How can an admin not be rude to users?

Question

System administration

Hello. I’m already starting to break down ...
In general, I’m not a conflict admin at all (30 years old, a Windows admin, clouds, virtualization, hybrid infrastructures from scratch + I’ve been an enikey worker all my life), but episodes periodically become more frequent when users (from management to call operators -center) present their incompetence as a problem or a jamb in the field of IT.
I'll tell you how it happens ...
One of the clearest examples, the head of logistics in the corridor is talking to the general director, I pass by, greeted both of them, to which it flies to me in the return line - like "what the hell, the phone for incoming calls does not work for the second day ". I say - "well, you pressed DND by accident, apparently." She - "I didn't press anything, am I stupid?" etc.
Naturally, it turns out that she pressed DND, but no one will go to the CEO to say that she is still a fool ...
In general, I wrote an easy ticket system in PHP (I’ll bring it to mind in NG) to keep absolutely all calls there and solutions, and I will make the printed form readable for the company's management team, so that they still start recruiting people through the IT department. When an accountant says - "Create me a spreadsheet in Excel based on the old one. You will get it faster, but I need to remember" - then even a handful will not be enough.
As a result, the following questions are ripe:
1) Can anyone share their questionnaire on the IT part for interviews? Can an easy laboratory, such as in Excel, display the arithmetic mean from several sheets / books?
2) How to react in such episodes, when their ignorance of the software profile for them (1C, office suite, print queue, etc.) they throw out to me as my problem?
There are 60 PC users in the company, I am the head of the department, there is one assistant.

Answer 1

Are you paid for this?
Ok - start a ticket system. Bring to the authorities its need. And work hard on it.
The accountant needs to chew on something. Chew with feeling, with sense, with arrangement and mark your spent time.
If at the same time there is another, more important work - show the time spent to the management - and let it choose priorities. Either the whole office is standing due to a network failure while you are chewing on the accountant as a button to press, or if the management is sane, you are given carte blanche to send booze and do more important things.

Answer 2

All requests are possible through the helpdesk system, GLPI for example. Catching you in the corridor politely ask you to create an application.

Answer 3

There are two sides - the game of politics and technical work.
If you do not know how to do it in the first place, then you will always lose to such "illiterate" ones, no matter how many ticket systems and other things you have there. Technically, only a detailed regulation approved at the top and strict adherence to it can help here, and then, a couple of times put in place such "I did not press" in the face of the leadership, they will drink so much blood for you that you will not be happy.
Judging by your reactions from the post, the best way for you is to isolate yourself and solve everything through your superiors. The authorities usually know how to play such games.
The second side - technical work - is simply user training and documentation for the most common situations. It will work if everything is ok in the first paragraph - everything is simple here - to establish processes, your ticket system and so on just right here.

Answer 4

Well, tips. Send in three letters, etc. Horror.
And now advice from sys. Yandex admin, here is the video itself: https
://video.yandex.ru/users/ya-events/view/410/?...
communicate with them. So just love people first .”
You need to work on yourself in order to maintain composure in all situations and not get annoyed at trifles.
And yes, if it were not a "logistics manager", but a girl who is not indifferent, then the attitude would be different. So the problem is inside, not outside.

Answer 5

In terms of the whole situation :
Mostly questions / problems from users are often repeated. Prepare response templates for common problems.
It is important that it:
1. Be compact, preferably designed as a step-by-step instruction.
2. If possible - had illustrations.
Есть много готовых программ для скриншотов со стрелками, обводкой и текстом - так будет удобнее разъяснить пользователю что и как нажимать. Я использую старенький KISS.
3. Minimize technical terminology, use user-friendly language
4. Use "If...then...". - add information about related problems, or other similar outcomes, to reduce potential future referrals.
The desire to improve qualified selection makes sense, but there are significant problems:
1. Old employees will remain. If there is no turnover, such a solution will only help in the long run.
2. If the problem does not arise on a regular basis from the predominant number of the employee, the increase in requirements may irrationally affect the salary of employees.
Can't fight the movement - lead it: collect the FAQs as recommendedVladimir Kuts explain to the management in numbers that you are taking risks and doing routine nonsense.
Offer to make paid trainings for "ignoramuses" after work.
Rationale: You will be motivated to do this and thus the company will work more efficiently. Otherwise, it turns out that because of one person, the work is actually worth it, while:
* Rent is spinning * Consumables are
growing
* Salary is accrued to employees
Thus, you will only save the company's money, and earn yourself.

