So, after an extended break from blogging, I've decided to return to the medium. All those who were following me on a regular basis (I think there were 5 of you) will be excited to hear this. For everyone else, this initial post will be a "getting to know you" session: introductions, what can be expected, mission statement, and a general sampling of who I am and how I work.
So. Hi everyone, my name is Jason Harris
[audience] Hi Jason
Let's see, something about me. I live in North Carolina, but to hear me speak, you'd never know it. There's a decent chance someone out in G+ land has actually heard me speak, because I'm a Technical Support Analyst, and have been for 20 years. In other words - I'm a member of your friendly neighborhood help desk. Now I'd love to say I've been working for 20 years at the same help desk . . . . but that's not the case. Worked for many Fortune 500 companies doing IT support, both local, national, and international support. To be honest, if you have to call into the help desk for computer support, I'm really the person you want to talk to. In the words of the immortal philosopher Popeye -- "I yam what I yam," which brings relief to my customers and slight discomfort to those who are in the enviable position of managing me.
[audience] Hmm? Please explain.
Well, I've lived in rural America, have a Classical Education, and can speak and explain technology on the same level as anyone who calls in - if they're willing to work with me. I love solving puzzles, and hate to be defeated by a problem, so if I catch your call - the only way you're not going to be fixed by the end of the call is if I:
1. Don't have the rights required to fix the issue - which happens a lot in a Corporate setting. But I will get you to the correct person to fix the issue, or talk to them over IM so that you don't have to explain the issue multiple times. My job is if I can't fix the issue, then I'll do the legwork to get you to the right person so you will not be treated like a ball in a pinball machine bounced between multiple departments.
2. The issue is hardware related, so a local technician would have to physically handle the computer to fix the issue.
This is great for the caller/customer, and is what I expect if I have to call into anywhere -- which does happen occasionally. However the part that causes some slight discomfort to management is that:
1. I won't lie about the product or what needs to happen to fix whatever issue.
2. I'm a real person, and my personality in all it's slightly twisted glory will shine through.
There is a philosophy that good customer service can be scripted so that everyone sounds the same, and then - in theory - every caller will get an equally great experience. Sorry, every technician on a team has their own particular strengths based on experience both on and off the job. There's no real way to level the field, even if there is a script for how to troubleshoot an issue. I cannot tell you how many times I've heard a variant of the following directive: "You must always fill out every line in the tracking software, so you must ask each question, in order. If you skip any questions, you will be penalized in your evaluations. If you fill it out correctly, it will give you the correct response." False, it will give you a potentially correct response, but sometimes there comes a problem that isn't in the database, and you've got to actually think. It really irritates me to work with a customer who tells me that the person who was before me asked all the questions then immediately transfers them to the next level without even trying to troubleshoot. I didn't stay at companies very long who enforce that policy.
[audience] That really happens? I thought it was just the people who I talk to.
Nope, and I'll probably expound on that in a later post.
So anyway, other things about me that will help someone in the audience potentially relate to me: early 40's, B.A from Wake Forest (Music Theory), graduate work at Bowling Green State University (Music Theory and Electronic Music), and further education work at NC A&T (Electrical Engineering). Some might say I was a professional student, but I prefer to think of myself as having a well rounded education. I do a lot of reading to this day, quite irritated when the local Borders went out of business, even though I picked up 40-50 books during their closeout. I am a husband and father, an avid bowler, backyard chef, woodworker, enjoy designing and building furniture, a firm believer in the Art and Science of Teaching, and basically wave my Nerd flag proudly.
[audience] Nice. So, what can the person who watches this blog expect?
That's a good question. Sometimes there will be a major topic that I really try to explore, perhaps over multiple posts. Other times it might be a 'sampler platter', where there are a bunch of things that don't really relate, but I want to get out there. Those 'sampler platter' posts may be product reviews, news that I find interesting, general musings, projects that I'm working on or considering - who knows.
[audience] Ok, and what's this about a 'Mission Statement'?
Basically, my mission statement is that what I post here will be engaging, informative, and potentially interesting. Anything I put on the blog will be thought about, processed, written, rewritten, edited, thought about some more, and hopefully coherent and available to anyone who wants to read it. But once I post it, I will not go back and edit the content -- I'll treat it like a newspaper with clarifications/adjustments in the next post. That way I cannot be accused of adjusting content after the fact for whatever reason.
[audience] So do you expect anything from us?
Actually, yes. I expect a couple of things. First, I welcome debate, but I do not welcome mean-spiritedness. You as an audience member have opinions and experiences of your own, and they potentially (probably) are different than mine. I do ask that if we disagree about a topic or point of view, please discuss the subject without making it personal. This also includes any spirited debate within the comments section with your fellow audience members.
Secondly, and this is a personal philosophy, I'd prefer if those who chose to comment would talk to me in the same way as I talk to you. I know in the age of Tweets only being 140 characters, and reading and/or posting happening on devices other than laptops/desktops, there has been a trend of adjusting the typed word to being abbreviated - whether intentionally or inadvertently. Typos I understand, but please keep the 'textspeak' to a minimum.
Other than that, let's see where this journey takes us this time around.
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