Personal Tech Support [2 Updates]
I began my technological career with a job in technical support. I used to work for CSN (called CCSN back then, for Community College of Southern Nevada). I was a lab assistant, where I helped college students with their computer issues. Scanning a picture, email not loading, basically anything that a paying college student needed help with on the computers.
This is a similar start in tech support for just about any techie. Almost all of us have a job doing tech support at some point, and it’s usually one of the first jobs that a techie will have, since it’s an entry-level-type position.
I moved on from that job after about 2 1/2 years to start my first programming job. So I’d progressed in my career to doing what I really wanted to do, and I didn’t have to do tech support anymore. This made me very happy, as tech support isn’t something very many people enjoy. In fact, a lot of techies hate it. I’m now in my second programming job and have been programming for over 5 years professionally now, 9 years personally. I’m also pursuing my MBA.
So why do people still consider me their tech support? Most of the people these days that consider me their personal tech support never knew me in my lab assistant capacity, although Robert Silas (a friend of mine) first met me when I started as a lab assistant, and I still help him with computer things from time to time. I did earlier this week, actually. But he’s an exception because I’ve known him so long and have been helping him for years.
But seeing as most people that ask me for tech support these days never knew me back then, it stands to reason that they assume I’m good at tech support because I’m into computers and am a programmer. Fine, in my case, that’s a valid assumption. But it doesn’t always hold true. I’ve known plenty of computer-savvy people that weren’t good with the people side of tech support. And there are some programmers that really just aren’t very good at general tech support.
So this is starting to irritate me. I apologize if you feel that you, the reader, are the reason I’m posting this particular post on my blog, but this feeling has just been accumulating within me. I really don’t like the fact that friends and family will often just assume that if they have a computer issue, they can call me up whenever to ask me to look at the issue or run things by me in a call. Often, this advice I give is free, and sometimes the actual work on a computer I’ll do is free.
But do you really think that a professional programmer and MBA student wants to do tech support all of the time? I get paid well as a programmer and tech support does not pay nearly as well, especially since people come to me because they don’t want to go pay the outrageous fees that Geek Squad charges, which means they’re expecting me to cut them a deal. My time is worth money, and doing tech support is underpaying me for my time.
Really, what bothers me is people asking if I’m busy on any given night because they need tech support help. I had that asked of me today, actually. And yes, I am really damn busy today. Today is a mega-busy day for me. I have a doctor’s appointment, work, an MBA career services appointment, Julia’s birthday dinner and, depending on how long dinner goes, indoor soccer (unlikely, unfortunately). So yes, I’m busy tonight and cannot be at your beck and call to fix your computer issue, the third one you’ve had this year.
I’m not trying to come across as a jackass here, but I just want people to understand that techies get irritated at being asked for tech support all the time, especially if that’s not their professional field (like me), and especially if they’re busy. I’m curious to see what happens when I’m a technological manager someday (yes, I’m assuming it will happen, but hey, I will get my MBA!).
That’s like asking some manager at a GM plant to come over and work on your car. Seriously folks, that’s what that would be like.
In any case, I’m not averse to helping friends and family with tech support issues, especially not averse to helping family. Just don’t assume that I have all this free time lying around to help you get that virus off your computer, and don’t assume that I have to help you out of the goodness of my heart and get paid very little. It’s not fair to me.
[Update 1]
After a comment from Andrew, I need to amend this article. Well, really, just make sure to read the comments!
[Update 2]
Some people are confused as to what I’m talking about in this post. Don’t be alarmed! If you’re a totally cool person that appreciates any help I give you and tries to pay me back in some or other (even if it’s just, say, lunch), then I’m not talking about you. I’m talking about people that take advantage of the fact that they know me and that I know technology, yet never really offer me anything in return, despite repeatedly asking for help.
Really, I’m just irritated at people that use and abuse my kindness. Most people don’t.
Sphere: Related Content
Well Robert, I’ve just got to disagree with you here.
I’ve been in technology for 18 years – making money the whole time. I NEVER had a tech support job in fact I have employed people to do that for me off and on for 7 years. As CTO of a company with 28 employees, I was asked almost weekly by friends and family for advice on which computer to buy, but I was never a personal shopper. I was and still am asked how to get rid of spyware though I’ve never been a security expert. Computers, software and in a broader sense – technology are closed books to many people and with the recognized importance of these areas, they want to make good decisions and feel secure.
Remember Dave from the lan party? He’s no plumber but he can do he work of one. He is who I call when I have something wrong with my yard even though he’s not a gardener. He is very experienced at both of these things in his personal life even though professionally he’s a CAD manager. Donny (Darth) works for the water company but is fantastic at flooring and basic construction. You know those shelves in my office? Well he built those over a period of several hours for free. Of course the fact that I built two web sites for him for free a year earlier (with no defined reciprocal gift in mind) might have made him feel better about it. Brendan’s an artist, I’m the computer guy, Dave knows pipes and has a green thumb. Lane? He knows finance. Mike is the photographer (best I’ve met). Any one of these people will give me free advice, support and time because we recognize that there is a relationship there worth fostering and an understanding that it’s a two way street.
Maybe this is where your frustration comes from. When Dave needs advice on ANYTHING computer related, he comes to me. I have setup an FTP server for his family photo sharing. I have spoken at length about the pitfalls of 64 bit Windows and the software he might want to run. There is a give and take relationship there. We all have areas of interest and skill. Does this person not have knowledge from which you might draw some day? Perhaps your friend exudes an attitude of entitlement to your hard earned knowledge without expressing a commitment to return the favor some day.
When it comes to expecting a GM exec to fix your car – do you KNOW this theoretical GM exec? Did he get into the auto business because he was raised around cars? Does he work on his own cars on the weekend? I guarantee you that if I knew someone like that and considered them a friend, I would certainly trust them more than a mechanic and might absolutely feel comfortable asking for help with the knowledge that he could ask me for the same.
When I move on from my job, it will probably be UP. If I am running an IT department and suddenly my friends stop asking me for help, I will freak out! Does my change in career position actually effect a change in my personal relationship with them? To what degree?
I can’t explain how much I appreciate YOUR friendship and in this instance, I have asked you – on days when I KNEW you were busy – to help me with a MySQL query that you had nothing to do with. A week later I was reviewing a certain document for you and providing feedback. I hope that whatever your professional position, we would be in the same give and take relationship and that I would not be restricted to management theory questions.
Again, it feels like you have a leech and that’s never fun, but what you’ve suggested here concerns me.
Dude, your comment was almost as long as my post. Haha.
Alright, I’ll concede that you make many valid points. I guess the issue I’m having is more of a leech than anything else. I’ve just had too many instances lately where I’ve given someone tech support help simply because they know Laura and know that her husband works in technology.
I use my Dad all the time for work around my house… Haha. And I wasn’t talking about him, or you, in this post. So yeah… I guess I’m just talking about leeches here.
I dig. I REALLY do. I’ve been there. I just want to make sure that you don’t forget about the little people when you get your MBA. Cause if I call you to ask about a funky left outer join and you snub be because you’re management, I’m going to piss in your soda. Just a warning.
I don’t really snub people now, I just needed an outlet to vent. :p
What if I don’t drink soda, ‘eh?
I won’t snub people even after I’m management. I tend to think I’m too nice to do that.
I’m sorry you are stressed out. I know that’s why you wrote this.
You are too nice to demand what you are worth now. I doubt that will change.
I’m sorry you’re so stressed, sweetie.