At point can I tell them "RTFM!"??

[MaindotC]

I work in network administration which of course carries with it shares of basic troubleshooting and helpdesk duties. I get a little frustrated at holding employee's hands in understanding IT stuff. For instance: We had a new keyboard that was to replace old keyboards in a certain department because they combined functionalities that were usually made up of two keyboards and some bluetooth stuff. Anyway, we replaced them on a Friday night.

Monday, one of the employees comes into work and calls telling us that someone stole her keyboard. I quick run to her office only to find that the one I left there on Friday is still there and she's just upset that its different. I told her it was just a keyboard and it had the same functionalities as the previous keyboard but it was more combined and one-pieced. I went back to the office and she called again saying she didn't know how to use certain parts of the keyboard. I went back to her office and showed her how to do the same stuff she did on the previous keyboards but they were just in different positions (but clearly labeled). So we started arguing about IT always messes everything up and changes what doesn't need to be changed but I was trying to convince her it's the exact same thing if she'd just take a minute to look at it and get a feel for it and see how much faster it is.

So I spent at least a good hour telling her "this button is overe here now - you just press it just as you would on the old one." At what point can I say "it's just like the previous keyboard - there's nothing wrong with it - you have to learn how to use it." or should I continue holding people by their hand on how to use a keyboard? Don't I have some standing to say "no I'm not wasting time on something you can figure out" but in a less insensitive manner?

[cashmoney]

Get used to it man. Just swallow your pride and remember some people learn better by visual representation and hand holding that RTFM.

Edit.. I feel your pain...... I really do *shrugs*

[Bölvaður]

why didn't you give her old keyboard back and just sent her superior a memo about that she had troubles accepting the new keyboard and insisted to use the old one.

There is always a third way out of a problem, which is best for everyone.

[MaxIBoy]

Make informational videos or interactive web-embedded tutorials.

[Therion]

I work in network administration which of course carries with it shares of basic troubleshooting and helpdesk duties.
Judgement call. How much time would I have spent on this? I guess it would depend on my mood and my workload at the moment. Still, I get the impression you're not paid to allay employee discontent but rather to implement your company's IT strategy, which you did. And seriously, a keyboard? Here's a phrase to add to your repertoire: "Get over it."

I'm also familiar with the "Be a Big Enough PITA and You'll Get Your Way" strategy of getting of getting my way. It can be very effective.

[conundrumx]

When things like that come up you just need to tell the user that this was not a decision by IT (as I assume it wasn't), but by one of their superiors. If they have a problem with it, they can talk to their manager.

As far as actually teaching them, look miserable and apologize; you have more important things to do. A lot of users just aren't worth the hand holding they want, and can get by just fine without it.

[gn2]

Simple answer: never.

Instead say: speak to your supervisor and ask for some training.

Unless your job also includes training staff on IT in which case just get on with it, and accept that some people are less IT savvy than others and have higher training needs.

[1cewolf]

This worker you're talking about sounds exactly like my mother. "My computer was working JUST FINE until YOU messed it up!" "Why do I have to upgrade? Everything was working JUST FINE!"

I think, as others have pointed out, the answer is simply to talk to a higher-up and leave it at that. There's really no point in spending excessive time with her over a keyboard.

[lukjad]

Never. I happen to be fussy with my keyboards. I know it's "just" a keyboard, but when I get used to a certain key combo and position, I have a hard time getting used to another way. I would just have given the person back their old keyboard and be done with it. The RTFM is like pouring gas on a fire in an attempt to put it out. It just makes the fire worse.

[chucky chuckaluck]

when you change people's equipment, you force them to think more about what they are doing. for most jobs (as opposed to 'careers'), having to think even more about it, is torture. nothing beats being unconscious at a job you don't like.

[Giant Speck]

Let's say someone was upgrading your computer and gave you this keyboard as a replacement to your old one:

http://www.comfort-software.com/e107_images/akeyen.jpg

How would you react?

The keyboard still works the same way as it did before, just the buttons are in different places.

My point is, if by changing something, you are going to interrupt work flow, then you are better off not changing it at all.

Sure, you think it would make things faster, but look at the woman who can't figure out how to use the new keyboard. Which is faster? The woman using the keyboard she is already familiar with, or making her adjust to a keyboard she is not familiar with, therefore slowing down her work flow.

[brunovecchi]

Let's say someone was upgrading your computer and gave you this keyboard as a replacement to your old one:

(keyboard image)

How would you react?

The keyboard still works the same way as it did before, just the buttons are in different places.

My point is, if by changing something, you are going to interrupt work flow, then you are better off not changing it at all.

