Context, who needs it?
Context, who needs it?
Summary of Post
Bonus, also happened today:
Boss: Can client console push the client software to a PC, even if it doesn’t have the client installed? User got into the site, but now she’s trying to view something and she’s getting a different page not found error when she goes to view. But the user is fully in the client system, you’ll have to contact the client most likely. >Coworker: Even after updating chrome to the newest version user is still getting the “400 bad request” error. >Me: Well I can’t hit that page from my machine or from an external device, it’s probably an issue on the client side. Because I still have a desire to be helpful, I went searching the ticketing system for a ticket for the user’s issue. >Coworker: She’s connecting to the client via VPN before trying to access that site.
A large part of my job is being an escalation resource for tough issues my team runs into. Another tech is also an escalation resource. It's more difficult than it needs to be...
IM exchange I had with a coworker earlier today:
Coworker: Hey! On $user’s machine, do you remember what version of chrome you updated it to?
Me: No. Chrome updates itself and we don’t manage them. It updated to whatever the current version is.
Coworker: Ok, thanks.
Roughly half an hour later.
Coworker: Even after updating chrome to the newest version user is still getting the “400 bad request” error.
To be clear, there was no previous conversations related to anything about this. Whatever Coworker is talking about is the first I’m hearing of it. But sure, let’s roll with it.
Me: …To what site?
Coworker: site.client.com
I’ve disabled popups for that site. Still bad request.
Let’s not question how popups being blocked or not would give “bad request” for a website.
Me: Well I can’t hit that page from my machine or from an external device, it’s probably an issue on the client side.
Coworker: She’s connecting to the client via VPN before trying to access that site.
Me: Ah, well that’s important information you should mention.
But that doesn’t change the answer, currently. Their vpn, their site, their issue.
Coworker: Ok thanks.
Coworker then decided they didn’t like my answer, then proceeds to talk to the other escalation tech, who gives them the same answer I did. Because I still have a desire to be helpful, I went searching the ticketing system for a ticket for the user’s issue. All I could find was a recent ticket complaining about issues with their PC, and in the notes Coworker says the PC was replaced. And I recalled something that needs to be done for that specific client. Back to chatting:
Me: Taking a guess based on the only ticket the user has, did you replace their PC?
Coworker: I did.
Me: Did you get the hosts file copied over? Client needs a few entries for their stuff to work correctly.
Coworker: No, but I didn’t do that when I replaced another user’s PC recently. They access the same client. That user had no issues.
Me: I can’t speak to whatever magical routings that PC managed to acquire, but that’s one of the first thing Client’s support will ask about.
Coworker: Ok, I will try it and let you know.
Another half hour later…
Coworker: Ok! User got into the site, but now she’s trying to view something and she’s getting a different page not found error when she goes to view. It comes up in a pop up.
Me: Check the hosts file for that server name in the popup’s address bar and replace it with the IP, just to confirm it’s not an issue with that. But the user is fully in the client system, you’ll have to contact the client most likely.
Coworker: Ok thanks…
Me: Next time, if you remember to be more forthcoming with what you need help with, we could have gotten to this conclusion in maybe 30 minutes, instead of the two hours this took.
At this point most of my team has been told, multiple times, to list what you’ve done when you need help and escalate. Almost all of my first replies to requests for help are “What have you tried already?” And more than a few times they’ve tried nothing. One tech now basically stream of conscious documents his troubleshooting steps into a word document but also manages to include random screenshots with no context to them. It’s kind of impressive, actually.
Bonus, also happened today:
Boss: Can client console push the client software to a PC, even if it doesn’t have the client installed?
Me: It can. You just need the IP address and to make sure the service account for the software is in the local admin group, which is done via GPO and should already be there.
Boss: Ok, I’m talking to Tech about $issue. He says he’s tried it a few different ways and nothing has worked.
Me: Ah, $issue. Yes, OtherEscalationTech and I gave him a few different things to try. But tech never got back to us if those didn’t work. Hard to help when we don’t know they need it. Without information can’t determine if it’s an issue with Tech or the process.
Boss: Tech claims he’s reached out to you and you haven’t been helpful.
Me: Well here’s a screenshot of the entirety of his messages to us about $issue. As you can see that was a week ago, and we’ve heard nothing since.
Boss: Ah… Well he should be reaching out to you soon. Thanks.
I also know that the reason Boss was talking to Tech is his continued installing of licensed software without making any attempt to find out if we actually have licenses available for that software. I can only imagine that conversation was not a fun one for Tech.