Dealing with Difficult Users (Help Desk, Part 3)
Paul Chin
(www.paulchinonline.com)
10/24/2006
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Help desk agents (HDA) are often the target of users' anger and frustration. When users
experience technical problems they need an outlet for their stress.
They can't take it out on an application or a computer so
They -- consciously or subconsciously -- take it out on those
tasked with trying to solve their problems. This is kind of
counter-productive, isn't it?
While it's true that some HDAs can worsen the situation by objectifying the user (see It's
Not About the Byte: Creating a Human Help Desk) during technical problem resolution, more often than not, a
"difficult" user is only in that altered state because of
stress -- call it temporary insanity.
Understanding Users
During moments of
stress caused by technical failures, users can become a little less
than polite -- a euphemism for being totally PO'd. But their
frustration is about the situation, not the HDA.
It usually has
nothing to do with the HDA. Users are simply directing their anger
about their predicament at the HDA because they have no other outlet
short of breaking their keyboard in half. Much of a user's remarks
and behavior is based on negative emotion rather than intellect.
Unfortunately, HDAs are the recipients of users' reactions to
difficult situations.
HDAs, for their part,
must also redirect their attention to the situation, not a difficult user. This will help
alleviate the natural tendency to become angry with the user -- and
possibly lash out at them -- which will only worsen the situation.
HDA's need to understand the source of a user's frustration; it can
be a combination of any of the following:
Lack of
personal control -- Users are not in control of the
situation when experiencing technical problems. Not being in the
driver's seat can cause them to feel as through they're at the mercy of
a third party.
Lack of
attention and action -- Users will feel neglected when it
takes too long for a HDA to contact them or take too long to resolve
the problem.
Unmet
expectations -- Users will be underwhelmed when the
resolution to a problem doesn't meet their expectation.
Feelings of
isolation-- Users can feel isolated and alone when in dire
straits because they have no one to relate to.
But sometimes -- and I say this frankly -- a difficult user is simply a jerk (that's
not a technical IT term, by the way!). HDAs can do a lot to diffuse
tense situations with frustrated users who temporarily lose
themselves, but little can be done about users who are being jerks
simply for the sake of being jerks. You can't tell them to stop being
jerks any more than you can tell dogs to stop being dogs. They are
what they are and probably can't be changed. Some people simply have
no class. They are condescending and enjoy talking down to others to
inflate their own sense of self-worth -- most probably out
of their own insecurities.
When dealing with
angry or frustrated users, HDAs must help them regain their composure
so that they will be in a better frame of mind to assist in the
problem resolution process. When dealing with jerks, however, HDAs
must gain control of themselves, their emotions, and their
reactions so that they don't end up landing a right hook on the
user's noggin. Regardless of personal opinions of the user, HDAs must
be able to help all users with the equal diligence.
Tips for Dealing
with Difficult Users and Situations
Handling
difficult situations with high-strung users can sometimes make HDAs
feel as though they're members of the bomb squad: The slightest
action one way can diffuse the situation, but an action another way
can set them off. Knowing how to handle a frustrated
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