Activity 7-3

Over the course of my time employed in the information technology field I have developed many valuable skills and abilities.  From my first job in the information technology field I was able to utilize my customer service and management experience to successfully manage and maintain the day to day operation for a small information technology business.  During my time there I was also able to develop skills in technical troubleshooting, hardware and software installation, and basic computer maintenance.  I was able to use my occupation to gather hands on experience with home users and small business owners in an technical support role.  This career then afforded me the opportunity to take the skills I learned and apply them to several other information technology companies.  I currently work as a technician in a medical facility where I am able to utilize all the skills I have gathered on a daily basis.  Despite my current occupation I wished to further enhance my knowledge and abilities in the information technology field with an end goal of becoming a network administrator in a medical facility.  In order to accomplish this goal there are several steps I am in the process of completing.  My growth plan consists of the following goals:

1. Completion of my Bachelor's Degree in Network Administration
2. Completion of my Associates Degree Networking Technology
3. Completion of my A+ Certification
4. Completion of my CompTIA Security+ Certification
5. Completion of my C+ Certification
6. Completion of Cisco Certifications

 The first and second goals allow me to obtain degrees showing an official knowledge and understanding of the core concepts needed to obtain a management role as a network administrator.  By furthering my education I also ensure that I have the book knowledge to accompany my hands on experience.  The remaining goals for completing certifications will again further my knowledge in the specific areas and demonstrate my knowledge of core concepts to any employers with whom I wish to obtain a position.  Successfully completing these goals will allow me to easily accomplish my end goal of becoming a network administrator at a medical facility.

Ch5 DQ: 7

A manager commented at a support staff meeting, "What you know about how to solve computer problems is less important than the skills you have to locate information." Do you agree or disagree?

This is one of those broad statements that tends to draw a line right down the center of two opposing views.  As someone who was mostly self-taught in the information technology field I would tend to agree with this opinion on a very basic level.  The idea that being that with the abundance of information at our fingertips now, the majority of problems we face in the support field have answers published somewhere.  I feel that in the course of troubleshooting if I can't figure it out on my own in a timely fashion it's equally as important for me to know where to go to find the solution to the problem.  With that in mind knowing where to look for an answer and knowing how to fix something are two entirely different things.

The problem with the manager's statement is that it minimizes the importance of education, skills and experience necessary to work in the technical support field.  The manager is essentially telling his team that a group of skilled researchers could come in and do just as good, if not better, work than a team of skilled technicians.  I don't agree with this.  I think practical knowledge of troubleshooting, and knowledge of where to seek information from go hand in hand.  As I said before I am mostly self taught in the technical support field and I have become a skilled technician based on my ability to go and seek out answers and information.  That being said my skills in locating information are the same now as the day I began and I would say the skills I have picked up in technical support or troubleshooting have made me a much stronger technician.  I would say that my skills in solving computer problems are vastly more important than my ability to locate information.  When I apply for a job they don't ask me if I am certified in locating information, even though it's a part of my job, I'm expected first and foremost to have the skills necessary to solve computer problems. It's important to realize that, as I said before, the two things go hand in hand.  Knowing how to fix the problem is the best, but if you don't know how, the next best thing is being able to know how to find out.  I would trade my troubleshooting experience and education for all the research skills in the world because in this field one without the other is worthless. 

Case Study 5: OEM vs Refilled Cartridges

What are the relative costs of OEM versus refilled cartridges for a typical printer?

When discussing parts it's important to remember that OEM parts are always going to be more expensive.  We currently utilize the HP 4014n series printers in most of our departments.  New OEM cartridges on average cost about $150.00, occasionally they will cost a little more or less depending on who we purchase them from.  A refilled or generic cartridge can normally be purchased for less than $100.00.  With the amount of printing we generally do these savings can add up greatly over time

What factors other than cost should be considered in making a decision about OEM versus refilled cartridges?  What are the pros and cons in this decision?

It is important to remember that the OEM cartridges are manufactured specifically for optimal use in their designated printers and the refilled or generic cartridges can come with some risks as they are not the exact product intended to work with that specific unit.  One of the biggest factors when dealing with refilled cartridges is the quality of the ink and the lifespan of the cartridge that is being refilled.  If the ink is of lower quality the internal components of the printer run the risk of being damaged.  Rollers and fusers can become damaged or dirtied to the point where they are unable to be used or repaired.  It can also cause the printouts to be illegible or easily smeared.  Another factor to consider is that many refilled units tend to leak due to the way they must be refilled, and they usually do not carry any performance guarantee.