Answer 6

One of the clearest examples, the head of logistics in the corridor is talking to the general director, I pass by, greeted both of them, to which they fly back to me - like "what the hell, the phone for incoming does not work for the second day." I say - "well, you pressed DND by accident, apparently." She - "I didn't press anything, am I stupid?" etc.
It's not a technical issue, it's purely politics and attitudes.
Conduct an investigation, write a memorandum addressed to the director, in writing (possibly by e-mail). But that these were not words in the air.
If the phone does not work for the second day, was there a complaint about the malfunction? If not, then why do we learn about the non-working phone of the head of logistics on the second day? Is the phone so unnecessary?
If the phone was fixed but worked in DND mode, as can be seen on the phone indicator, then write that the boss does not know how to use office equipment.
There are a certain number of such cases, then you can speak with these already documented cases at a meeting and say that the reluctance of some people to read instructions and master the technique at the user level brings risks to the company.
This is not your job. This is the user's job. If you really need to create a table, let such requests be voiced through the ticket system, as a task assigned to the IT department from the accounting department. Then the director can be shown what IT does and on whose behalf.
It's not your job whether they need Excel. Your task is for people to know how to use the phone, not to stick passwords on the monitor, to understand what backups are, how to use corporate mail. And if the accountant does not know how to use Excel - this is a question for the head of the accounting department, who accepted such an employee. If you need consultation with IT, let them separately add this moment to the interview, but do not throw off user work for IT.
All such orders - through email, through the ticket system. At the end of the month, provide the director with a report on how much incomprehensible user work the IT department has completed.
See how many times there was a request for a problem with printing - it’s possible on the contrary, you need to make a convenient instruction and bring it to all users.
Without statistics - these will be separate episodes. With statistics - you will be both feared and respected.
You can come to the director with statistics and say that we are maintaining the infrastructure, these are the tasks.
And we still have such tasks. We need one more person exclusively for user support, who will help to poke around in Excel. And we will continue to maintain the infrastructure, hardware, backups, and user support when something breaks. But the contact person will be a separate employee who will transfer the technical part to you and cover the rest.
Even if they don’t give a budget for an individual employee (very likely), they will do it for everyone and the number of stupid requests, especially without a ticket, will decrease or disappear. Over time, it will become a corporate culture.
And you will be able again after some time to come with the statistics to the director and say "please note that my actions have led to a significant increase in qualifications and a decrease in the number of problems."

Answer 7

Settle down and get used to it. Take it easy. They are stupid and will be, everything from an accountant to a programmer. If the management does not consider knowledge of specialized software and computer literacy to be a decisive factor, then nothing can be done about it, a good lawyer is more valuable than a good PC user.
For completely non-core applications, send them to the forest, do not allow them to sit on their necks.

Answer 8

Ignore
Just demand from HR a line in the requirements "Confident knowledge of office suites"
And as an illustration, ask to make such a sheet the
formula below
=IF(G4<0.6;F4*0%;IF(G4<0.8;F4*0, 5%;IF(G4<1;F4*1%;IF(G4<1.5;F4*2%;IF(G4<2;F4*3%;F4*4%)))))
Service note on service non-compliance, see item 1.
However, everything can be decided at the level of personal relationships. You are not offended and you do not get them.

Answer 9

To deprive you of salaries and you will learn.
Why write a bicycle if there are ready-made ones? Hesk . There, even the time spent on the application can be set.

Answer 10

No way.
I couldn't take it. This is all monkey labor for a penny. The head of the department is the pinnacle of a career. I pumped a little in programming. And after 30 he retired. For 4 years I have not seen stupid users.

Answer 11

You don't change people. And you will not find accountants who have read a book on Excel. And you will not find managers with programming skills. Just waste your time and nerves. Therefore, there is only one advice - to understand and forgive.
Bureaucratize your work, do everything that is not your direct official duties only upon a written request with the visa of your direct supervisor. Make it so that contacting you is "more unpleasant" than solving the problem on your own.
Well, if it is written in your duties "to advise everyone in a row on all issues related to the computer - then only dismissal will help you.

