IT’s a Hard Job
Helping business and IT people live together peacefully.
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Should I do this?
Posted on September 19th, 2011 No comments“Hey, should I do this?”
Ask your IT person this question. Depending how long you’ve worked together, they might give you a one-word answer. But that one word can save you hours and hours of wasted time, energy and money.
Many people engage their technology partner after they have tried to be self-reliant. Many men know this because by the time they ask for directions they’re already lost, or by the time they see a doctor the item in question is already deeply infected. That’s an ego / self-reliance thing.
And small business people try to save money the same way. Oh, I can Google it and make the decision, I’ll check in with my tech guy if I need to. Read the rest of this entry »
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Wake up! No one thanks the anesthesiologist.
Posted on August 18th, 2011 No comments
There are some jobs where you don’t get to deliver much good news. CPA’s. Attorneys. Anesthesiologists. No one thanks the anesthesiologist. They just notice them if there’s a problem. Same thing with most intelligence agencies. They probably thwart a large number of crimes that we’ll never hear about. But people pay attention to the mistakes, the problems. The bad news.Comcast probably doesn’t get many calls from customers saying “hey, just wanted you to know that the internet worked great today for me” – so when you hear people talking about Comcast, it’s usually to complain. Check Twitter to see what they’re up against.
As an IT person, what percentage of your time communicating with clients is about good news? “I got your computer working again” might sound like good news to the IT person, but to the end-user, it usually just means they are finally able to get back to work.
Two questions: does this really matter, and what can you do about it? Read the rest of this entry »
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Don’t teach me how to FISH!
Posted on July 23rd, 2011 No comments
Old saying: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Many, many computer consultants believe strongly in this principle.The problem is this: you’re not going to always get the opportunity to teach fishing. This principle only works if it’s shared by both the teacher and the student. Some of your customers just want the damn fish. They know you can teach them the “right” way, but they might just want the “right now” way.
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Using Google in front of your customer?
Posted on July 9th, 2011 1 commentIf you’re an IT person and your customer sees you using Google, you may be hurting your credibility. When you use Google in front of a client, here’s what you’re probably thinking:
- “There’s no way they can possibly expect me to know everything.”
- “They trust me.”
- “My client understands.”
Here’s what they may be thinking: Read the rest of this entry »
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5 ways your PC habits will be changing
Posted on June 7th, 2011 No comments
Are you moving or not moving?The pace of technology innovation continues to stun even the most seasoned veterans. Are you prepared for the changes that are taking place? The more prepared you are, the easier time you will have adjusting to the future.- Filing vs. Searching. See all those folders on the left-hand side of your email program? We get it. You’re organized. But you’re getting more email than you used to get. Much more. And you’re likely to get more. Searching, not filing. Yahoo used to have a beautiful directory of web sites, managed with extreme detail. Now people search. It’s faster. Same thing with filing your mail versus searching your mail. If you’re filing your mail, you won’t keep up with the change.
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Afraid to say this word to a client?
Posted on April 13th, 2011 No comments
Customers want your advice. They value your opinion. They ask for your recommendations.The problem is that most IT consultants give customers choices. That’s right: it’s a problem. Why? Because customers often want to be given more choices then they probably need. What if you say “no?”Far more damaging to a customer/consultant relationship is when a customer wants a choice that they shouldn’t make, and the consultant accommodates them. Why do consultants offer up something that they think isn’t a great idea? Because they were taught a number of myths about the service business:
- customer is always right
- save the customer money
- don’t make the customer upset
- spend the client’s money as if it were your own Read the rest of this entry »
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You expect me to pay for that?
Posted on February 10th, 2011 1 comment
“I’m not going to pay.” – not a good sign in a vendor/customer interaction.Some customers think they should get useful info for free. Other people feel it’s worth paying for.
Some IT professionals give away free advice and hope to make a profit later, others expect to be paid a fair price when they provide something of value.
No one’s right, or wrong. It’s a matter of style and preference. Where people get into trouble is expectations that are either not set, or set incorrectly, or expectations that change in the middle of a project. For example, if you help someone and then you have to fix a complication, some people consider that “covered”, while others understand that sometimes stuff just happens. So what to do? -
Is empathy good or bad?
Posted on January 12th, 2011 2 comments
Should you apologize when a person has a problem with their computer?This really depends on your existing credibility with that person. If they know you, then they will not be likely to blame you or associate you with the problem. But if they do not know you or trust your ability, they may actually connect you with the problem, regardless of the validity. Read the rest of this entry » -
Become a Virgin: 11 ways to personalize your service
Posted on November 12th, 2010 1 comment
I took my first Virgin America flight. I had heard people brag about their in-flight WiFi and had my expectations set accordingly in terms of being able to watch TV from my seat.
And yet, they still surprised me. Numerous times. While I was checking in, a gate agent offered to help me from his terminal even though I wasn’t in his line.If you’ve stood in lines, you know how helpful that can be. Then I asked to go standby on an earlier flight. Petrified of a huge fare increase, I was told it was free as long as there was room. Nice. Read the rest of this entry »
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We know you CAN, but WILL you?
Posted on September 29th, 2010 No commentsI can do that for you.
I can call the customer if you want.
I can upgrade that if you think it’s necessary.If you like using the phrase “I can” then you’re only doing HALF THE WORK.
I know you’re trying to be helpful. Saying “I can” is not really helpful, though, because it’s unclear. I don’t know if that means you will or just if you are offering to do something. Or if you’re just letting me know you’re capable of doing so.
So which is it? Read the rest of this entry »
