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Join IT Support For Abuse and Despair

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the state-the-obvious dept.

tomhudson writes "The Register is reporting that IT support people feel abused and frustrated, with 2/3 swearing, almost half being depressed for the rest of the day, and 15% throwing things. Personally, I thinks their stats are off: I've thrown a monitor, a laser printer, keyboards, books, CDs, drives, kicked a few chairs, etc. Who hasn't? What have you thrown lately?"

4 of 51 comments (clear)

  1. Nothing by mswope · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Or my job. Same thing - after I realized two things:
    1)the job really wasn't worth the hassle - we weren't an "IT company" so there was never going to be a basis for treating IT people as more than throw-away staff and,
    2) it wasn't my dad yelling at me.

    Actually, the second realization led to the first. It really didn't matter that someone decided that his bad day/attitude was an excuse to be disappointed *in me* (when I'd done my best to overcome the weather, the carriers, the infrastructure, the users, etc.), I'd done my best and my father would've been okay with that. I'm still in the industry, doing a good job (if I do say so myself) and things are good.

  2. Throwing things is childish.. by Improv · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Having done tech support, programming, and a number of similar jobs, I have to say that neither I nor anyone I have worked with have thrown or otherwise abused computer equipment. If they had, I suspect they would have been canned immediately, and for good reason -- people who can't control themselves are a bit .. 'off'. The only person I know who actually has destroyed computer hardware was a layperson musician/artist who was having problems with some sound editing software.. he was very embarassed for the whole trip to MicroCenter to replace the keyboard, mouse, and CDROM drive. The point is that destroying things when angry is childish, and is something that hopefully most people outgrow by the time they're 14 or so.

    --
    For every problem, there is at least one solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.
    1. Re:Throwing things is childish.. by walt-sjc · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Bing bing. You win the prize. People that get physically destructive need therapy. That's not normal, and not acceptable in the business world under ANY circumstances.

      If you are in IT and have people yelling at you, you need to deal with the situation. Walk away, hang up, etc. Even if it's your boss. You don't have to put up with abusive behavior. If it's your boss, you may have some legal options as well. Again, yelling at an employee or co-worker is not acceptable in the business world - ever.

  3. In other news by miu · · Score: 2, Insightful
    People are rude to service people. Work fast food, work as a janitor, work as... whatever - if you are a service person then people are rude to you.

    I personally used to get off on people yelling at me over the phone, whoever said "kill em with kindness" had it exactly right. Be competent and honest and unless the person on the other end is a pschopath they cannot help but respond to that and people who were losing it will often apologize.

    All that said - I'm glad I don't have to work service or support any more.

    --

    [Set Cain on fire and steal his lute.]