OEM Pros 

Quality of ink tends to be higher

Comes with a service guarantee

Intended specifically for use in your machine

Has new, clean components that makeup the cartridge

Quality of prints tends to be higher

OEM Cons

More expensive

Refillable Pros

Relatively inexpensive

Comparable quality to OEM cartridges

Environmentally friendly

Refillable Cons

Usually do not have a service guarantee

Ink tends to leak

Potential damage can be caused to the printer

Do some printer manufacturers discourage printer users from purchasing refilled cartridges?  How?

Most printer manufacturers discourage the use of refilled cartridges.  HP, Cannon, and Lexmark all do not recognize refilled cartridges.  The microchip sensors that communicates the ink levels with the printer are unable to be reset once the cartridge has been expended the first time these leads to the printer not recognizing the cartridge as full and constantly giving errors warning the ink is low.  Most manufacturers also state that the use of refilled cartridges void the manufacturers warranty of the printer due to the potential harm than can come to the printers internal components by using lower quality ink.

How might the purchase and use of refilled printer cartridges impact the work of the support team?  Are users in book production likely to experience increased problems with refilled cartridges that will result in more incidents for the user support team?

Refilled printer cartridges have the ability to create many potential problems.  Ink spillage in the printer or lower quality ink on the internal components can cause the rollers and fusers to become damaged or dirtied to the point where they are no long able to be used.  The holes put into the cartridge to refill it can lead to plastic pieces in the ink that can damage the cartridge and the printer.  The bottom line here is that OEM cartridges are safer and come with fewer potential problems.  When problems do occur they can usually be fixed by the support team quickly or they are covered under the manufacturers warranty.  By using refilled cartridges the problems become more complex, time consuming, and generally won't be solved by the manufacturer.

Users in book production are likely to experience problems with cartridges that are refilled due to the quality of the ink and the cartridge in tandem with the amount of printing taking place.  To cut down the potential for incidents that require the user support teams attention it would be in the best interest to continue using OEM cartridges.

Ch3-Compliant Script

Ergotronics is a company that specializes in ergonomic electronic devices such as keyboards and mice.  The company offers a wide range of products tailored for comfort and functionality.  One of the latest products offered is the K3210.  The K3210 is a wireless, ergonomic "wave" keyboard with padded wrist rest, and quick launch buttons for the most common tasks.  The K3210 has been in production for just over six months.  The mouse uses a USB dongle to communicate wirelessly with the computer.  The keyboard is powered by four AA batteries.  Ergotronics has recently started to receive many complaints about the K3210.  The engineers have requested we develop a script for generating answers about the issues with the product.  Below is the script that Ergotronics is going to put into effect.

Hello, thank you for calling Ergotronics.  My name is (insert your name).  May I have you name please?

And may I have a telephone number in case we get disconnected?

Thank you for that information.  How may we assist you today?

May I have the model of the product?  The model number should be listed on the back side of the keyboard just below the battery compartment.  The model number will begin with a K or KB.

Very good, thank you.  I'm sorry that you are experiencing problems with your keyboard.  When did you first start to experience the issue?

Is the issue happening intermittently or constantly?

When you look at the keyboard, on the right side there is a battery power indicator.  Is indicator showing any light?

Have you attempted to replace the batteries?

If "no":  I would recommend first attempting to replace the batteries as insufficient power could be causing the issue.

Have you connected the wireless USB dongle to one of the USB ports on your computer?

If "no":  Please locate and connect the dongle to ensure a connection between the computer and the keyboard.

If "yes":  Have you attempted to use an alternate USB port?

Are you experiencing issues with all the keys not functioning or only the quick launch keys?

If you go to the lower right corner of your screen you should see a KB logo in your quick launch bar.  You may need to first click the upward facing arrow to display your quick launch icons.  Once you've found the KB logo please right click and select 'Check for Driver Updates'.

Once the driver update is complete:  Are you still experiencing issues with your keyboard?

If "no": Thank you for calling Ergotronics.  We appreciate your business.  If you have any further issues please don't hesitate to contact us again.  Thank you, have a nice day.

If "yes":  "Would you be able to hold for one moment while I transfer you to another representative who will be able to further assist you in resolving the issue?  Thank you.

