There are three reasons a person requires the services of an IT person. They need an issue fixed as fast as possible. They would probably prefer their issue to be fixed faster, but there's only so much you can do. They need a way to communicate their issue and receive their solutions that minimizes time and confusion. That's why they are on chat or on a call with you, a person that understands the difference between what they can think to say, and what is going on behind the curtain. Lastly, and possibly least, they need someone who knows how to fix their issue. If they had the time and the confidence, the customer could research and solve their problems themselves. They don't so we need to provide that speed and confidence for them. If we want to be the person they call next time, we also have to provide an experience where they feel like that's a good option. We didn't make them feel like an idiot for not possessing what may be very niche knowledge that doesn't often have relevance to their lives. We help them calm down by being calm and helping them feel like this is an issue that they can handle with you in their corner.
Department Supervisor (DS): Hello. My laptop is running a lot slower than it has been. Is there any way we can speed this thing up, de-fragment it, something?
Support Worker (SW): That is entirely possible. Is this something that happens all the time or just in certain circumstances?
DS: Usually it's fine, I guess, but when I try to access my workspace, it gets really slow.
SW: We can still look into de-fragmentation but it sounds like the problem isn't on your end. It looks like something server-side is going on. Nothing you did, definitely. I'll go and talk to my supervisor and see if we can't figure out what's happening. If you want, I can get back to you and update you on the situation and maybe get some feedback on our fix.
DS: Ugh. I guess that would be fine.
SW: I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but it's good you called. That way we can focus on what you're seeing and get things rolling in a better direction. Is there anything else I can help you with?
DS: I guess not.
SW: Well, thank you for calling. I know it's not the outcome we might have hoped for, but we'll definitely be looking out to solve your issue. You have a nice day.
DS: Thank you. Bye.
This is very similar to a conversation I had at work with a supervisor years ago. The hardest calls are the ones where you don't find a solution. Those are the most important. Those are the calls where it's hard to feel confident and help the customer feel confident, but those are still your responsibilities. Also, the laptop had a solid-state hard drive. You don't use the de-fragmentation utility on those.
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