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Do you send Emails or Talk to People?

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    Do you send Emails or Talk to People?

    Last year I was demoing some Enterprise BI Software when during the presentation the server went down. The IT process was of course to raise a Help ticket with a Priority 1 in this case which should take an hour. There was no phone support. This was actually a live server and so subsequently we would have had about 300 users on the system. So in addition, operations would have also raised an automatic ticket.

    Prepared I moved to a local copy and carried on. I finished three hours later(the server was still down) and so I decided to drive down the road to the IT Department where I walked into the support area. As usual it was like a morgue.

    I went and introduced myself to the support guy sitting there and asked him if he had the ticket. Yes was the reply and the automatic one and a dozen more besides. "So whats the issue here then, I asked. Why is the server not back up?'. "Well he goes, I've forwarded the emails to the guy on the list is who is reponsible for server reboot he sits over there" and points to an empty desk three cubes away. "But he's out today and so I can't do anything'

    "Right. So obviously the guy has cover, so who is covering the role for him?"
    "Oh well, that will be that bloke over there but he hasnt answered my emails" and pointed to a bloke four cubes away who was eating a sandwich!!!!!!

    "Well lets go and f---king talk to him then!!!" and I actually wheeled him across the room in his chair!!!!

    Two minutes later. Server up!!

    I believe CYA Email culture is most prevalent with IT folk.
    What happens in General, stays in General.
    You know what they say about assumptions!

    #2
    poll?
    The proud owner of 125 Xeno Geek Points

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      #3
      Originally posted by MarillionFan View Post
      I believe CYA Email culture is most prevalent with IT folk.
      I don't experience that sort of "server down" issue often (I work with system i) but it does bug me when people just don't think to talk to people.

      That said, most of my team is in the far east, so popping over for a chat is often impractical so skype has to do...
      ‎"See, you think I give a tulip. Wrong. In fact, while you talk, I'm thinking; How can I give less of a tulip? That's why I look interested."

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        #4
        what type of sandwich was he eating ?



        (\__/)
        (>'.'<)
        ("")("") Born to Drink. Forced to Work

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          #5
          Originally posted by EternalOptimist View Post
          what type of sandwich was he eating ?



          thinking like a true contractor EO..
          The proud owner of 125 Xeno Geek Points

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            #6
            Sending emails leaves an audit trail yes?
            Me, me, me...

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              #7
              Originally posted by Cliphead View Post
              Sending emails leaves an audit trail yes?
              Yep but only as a backup, it's not either/or - you can do both!
              "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
              - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

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                #8
                Audit trail - method for explaining why things weren't done.

                Phone call - method for actually getting something done.
                ‎"See, you think I give a tulip. Wrong. In fact, while you talk, I'm thinking; How can I give less of a tulip? That's why I look interested."

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by cojak View Post
                  Yep but only as a backup, it's not either/or - you can do both!
                  ah yes but <puts biscuit tin on head to avoid mind control> you can say one thing in an email and something different in a conversation



                  (\__/)
                  (>'.'<)
                  ("")("") Born to Drink. Forced to Work

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by EternalOptimist View Post
                    ah yes but <puts biscuit tin on head to avoid mind control> you can say one thing in an email and something different in a conversation



                    Which is why, as said above, you can then write an email which says. "To confirm our earlier conversation EO, you said that you would be buying the drinks tonight for the london CUK night out'

                    HTH

                    Thanks by the way. I'll have a Stella
                    What happens in General, stays in General.
                    You know what they say about assumptions!

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