|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dealing with Difficult Users (Help Desk, Part 3)
Paul Chin (www.paulchinonline.com) 10/24/2006 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. 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: 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
Go to page: 1 2
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Intranet Journal's Tutorials |
|
Managing Editor |