meant to post this yesterday...

To all the parents on my f-list:

For the love of all that is shiny and good, when your child asks you a question and isn't happy with the answer, don't give in if they just keep asking over and over and over. Because 20, 30, 40 + years from now, someone like me will have to deal with them. And valuable time of my life will be sucked away as they ask the same question over and over and over believing that if they just keep at it, they'll eventually get the answer they want.

I spent over 20 minutes on the phone yesterday answering (over and over and over) the same, simple question that had a two-word answer. That's time I could have spend, oh, I don't know, shoving splinters of wood up under my fingernails.

Thank you, and here ends this PSA/rant.

Speaking of 'don't take no for an answer'...

Here's today's CSR question.

Is it more important to spend the time to listen to a 'customer' even if you know, from the outset, that you cannot help them, or is it better to be blunt and say upfront, "I'm sorry, but I can't help you."?

I say the latter, because I don't want to waste their time (or mine!) and I don't want to give them false hope.

We just had some people come in that one of my co-workers had spoken to on the phone and promised to help. The problem is, I could have told you that we would not, under any circumstances, help. This is not an unusual situation and it is not something we've ever gotten involved in. Also, that co-worker is not in today, so the people up front spent over an hour trying to help and couldn't. They ended up bounced back and forth between departments, and no one ever seemed to flat out say "You're on your own."

I said I would have been blunt (and am when I get these calls) and would have told them right up front that no, we will not help. The girls up front argued that it was important for these people to be heard, even if we weren't going to do anything.

What do you think?

So THAT'S what's wrong!

I've spent the last several months being accused of loading inappropriate software on my computer, being an idiot, and being cursed - in various combinations. Because I was having problems with my computer that no one else was. They are identical machines, purchased at the same time, with identical software... so all of my errors and crashing and problems had to be something I caused, right?

Back up to... I don't remember when it was. A year ago? We got dual monitors. I did not ask for them, I did not like them. Still, I simply moved one off to the side and just didn't use it. No big deal to me. Of course, this irritated the IT guy - how could I have something so cool and not use it?! Frustrated with me for not using it, he asks if I would prefer a single wide-screen monitor. I say yes, that would be lovely. Bear in mind I never asked for it to be taken away (though later this will also be blamed on me) and I was coping. The switch is made.

I don't know that I noticed anything right off, but AutoCad has always been finicky. It's a horrid program, really. But lately my problems seem above and beyond the normal annoyances, and I'm losing a lot of work (today the computer crashed three times, I've lost a good two solid hours of work - I know, nothing compared to some of you, but this happens on a nearly daily basis for me, so it does add up). So finally, this afternoon, if froze with the fan running at top speed and I went and got the IT guy. Who went and got the other IT guy. Who looked into the computer and said, "It's doing what it's supposed to be doing, that's the fan trying to cool the processor. It's preventing it from overheating, not malfunctioning at all!" That, of course, begs the question 'why is it overheating?' Which he answers with his next question.

"Where's her video card?"

This, it seems, is a good question - nearest we can tell it was taken out when the dual monitors were taken away, because I didn't 'need' it to support two monitors anymore. Nevermind I run the most video intensive program in the city!

So I've been running AUTOCAD for months on a computer with just the on-board video. That explains the freezing, and the crashing, and all the problems I've been having. I doubtlessly shortened the lifespan on my poor processor, but it only has to last another year or so.

Please let it last until we get replacements... I've already blown up the computer once (bad power supply) and I can't take any more 'she's a curse!' comments...