Sure, you think it would make things faster, but look at the woman who can't figure out how to use the new keyboard. Which is faster? The woman using the keyboard she is already familiar with, or making her adjust to a keyboard she is not familiar with, therefore slowing down her work flow.

I disagree. The OP stated that the new keyboard gave an advantage in the long run.
With your mindset, I would have never cared to spend a couple of days learning bash scripting, because it interrupted my workflow of manually deleting 5000 files.

[sloggerkhan]

I would recommend her supervisor teminate her employment. IMO someone who can't adjust to a slightly different keyboard will probably flake when you actually need to rely on them and then blame it on something they were too lazy to figure out themselves. If that's not the case, then she's probably just using it as an excuse to waste your time so less work gets done. Even my grandad who's pretty much 100% computer illiterate can figure out if different keyboards have different buttons in different spots with out having to ask for help.

[LaRoza]

First post from my Dell 910 being used in my own house!

If you get paid and don't lose money, it is not an issue.

Speaking of which, this keyboard is good, except for the ' key, which is on level with the space bar... Can you help me with it?

[Therion]

My point is, if by changing something, you are going to interrupt work flow, then you are better off not changing it at all.
Uhhh... No. Learning to live with change is a part of life. This is a new keyboard with minor modifications; not an upheaval.

I don't know about the rest of you, but at my job I am constantly presented with new technologies - of all types - that I am expected to learn and adapt to and incorporate in my daily job duties. Training is available from our -- wait for it... Training Department should I feel I need it. Or, if I decide I don't care to learn, adjust and adapt to these new innovations I'm always free to terminate my contract and seek employment elsewhere.

[kartoshka]

I currently work in the tech services department of a large retail chain. Every day I deal with customers who clearly posses the capacity to solve their own problems, but are simply too lazy to do so. And sometimes they are seriously just bored/lonely/unsure of themselves and looking for someone to talk to, and will ask the most inane questions just to keep your attention. As long as I don't have some more pressing matters to attend to, I humor them and answer their questions.

So I'd say as long as you're not going to suffer any repercussions for taking time to work with them, go for it. You get paid just the same, and you don't have to work extra hard just to appear busy.

[Cannaregio]

...Anyway, we replaced them on a Friday night.

You stealthy bugger! Didn't have the courage to look users in their face when stealing their trusted keyboards, did you?


...one of the employees comes into work and calls telling us that someone stole her keyboard

You stealthy bugger! Did not leave any notice you DID change those keyboards either, I presume. A great inconvenice, isn't it, having to tell people what's going on? Who cares? We'r just the IT dep: Let's change hardware, and more generally let's just follow whatever orders the powers that be care to give us... like any concentration camp supervisor. Users be damned.


At what point can I say "it's just like the previous keyboard - there's nothing wrong with it - you have to learn how to use it."

Never. Because it is NOT just like the previous keyboard, else you wouldn't have had the problem in the first place, stealthy one.

[earthpigg]

make a manual that consists of this:

"Keyboard Upgrade Manual.

This is your keyboard.

*picture*

As you can see, all the buttons are labeled. Those labels are identical to what you had before. Pressing them does the same thing as it did before."

then tell them to rtfm.

[Icehuck]

I would recommend her supervisor teminate her employment. IMO someone who can't adjust to a slightly different keyboard will probably flake when you actually need to rely on them and then blame it on something they were too lazy to figure out themselves. If that's not the case, then she's probably just using it as an excuse to waste your time so less work gets done. Even my grandad who's pretty much 100% computer illiterate can figure out if different keyboards have different buttons in different spots with out having to ask for help.

When you get to an office environment and have experienced it you will realize this is easily 20% of your users.

OP - Keep in mind even though your company owns the keyboards, users still think of themselves as owning them. It helps give them some stability in their daily work knowing what they have is theirs. When you remove that little bit of security they have you get what you experienced.

[Giant Speck]

I disagree. The OP stated that the new keyboard gave an advantage in the long run.
With your mindset, I would have never cared to spend a couple of days learning bash scripting, because it interrupted my workflow of manually deleting 5000 files.

Just because the OP thinks it would give an advantage in the long run doesn't mean his fellow employees are going to feel the same way.

And with your bash scripting example, you are exaggerating my "mindset."
Besides, we are talking about hardware and not software. Software is another story.

[lukjad]

One thing I would like to point out is that some people are touch typists, my mother for example. If I go and change her keyboard for one with a different key positioning, this would cause her to start making errors and having to hunt and peck. This period of forced relearning is not "productive". Just because there is a new keyboard, this will not make my mother start to type faster.