How is your work relationship with users?

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This is a curious one for me, i've always tried my absolute best to help anyone with IT related issues.

Now i know there is the common divide between IT Staff and Users - but it's never really all that bad - except some

To which i politely replied (biting my tongue as i did) - No, you'll get a laptop with specs that i see fit for your work - Worded more diplomatically and nicer than that lol

So he goes above my head, and has authorized a new Dell laptop costing just short of 2k, about 1300 quid above what needed to be spent - and it's the IT budget, not the departments!

Do any of you work in a corporate enviornment looking after users? If so what is your working relationship like, and do you get crap like the above aswell?

 

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Most of the people I work with do what I say because they wouldn't like me when I am angry

I had someone recently say get me a laptop that doesn't give me BSODs, I said the reeason you are getting blue screens of death is because your ****ing it up you tit and the blue screen is telling you that you shouldn't be let near a computer because your a tool Never heard from the guy since

 

If that's how you treat your users then I'm glad I don't work in the same company as you because I'd be ashamed to be associated with you in any way.

Well, that might be a part of the problem. Who are you to say what is fit for their work? It's not really your decision to say what they get or not get, unless you are in charge of the decision making for the IT department. That said, you should have a policy of standard pc/laptop equipment that is valid for everyone and if someone needs to have something special then they have to justify their reasons for it.

What you need to do is talk with them to get their reasons and find out what specs are needed and tell them that you're working on it. Then you go to your boss (the decision maker), explain everything for and against (just the facts) and let him make the decision. Then you can go back to the user and tell him that the request has been denied from higher up.

Usually the IT decision maker has a lot of clout and will make it stick, even if the guy complains. You've done it the right way by your boss and the guy is not angry at you because you tried to help him.

If the guy is higher up the chain than you then you screwed up the whole process; see above. If the guy is lower on the chain than you then you screwed up the whole process; see above.

 

Attitude like that will not get you very far in IT mate.

 

Nah its only the sales reps I treat like that, their lifespan is only 3 months anyway.

Hasn't done me any harm so far

 

I could argue every point you've raised there, but i won't because it'll be a pointless debate - everywhere operates differently

I was merely opening the thread to ask how other IT guys get on with their users as a general topic & working relationships - thanks for the inspiring words of optimism there... nevermind

 

Yeah usual routine we go down is a standard laptop for certain work, which is what this chap met, the spec laptop he's got (dual quad core, 8gb ram, SSD Drive, plus many more shiny's) is waaaaaay over for what he actually needs to use the laptop for, hence me trying to say to him that he doesn't need it, and we could save some cash.

We've got 3 different models which we can buy, and have been approved by director's etc - and we determine the spec they'll need to run, and choose the appropriate one.

I guess this is probably something all IT workforces face when it comes to that one person who has to have the top spec of everything!

 

That's why GreenBruceLee is green.

 

Ooh yes.

Try working for an SME with no real rules, procedures, SLAs, clear heirachy or knowledge of IT.

They know they want zero downtime, but don't want to pay for an expensive disaster recovery measure.
They know they don't want security compromised, but don't want to have to change their password every month, to anything more complex than their dog's name.
They know that data protection is important, but can't we just give all the sales guys laptops and USB sticks? It would boost sales, you know.
They appreciate that preventative maintenance may well be important to you, but given the zero downtime rule above, and the ban on overtime, it's going to be tough (for you).

And, well, Blackberrys are cool, aren't they? I don't think we can run a business without Blackberrys. They've all got them at the golf club. Sort it out, would you? No, you can't have one. If something bad happens when you're on a day off, we'll call you on your mobile.

 

Don't talk to 'em, and couldn't give a f*** about 'em

But seriously - I have to backfill support where I work - some of the lUsers are an absolute PITA, but it comes with the territory. If a machine is BSODing, then it needs investigating and either remedying or replacing. If someone goes over your head and spends the company's money, then why should you care? If it bothers you that much, put imaging in place - with standard images for standard models. That way, when he tells you he wants a super-duper-m****rf****r of a laptop, you can just deny it because it isn't part of your standard builds. And if it comes out of the IT department budget, then either you or your manager needs the stones to question it with finance.

 

You just made me choke on my naan bread.

 

Correct

 

Ah, you didn't it was sales reps. In that case.........

Sorry if you got the wrong impression but I wasn't having a go at you. I just wanted to point out that you could have handled it a bit differently and worked with the user (no matter what you think of him).

I didn't know you worked for the same company as I do!

 

JEMMA, IS THAT YOU?

LOL!

 

Nod Nod.

Now work in the SMB support environment where you have hundreds of clients all with similar requirements to the above, it's a big juggling act. Luckily a lot more companies over here in Vancouver seem to heed our advice than back in the UK.