Answer 12

Learn to send on .... three letters.
The problem here is not in tools but in general human relations.
You can come up with all kinds of tools, but until you learn how to say no, it will not be effective.

Answer 13

There is no one-size-fits-all recipe (
You need to set the boundaries of user interaction and get management to agree that this is the case. Prioritize problems. For requests to do someone else's work, assign the lowest priority - 3 days or a week.
For example, you say that you are solving technical problems - say this to management and users. Then, when you are asked to edit a document, you repeat that you are solving technical problems, ask what the technical problem is and ask you to fill out an application. Here it becomes clear who is not coping - you or the one who asks to edit the document. If the user refuses to write an application, and this will be the case with all dubious requests, write and report yourself - now, I will draw up an application and deal with the problem in accordance with its priority.
The application system is needed when the gender is lying behind your back.
And do not make exceptions - gobble up.
In the applications, write - there is no technical problem, the user needs training in the profile of the work performed.
As mentioned above, people cannot be changed. I don't know people who made mistakes when working on a computer - it somehow happens by itself.

Answer 14

Read "Time Management for System Administrators" by Thomas Limoncelli. A good book, and partly gives answers to the question "how to organize the reception and processing of user applications."
It is necessary to introduce a ticket system, and politely persuade everyone to initiate applications through it. If users do not want to start applications, start them yourself. Because this will allow you not to lose applications, and at the same time you will see how much time is spent on each application. For requests like "pressed the DND button yourself", you can make a special mark so that when uploading a time report, you can distinguish case requests from such crap, and then show the authorities what percentage of the time you solve problems of a completely non-core nature.
It is also necessary to increase the priority of those applications that users have brought on their own, and ensure the shortest possible time for resolution. This motivates them to submit tickets through the ticket system. If you came on foot, called on the phone or caught in the corridor - start an application, give it the minimum priority. Such applications are executed last.
You can start advancing to the masses of the ticket holder from the youth. They are more trainable, it is easier for them to deal with interfaces. When people realize that requests through the ticket box are completed faster, word of mouth will gradually spread this throughout the office.
And the admin's main weapon is courtesy :-)
-- I have such and such a problem there!
“Sorry, I’m busy with a problem right now. Please create an application, otherwise they will distract me now, and I will forget about your question.
Well, slowly but steadily bend the process precisely to this. So that the idea "an application that is made a) is fulfilled and b) quickly, and the one voiced on the run in the corridor is either fulfilled slowly or forgotten" gradually reached everyone.
It’s even easier with new users, they can be immediately put on this scheme, motivated by the fact that “this is how it is accepted for us, this is how the process is built, here is the instruction, please read it. If you have questions, I’m ready to answer.”
On the one hand, it is clear that you are not at all interested in solving support tasks, but it is more interesting to tinker with servers, but on the other hand, without organizing the process, they will not let you normally mess with servers, they will constantly pull. Therefore, building a support process is also in your interests.

Answer 15

Such questions should be asked to a psychologist, not on an IT resource.
1) What questionnaire? For what?
2) Do not react in any way - say that it is not your problem, that's all.

Answer 16

when users (from management to call center operators) present their incompetence as a problem

No way. It's one thing, once or twice, but if the user is invincibly stupid, then you need to be a Buddha in order not to tell the truth in person. After all, you get paid to be a sysadmin to keep the network up and running well; and not for the post of computer science teacher in a boarding school for the especially gifted.
Start looking for a better job. Where the contingent is smarter, and the salary is bigger.

Answer 17

From my practice as the head of the software development department, I will say this:
Educational colorful materials for dummies that cover the hottest gaps in the minds of users are also doubtful - 70% of users will simply ignore them, no matter how intelligibly they are written by you.
Here you need the support of a higher management to read the instructions. If there is no voice from above, documents are unlikely to correct the brains of dummies, they have heaps of their work, read something else to them ...
Somehow I also turned to the director with a similar problem (dummies took time with stupid requests), they say they should be trained , hire a coach for this, so that at least he comes to the office and in Word, Excel "pulled" them up, to which he received the answer "Well, you are programmers, you teach" ...

