by zutgorak | Mar 4, 2011 |
You hear me? It’s a waste of time! How so? Well let me explain it a little bit.
I am not talking about using Google correctly, but rather they way that people
today tend to use Google. The company itself is a huge success and albeit it has
had some flops (Google Wave, anyone?) it has all in all created a suite that
has made the former software giants tremble in their boots. Kudos to em I say!
But, the term “googling” has surfaced for a reason. It is used instead of “searching”.
That in itself is a testament to the impact Google has had on the common mind.
I am not sure wich searchengine that delivers the most accurate search results
and I really dont mind scrolling a little to find whatever I am looking for, however
what I do hate is blaring ads everywhere that takes away my focus from what I am
doing and that is why I started using Google way back when. Yes, I use it myself.
However, with Google a few negative things has come into play.
First out, the Googlebrains
Now, for some reason these people are the biggest timewasters on the planet to anyone
who has ever worked where URLs are involved. First off they seem to think that Google
actually IS the internet. Well, here is a newsflash. Its not. Internet is older then Google.
Second, Google may be a big, even the biggest, company regarding the ‘net but it doesnt
control it unless you let it.
Now, here is a pet peeve. Googling a URL.
DONT! It is a major time waster. Someone sent you the URL for a reason and most likely
that reason is for you to save time, instead of locating the correct URL, they simply handed
it to you. And here are the 2 scenarios that takes place:
1. You click the URL or paste it into the adressbar of your browser and voila! You are on the correct page.
2. You browse to www.google.com,
copy the link, in some cases even painstakingly type the URL into the search bar and hit “search”
You find something that resembles what you look for, click it, and ends up at another page that
was not the one you needed/wanted and you do the whole procedure again.
Stop it already!
Google really should have educations in “Using searchengines 101” or at least push this URL more:
http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=134479
FOR PETE’S SAKE DONT GOOGLE IT, JUST CLICK IT!
Now, imagine this: You are on a tight schedule, you are just about to leave, and you work
with telephone support for this or that product, and you know that the correct answer
is on a short and handy URL.
Stressed as you are, you hand the URL to the caller and you can actually HEAR how this
person uses google for the URL, then reads out loud on a vastly different topic. If you are
lucky, it may be on the correct domain, but totally wrong information. so, you have to do it
over and over again. Instead of a 2 minute conversation, you end up having a 15 minute
conversation and STILL have to explain the why and how of the question at hand and you
have missed your bus home.
Welcome to the real world.
I think I have got most out of my system now, but I may break out more on this
when my mood goes sour.
Ya all take care now.
*****************************UPDATE****************************
Wasn’t the URL clear enough for people? Take a look at this:
by zutgorak | Jan 21, 2010 |
Well, work went … so and so I guess you would call it, but all in all, a positive day.
The random customers having problems to solve and I actually enjoyed myself in knowing that this
is what I do best. Solve technical problems for people so that they wont have to worry about
it all to much. I guess what my former boss said was true. He said “You where born to do tech support”
and really, I am older then most people working with tech support but I still have not aqcuired that
distilled bitterness that seems to go into support workers after about 2 years. I can still smile
and see the funny side of things, and appreciate the fact that when you have solved a clients
problem, you will get a lot of good reputation for the company, and the better the company
does, the more secure I am in my job.
What is it that makes certain people so bitter with tech support you ask? Well, I have been
bitter at it, and bored to hell at it, but after some careful consideration I have figured out that
it was not the job in itself that drove me up the walls. It was the tools and rules I had to abide with.
Look at it this way.
I have a problem with standing up for something that I know is not working as good as promised.
I have an even bigger problem with being FORCED to sell the product as a common peddler when I know
that the product will be needing to be replaced, mended, patched and whatnot in a very short time because
I, as a representative for the company, will be blamed for the customers displeasure beacuse I was the
one that convinced the customer that he needed just that piece of equipment. Sheesh.
Second, I am not a salesman. I never will be. I can tell you my personal experience about certain
things, and in many cases recommend different things, but what if those things happens to be a competitors
things? Then I am forced to shut up big time.
Now, I really want to ramble on at my former work place, but personal ethics really stop me from
mentioning it all. But I know for a fact, that I could have made a vast amount of customers happier by
A: telling the truth
B: being allowed to make my own decisions regarding certain things
C: not being forced to sell products to people calling me for tech support.
Three simple things, that apparently, for some companies are too hard to understand.
by zutgorak | May 19, 2009 |
Something that really spokes my wheel these days is the fact that I am pretty
much isolated. Last time I was indoors this much, I developed a nice social
phobia that I still have problems with. At least, this time I am doing something
that is somewhat creative at least. I keep on making designs for blogs and sites
and of course, I write here. But really, there is something missing in my life
right now and I cant really find a way to compensate for that void that simply
sucks time out of my life.
I know this sounds a bit depressing and to be honest, it is. But there really
isnt much I can do about it but to continue to search for another job.
The voice I used to have, probably not the most beautiful there ever was,
but at least it was strong and I was articulated and could make myself be
heard pretty much everywhere. Now, I have to speak low, so low
that most of my friends that hears me now asks me if ive gone timid
in the beginning of my dotage.
Arrrgh. It is really hard to keep the spirit up when you know that
The majority of your body is fit for work, but one single detail tears
it all down and makes you bound for home. To be honest I can probably
count up all the items on my computer table by heart right now, thats
how much I sit here.
