Today the phones didn't work very well. Which reminded me of a story from a previous employer. I was responsible for the phone system which spanned a couple of office buildings in different towns. It was a beast of a system that was forever developing minor faults and gremlins, often which went away as soon as you got to the affected phone. I still have nightmares about that phone system.
(phone rings)
Me: Hi, ErrantX here, how can I help?
Panicked User (PU): The phone system isn't working, it's completely dead
The smart reader will immediately pick out the problem with that statement, but I am a tech support professional so of course I took a deep breath before answering...
Me: What seems to be the problem?
PU: I keep phoning Head of Department Y, and his secretary, but the phones just ring and ring and no one answers
Me: Right okay (starting to bring up the call logs) Department Y is in the other office if I remember right?
PU: Yes. None of the phones work there.
Me: None of them? (by this time I can see PU's call log, and there are a LOT of calls in the last 20 minutes) Who have you tried calling?
PU: Oh, lots of people. I tried all of Department Y then went through some of the company directory to see if it was just that room. But phoning within this building works fine. It must be the connection to the other office!
Me: Right, I'm on this I'll get back to you.
It's very impressive when a User tries to do fault finding on their own, so I always hope and pray that they've got the right answer - it always pays to encourage good Users.
First step, call one of the techs in the other building to get them to do on-the-ground debugging. Naturally, if the phone system is as broken as PU says, then trying to call isn't much use... but it's always worth double-checking the fault (to be honest with you, I half expected the call to go through). Placing the call it rings and rings and rings. Very suspicious! Luckily techs have the luxury of a company mobile phone, and so I try his number - which answers on the first ring. A quick conversation and I have gotten to the root of the problem. Time to inform the user.
Me: Hi PU, I've found the problem with the phone system.
PU: Great! What was it?
Me: I just spoke to Other Tech, they had a fire alarm and they've been waiting for a fire engine to come and clear the building.
PU: (sadly) Oh.
I actually felt very sorry for her. Especially as once the other office got back to their desks, about 30 people had a missed call which it would be common courteous to return....
TLDR: Users are inexperienced at fault finding
- User errantx on Reddit
I do feel sorry for her. She did make an honest attempt to do proper fact finding, but I would have stopped after trying just a couple of numbers. I wouldn't have tried most of the directory for the very reason suggested at the end of the story.
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