Answer 18

At such moments, always approach with humor, when there are no other solutions to influence the situation and you are offered to measure yourself with what you have, you can use Grigory Osterov's "Bad Advice")))
In general, if you want to get moral satisfaction from users' ignorance, just load their brains until it rises, take away their working time to the maximum so that they start to get nervous (under the guise that you are trying to establish the cause).
For example, the situation "create me a table in Excel based on the old one. You will succeed faster, but I need to remember"
You say well, let's remember together so that next time you can do everything yourself, gather your thoughts and I'll go make some coffee for me too gotta get set up.
And treat the user like a child
- let's find a file with a plate on the basis of which we need to make it
- let's open it and see (you can also grab some coffee here)
- let's create a new document. I hope you know how to create new documents?
- now let's go to the first file, find the desired column, let's copy it and transfer it to the new file we created, what doesn't work? Yes, my grandmother knows the combination ctrl + C
, etc., so you can sit all day (if you have it, of course, but you can spend another hour)
Believe me, a couple of such educational programs will infuriate anyone, and here you should always smile and say, I'm worried about you, I reduce computer illiteracy and train memory in our time, this is very important.
"well, you pressed DND by accident, apparently"
here you can ask the user to repeat all the actions that he performed, if he starts to say I don’t remember, you can answer let’s go back to the moment you remember. You remember how you entered here, you remember how you said hello to the guard or how much sugar you put in your cup of tea.
After this, you will be contacted less and less only on important issues.

Answer 19

0. accept, understand and realize that stupidity / laziness is, will be, will not go anywhere.
1. what sys. admin - not a computer science teacher, not a cleaning lady, not an errand boy
2. be polite, tactful
3. not all user questions are critical
4. a ticket system is needed, but kmk, you're just wasting time. All the same, you will not cover all the little things of inventory, tasks, interface. Take a look at existing systems, primarily open-source. But don't look for a combine. Use one for tasks, another for monitoring, and a third for auto-raising daemons.
5.
One of the clearest examples, the head of logistics in the corridor is talking to the general director, I pass by, greeted both of them, to which they fly back to me - like "what the hell, the phone for incoming does not work for the second day." I say - "well, you pressed DND by accident, apparently." She - "I didn't press anything, am I stupid?" etc.
Alternatively, we could build a dialogue in a calm tone like this
- what the hell, the phone does not work for incoming calls for the second day
- hmm ... I remember that last time you (or a colleague) pressed DND and the problem was this. Apparently, history repeats itself.
- I didn't press anything, am I stupid?
- Ivan Ivanovich, remember our conversation about insufficient training of users? I suggest the three of us go and look at the "problem" with the phone.
6.

"Create me a spreadsheet in Excel based on the old one. You can do it faster, but I need to remember"

Politely say that there are other tasks and in general this is not a technical problem, not your job. If they insist, let them create tasks. The priority is set to low.
7. In especially severe cases, yes, just come, the gardener is nearby and show the child how to do it. But don't touch the mouse and keyboard! It is important!
- Can we see the file on the desktop with our eyes? Weiiiidim. We open it ... Etc.
It can be louder so that colleagues nearby can hear. Do not be shy.
8. write instructions for frequently asked questions. Use a copy-paste with blanks. Please add pictures if you don't understand.
If you see that the user is not coping - ask in the spirit of "what specific item did not work out?".
9. Script some routine actions. By the way, in general users even know how to press win+R :)
10. Communicate more often with heads of departments. If they understand (MB with your help) how the interaction with IT processes is, it will be easier for you.
Many questions from employees can (and should!) be forwarded to their own colleagues or managers.
For example, questions like "where does our department store scans", "where do we have forms", "how to enter CRM", "how to add a client".
11. Try to make systems and workplaces as simple as possible - minimal but necessary shortcuts. Not sheets of text, but still instructions. Minimal but useful software.
<...>
tldr
You can write a lot of points, but the essence is this: you are the admin. And your task is the health of the network, servers, RM. You provide services and services. But don't run over every paper jam or sneeze.
For example, she turned to me somehow in the corp. chat young lady with the problem "printer streaks".
Do you think I gave up and ran to change the cartridge? No, it was changed relatively recently. Further dialogue:
- to shake a cartridge tried?
- no
- why?
- afraid. Suddenly I break something.
- have you ever done this?
- no
- ok, I'll be back in 10 minutes. Wave your hand, I don't know where you're sitting. :)
I come and briefly show her and a couple of colleagues how to remove the cartridge, what to do in case of a jam, how to shake. Please repeat with me yourself.
- you see? Not scary, right? Congratulations, you've learned something new.
Everything. The problem is solved, and the cartridge will still serve its purpose, and it will be easier for the environment, and next time it won’t use something like this.
ps and yes, accept that some will hate you. It's OK. You won’t be forcibly nice, for some reason they will ride less on the neck.