The scary part is that I have caught myself sitting and just staring on
a facebook window and doing nothing else, just watching, as if somehow
facebook will animate itself and do funny things if I just look intently enough.
I really need to find a job before they find me sitting here giggling
with insanity and have to haul me away.
They are coming to take me away HA HA, HE HE.
Oh well. Ill try to hang on for another
by zutgorak | May 18, 2009 |
Ok, this is starting to bug me. I have been working with tech support for almost
five years now. Count em. 5 years. I give great service, have good technical
knowledge in a large area, both when it comes to X86 pc structure aswell
as various DVB platforms. I know how to explain things so that a layman
can understand what needs to be done, and why, I can usually isolate the
problem fairly fast, and can find a solution using the sources available to me.
I can repair pretty much any PC if i just have access to spare parst, I can handle
web-based design aswell as slight modifications in code. I am a decent graphics
artist and know a few tricks when it comes to design in general.
Here comes the kicker. My voice isnt what its supposed to be.
My larynxes are damaged and I have been home for three months.
Three months of doing pretty much nothing but trying to get better.
I have a job, wich I cant go to, because at that job, I am dependant
to with my voice deliver a service in an amount that I currently
are physically unable to deliver. And it feels like crap to be honest.
Why? Well, first off, I dont want to be a burden to the company I work
for. I may not like all their little quirks, but hey, they gave me a job
right? Its called LOYALTY. Look it up. They dont have a job position
that is suited to my current voice problems.
So, right now im trying to find another job, using pretty much everything
I can think of, this blog included. I am not that picky with what that
job would be, just make it somewhat tech related. If you think that
stashing boxes containing chassis is tech related, hell. At the moment
id take that too.
It really is kinda sad because in a pure physical way, minus the larynxes,
I feel pretty good, certainly able to do physical labour (and it would only
do me good to get a chance to move about) and wanting to work, but
alas, not much there to be had.
Got a company that needs a techie? drop a comment and Ill call you back.
by zutgorak | Oct 16, 2008 |
How do people do it? I just dont understand what its
all about and how they can have a smile on their face
when the majority of people agree with me that it should
be against the law to be out of your apartment before
10 am.
I come to work, its empty besides me and my coworkers,
the other people that comes in later are shining with
their abscense, and lo and behold, someone actually
smiles and hollers a good natured “Good morning”
Naturally I respond in the nature of my intelligence
in the morning. I grunt and go to the coffee maker.
I cannnot cite sources in this because I cant remember
where I saw it, but there are 2 types of people in the
world. Type A and Type B.
Type A is the one that jumps out of bed at 5 am and is
ready to face any challenge, having a great mood
and feeling generally all to good just because a
new day is here. Im pretty sure those were the ones
minting the expression “the early bird catches the worm”
Well, go ahead. Catch your worm. I’ll catch some more
sleep thank you.
Then we have the Type B people. Now, a type B person
is the classical nightowl. They stay up till waaaaay
to late a’clock and are at their most efficcient and
productive state somewhere between 21 and 03. These
individuals loathe mornings and all that it implies.
When they are forced to wake up at 6 am they move
they talk, but they really arent functioning until
they had 2 cups of coffee and the time spent out
of bed exceeds 2 hours at least.
Now, lets parallel that to the work climate of today.
Lets face it, work really is a flexible thing these
days. A good example is the CRM industry and technology
sector. Customers doesnt cease to exist just because its
5 o’clock, neither does technological problems or
morons trying to solve those same problems.
(I quote Three dead trolls in a baggie here, twelve o’clock
flashers. Ill explain that one later on)
Naturally these individuals want to get some help.
Nothing wrong with that, I actually think its a smart
move to call the support. However, lets do a small
simulation, or rather, two. It’s 8 AM, some guy
wants to check his mail before going to work.
His internet connection doesnt work, so he calls the support.
Taaadaaaaaa. Enter the type B person. Note that its
waaaaay out of the type b persons comfortzone timewise
so, what happens, well, the type b person has to force
his brain to get a semblance of working thought processes
and the customer might just aswell be talking to the
fax machine, because the type B person is only
following his own thought patterns, not those of the
client, and hence fails to adapt his language to the
customers level of tech savvyness.
This little scenario is also true in reverse. Some
customer supports really do have 24 hour support
to their customers.
Imagine a type A person, that has been up since 5 am
trying to handle a difficult case at 1 in the morning?
I smell disaster.
Now, lets dig a little bit deeper shall we?
The reasons that we have the standard work hours
that we have, is a remnant of the old farmer society
when you HAD to be up with the dawn to utilize the
daylight in the most efficient manner. I can understand
that since when you dont have electricity and street
lights, its hard to do any manual labour in the dark.
What also was good in those days was that EVERY DAY
WAS NOT A WORK DAY. You had a few things that you had
to do, and that was it. You had to milk some of the
animals, muck out and feed em. If you had crops
they pretty much took care of themselves except
in harvest time and when planting the seeds.
We dont really need to do that anymore.
We dont have to chase the sun to maximize our hours.
Our clients are working normal hours, and how
to do an errortracking on something thats not
accessible to the needing client, since usually
the problems are in his home, and he is sitting
in his office.
I dont know, maybe im just bitter at mornings.
Heres todays Image:
-z-
