How Much Respect Do You Get?

droidlev asks: "In our continually fluctuating economy I have seen a drastic change in the level of respect that I receive. As a technician I've grown accustomed to a heightened level of respect when I walk into a client's office. Not to say that I have a God complex, however, it feels good to walk into a room and be appreciated. I'm passionate for the computer work that I do; I'm 'GEEK' for it. People know that I'm there to help and solve their problems. There is good amount of value in this extra level of appreciation and respect. This is especially true when you are developing business relationships (and of course it never hurts to be liked). In recent times, however, I've been cast in a different light; actually more like a darkened shadow. I am now seen as a necessary evil instead of the 'all powerful technician.' So I ask what your experiences have been, either as a computer technician or another professional? Have you seen a change in the level of respect that you receive?" "Businesses are trying to save every penny they have. Unless something significant goes wrong, they handle a situation themselves. This only compounds the severity of a problem. By the time I get there, everything has gone to hell and I get a look (the it's-all-your-fault look) from every cubicle and every office. In the past, exceptionally dedicated service translated to loyal clients that didn't mind paying a little bit more. Once I was the problem solver, now it seems I am yet another flame to burn their money."

Comments

Re:What about outside the office?

[arhar]

metrosexual ... women I'm trying to charm

C'mon, let's be realistic here. Metrosexual is the same thing as homosexual. You're trying to charm GUYS.

And stop smoking cigarettes

[Loundry]

Becuase if you smoke cigarettes, then you stink. You're probably used to it because you're around it most of the time. But every time you meet a non-smoker, your breath, hair, clothes, car, apartment, everything about you stinks to high hell -- in the literal sense of the word. People don't tell you that you stink because politeness demands that they keep their mouths shut in those instances. They also don't tell you because self-important, whiney smokers get especially whiney when someone else points out how revolting their rather public drug addiction is.

What a poor boost.

[jotaeleemeese]

Deriding people that do useful tasks.

With the negotiation and social skills of the geeks and their business accumen (did you sleep through the dot bomb fiasco or what?) we should be grateful that there were companies that did not allow the geeks to take over, otherwise we would all be unemployed.

Those people earn high salaries for a reason: they enable business to function. History is full of techies with great ideas but lousy social and marketing skills. They would have been lost without the help of people that you deride so freely.

Re:Yeeah, I don't buy it.

[old-lady-whispering-]

anagram 101 alt.sysadmin.recovery = scary devil monastery you also seem to be off on your spelling. No one is really interested in news groups that much anymore so you needn't worry about a bunch of novices crashing your all geek sausage party.