Remote Assistance

[Ottawa]

Michael,
I work during the day as a compter/Network Specialist so most of my calls are in the evening. Daytime calls have usually had better success.


I have had to replace 2 Firewalls in the past year.
What would normally be a 1-2 hour job have exceeded 20 hours.

On Saturday I installed the replacement PIX, called for a new script and was told that there was no Teir II available to do it and that I would be better to call back Monday during the day. This is now 22 hours I have spent on this one job (driving to unit, calling GSD, going over the problem and hopefully finding a solution). As part of this job the old PIX was rescripted with a new script but it did not work with te new ISP. The person who did it had not saved the old script so we could not even get things running with the old setup. The FHC has been without Internet for 2 weeks. Two days last week there were no patrons since they cannot do anything online.

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Most jobs, like installing the Open Wireless or resetting the FHC access after a long outage are less than an hour. But more advanced technical issues are often long and drawn out. You don't want to hurt their feelings but sometimes you realize that this job is not going to get done today by this person.

Although it is interesting talking to various people, often these jobs are taking place in a dark basement and you occaisionaly get someone who is on their second week, typing all that you say and an hour into the job their shift ends and you have to start over again without having resolved any of the real issue.

When it is going nowhere I now ask when their shift ends and ask to be transferred to someone who will be on the same ticket for the evening.

Again most of my calls are evening calls.