Answer 20

I understand you perfectly, and here is my opinion - all through the ticket system.
if the resume says - an experienced PC user - then masturbate on the resume.
including the HR department. if it is supposed to work with a PC, check at least minimal knowledge at the "input",
try to explain to the management that people should know this and that for a certain position,
and at the end of the month from the first paragraph, provide a summary to the management)) who and where was stupid, for how long, why (such as a print queue) and then let them decide for themselves what is more important to them,
although after this they will probably hate you))

Answer 21

I also helped everyone and smiled before, but then I realized that our people after 30 become completely unteachable in 95 percent of cases. When they asked me to turn the pilot over during the move, when some of the servers were not even up, but not even plugged into the socket, I just announced to the whole department (of course, it was in the accounting department) that I would soon write a test on PC knowledge, which is indicated in the resume for everyone, a test without answer options and its passage by all employees is agreed with the management. Since then, 1-2 people have been calling me from accounts who work with bank clients, etc. BUT!!!!!! They complain shamelessly, with three tons of pi ** dezha, but if something is presented to me for this, then I ask right on the spot to invite a person and discuss what happened, when she stopped rummaging around on clothing sites and in electronic diaries (of course, I log the actions of users, not all, but "smart ones") and decided to work, but there was not enough knowledge. The cat almost doesn’t come to me now, but that’s what he was trying to achieve. Good luck and patience, most importantly, your actions must be public. P.S: there is a dirty life hack for resolving disputes like: nothing worked for me, but he refused to help (there are hysterics who do not speak constructively, but simply raise screams .... So, 95% of people in your organization will not understand 99 % of what you say using maximum terminology, and people really don’t like to seem stupid, so in the eyes of management you will be right by talking about the most delusional and non-existent, in principle, problems. The main thing is to speak quickly and confidently, and if they are smart, who will ask you to explain what you said, then you begin to chew EVERY TERM YOU SPEAK TO THE MAXIMUM METNESS. And you're done, they still didn't understand anything, but you're right)

Answer 22

1. Instructions with pictures on the most common issues (Windows, office, printing, telephone, network folders).
2. Accounting for appeals (tickets) and their solution (after solving the problem, the applicant puts the mark "solved")
3. Preventive bypasses with the question "Are there any problems?" (people do not always dare to report the problem first, and then they are indignant that "the mouse has been buggy for a month").
4. Special software (like 1C) is entirely the responsibility of specialists. You can help an accountant with 1C at will, as an entertainment, provided there are no other tasks.

Answer 23

- for all stupid user questions, hire a cheap enikey worker. Let him take out the brain, and you only interesting technical tasks.
- make your software commercial, make a website, distribute for free for now, actively collect feedback, organize a community. Then start selling. Then quit and deal only with this software)
- do not forget to think that the copyright for the software belongs to you, and not to the office)

Answer 24

In general, I wrote a lightweight ticket system in PHP (I’ll bring it to mind in NG) to keep absolutely all appeals and decisions there, and I’ll make the printed form readable for the company’s management
ITIL...
As far as recruiting people through the IT department, I suspect this is the case everywhere. Yes, I agree that one of the modern requirements everywhere is knowledge of at least Office, however, if this is a very good accountant and fumbles very cool in 1C, then most likely the management will turn a blind eye if such a specialist does not fumble in the same ms word.

Answer 25

After 16 years of experience in IT in companies of various sizes from 15 to 3000 employees, just ignore!
Yes, unpleasant, out of place and always at the wrong time. But users usually do not understand computers and, unfortunately, office programs, even if they were once taught.
You are above all this and definitely smarter!
I agree with AstonMartin:
- Hire a cheap enikey worker for all stupid user questions.
And yet, if there is still no solution like helpdes, then getting employees to use the new one is an extremely difficult task.