Activity 2-6: Evaluating my communication skills

I visited Optimalthinking.com and took the communication assessment.  According to their assessment my communication skills are in the average range.  I am making moderate use of my talents and abilities but I am functioning well below my potential.  I would say I have to disagree with this skills rating as the questions don't really account for many different aspects of communicating with other people.  Below I've listed the questions which I responded  either "sometimes" or "rarely"

I optimize other suboptimal thoughts, feelings and behaviors.  Sometimes
I respond optimally even when I am ready to explode.  Rarely
I deal optimally with those who complain, criticize, blame and make excuses.  Sometimes
I optimize communications with those who practice one-upmanship.  Sometimes


I have issues with people being arrogant and rude, or trying to make themselves feel better by making someone else feel bad.  I don't communicate well with those types of people because I don't wish to communicate with those types of individuals.  I don't communicate well when I get angry.  It's better for me to walk away from a situation rather than to allow myself to become so mad that I end up making a bad decision or saying something that I'll regret.  I'm aware that I can't control the actions of others I can only control my actions and reactions.  So when I experience issues that make me angry or I'm communicating with individuals who I find insufferable I need to find a way to either remove myself from the situation.  In the course of my work I'll deal with individuals like this from time to time and when they start to get hostile or angry generally I'll tell them that I have to look into the situation further but that I or someone else will return to help them shortly.  This allows me to leave a bad situation without losing my cool.  

Activity 2-11: Poor Communication Skills

An AT&T customer service horror story

A CNET reporter learns some important lessons from AT&T: you don't always need phone service to get DSL, and dealing with customer service can be extremely frustrating.

by Elinor Mills

September 27, 2010 11:57 AM PDT

What came first: the bad customer service or the hard-to-find deal?

I ask this for a reason: After more than three years of paying for AT&T phone service solely for the purpose of getting DSL, I have come to learn that the phone service is completely unnecessary. My aggravating (and embarrassing) path to that knowledge should serve as a lesson for companies in how not to do customer service if you want to retain your customers. It's also a valuable lesson for consumers, who have to stay vigilant in order to get the deal that's right for them.
Here's what happened: A few days ago I called AT&T for the umpteenth time to complain about my bill and, as usual, I mentioned my resentment over being charged for phone service I don't use because I have a mobile phone. After getting bounced to four different representatives, one of them said the words I've waited years to hear: "Do you want Internet only?"
I was then transferred to the Internet-only department, where someone took my order to cancel my phone service. Curious how long they've been offering DSL-only service, I searched the Web while I was on the phone and uncovered an article from November 2007 on our very own CNET News site entitled "AT&T quietly rolls out reasonably-priced unbundled DSL." Ouch. I also saw it on AT&T's Web site, which I didn't expect to offer me information that I couldn't have gotten from numerous calls to customer service rep.
OK, I should have been a more diligent consumer. Lesson learned. Nonetheless, it's not overly demanding to expect that someone at AT&T should have told me about the DSL-only service before that day--we're talking about 9 or 10 calls to customer service since spring 2007. So why didn't they?
I wasn't able to ask that question to the customer service rep who was helping me cancel my phone service because right around then we got disconnected and she didn't call me back. So I called AT&T again and was shuffled between several departments before getting to someone who could help me. I looked at the clock and realized that I had spent over an hour on the phone with AT&T.
When I asked why I was never told about this DSL-only service before, the rep said he didn't know. Annoyed that I had wasted so much time and energy on the phone with AT&T and frustrated at the notion that I had been charged for service I didn't need, I told him to cancel both my phone and DSL services.
Later that night an AT&T customer service manager called to discuss my decision to dump AT&T. I asked him why in my numerous calls to AT&T I was never told about the DSL-only option. Instead I was offered "low-use" phone line service, or they tried to get me to sign up for a U-verse package that works with the TV, another device I don't use at home. The manager's reply: "I don't know the specifics of the conversations." When I pressed him I was told, "I hear what you are saying, but there's not an obligation for us to advertise that service."
He then told me that the DSL-only service wasn't available when I had signed up. Later, an AT&T spokeswoman confirmed that was not accurate. AT&T began offering the service in my area in 2006.
The manager admitted my phone account showed "very minimal use" and noted that the last time I had used my landline was in May. (Ironically, that was when I still had an iPhone and couldn't get coverage on AT&T's wireless service while working from home, so I was forced to use my landline. I got rid of my iPhone shortly after that.)
I suggested to the manager that AT&T should repay me the $600 or so that I had spent on phone service over the years since I had barely used it. Instead, he offered to refund the amount I had paid since I last used the phone, which came to about $60.
Infuriated at the notion that I had been effectively forced to pay hundreds of dollars for a service I didn't need, I contacted an AT&T spokeswoman to get official comment. After spending two days diving into my account, she told me that the customer reps probably didn't mention DSL-only to me because they actually charge more for the unbundled service than they do for the bundled service. In other words I would be paying about $5 more for the so-called "naked" DSL, or DSL Direct.
Got that? They were doing me favor, even if they were inexplicably unable to tell me about it.
"We're not sure why it wasn't offered, but we're very sorry," AT&T spokeswoman Jenny Bridges said. "We're very sorry you've had this frustration."
She asked if I wanted to reconnect my DSL only and pay about $45 a month after taxes and fees. (New customers can pay $14.95 per month for a year, according to a promotion that the company began offering in August, she said.) I declined, explaining that after what I had gone through I would prefer to try another company.
I told her I was baffled at the customer service I had received. Any number of customer service reps could have halted my complaints and calls by telling me that there was a DSL-only service but it would cost me more than I was paying. I had mistaken incompetence for sneakiness.

"You definitely should have been told there was a standalone (DSL) offer and that you were eligible for it and what the price was so you could have made your own decision," Bridges said, sounding truly apologetic. "Based on your situation, we are going to do some re-education with our customer service reps."
While I am heartened to hear I didn't lose money by not knowing about the unbundled DSL service, I am amazed that AT&T's billing practices are so confusing and its customer service reps so unhelpful. I have an advantage as a reporter to be able to pick up a phone and (hopefully) get answers from a spokesperson. Other people don't have that leverage. And judging from an informal survey of friends and acquaintances, many people are surprised to learn that they don't need their AT&T phone service to get DSL.
After doing some digging into the unbundled DSL issue I think I see why the company wouldn't necessarily want to encourage customers to cancel their phone service.
Offering an unbundled DSL was a concession AT&T and Verizon made to the FCC in order to get approval to merge with SBC and Bell South (AT&T) and MCI (Verizon). They were only required to "offer" unbundled DSL, but there was no language in the agreements that they had to actually tell customers about the new offering.
"These companies continue to bundle services together to protect their legacy service, which is voice," said Joel Kelsey, a political adviser at the tech and media policy nonprofit Free Press, a frequent critic of telecommunications companies.
AT&T's landline service is in decline as mobile phone usage increases. So, desperate to stem the tide of phone service cancellations, AT&T is making phone-plus-DSL cheaper than DSL alone.
I asked AT&T spokeswoman Bridges if there was some technical reason the company needed to charge more for standalone DSL than for bundled service, or if it was merely an economic strategy. She admitted that it was the latter. "The bundle is what helps you get the better price," she said. Yes, it's counter-intuitive and it's terrible customer service to not explain it, but then, to paraphrase the comedienne Lily Tomlin: They're the phone company. They don't care. They don't have to.
Still, there are a few lessons learned in all this: If you are communicating with customer service at any carrier, be prepared to take good notes that you can refer to later if necessary. Ask for the customer service rep's name and direct phone number in case you get cut off. If you want something particular, ask directly if they have that service type or anything similar to it. Find out exactly how much more or less you will save or spend if you change your plan. And if you aren't satisfied with your service and it's not going to change, threaten to cancel your account. That is more likely to get results than anything else you could say.
So where does that leave me for Internet options? I've had people suggest Sonic.net, which offers DSL-only at prices starting at $18.95. Their customer service is excellent, according to Broadband Reports and several friends of mine. Another friend suggested I check out the Virgin MiFi wireless router, which offers unlimited access for $40 a month without requiring a contract. The hardware costs $150.


This story is just another entry in the poor communication field.  Customer service representatives are so used to following a script that they forget they are dealing with real people and that their first responsibility is to service the customer.  While I don't think the customer is always right, it's always important to listen to the customer to see how you can help to meet their needs.  As a general rule I think the company should always be looking for a way to exceed the customers expectations and go above and beyond to help the customer out.  This story just proves that sometimes as a customer we are merely a dollar sign to the company.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20017634-245.html

Ch3- Discussion Question/Reading Level

"If a technical writer has a choice of reading levels for a document (as measured by a readability index), it is preferable to aim for a reading level that is a little to high, rather than a little too low, which might insult the intelligence of your readers."

I think this statement definitely has the correct idea.  While you never want to talk over someone's head it would be even worse to talk down to someone.  The most important thing to remember when you are writing a document that needs to be followed is that if you set it at too low a reading index you will bore your readers and make them feel stupid, however if you set your reading index too high you will succeed at nothing but frustrating your reader and sounding pretentious.  The idea with technical writing is to find the middle ground.  Find a way to give readers all the details they need in as few technical terms and details as possible.  Follow the proper techniques for technical writing, using short sentences that are free of jargon and unnecessary information.  While it is important to make sure the document is clearly understood, that your point is conveyed, and is correct, it's even more important that you are able to reach your target audience by aiming neither too high or too low.


http://info.hurleywrite.com/bid/60715/Ensuring-Readability-in-Scientific-and-Technical-Writing