I'm off for one day and the supposedly shared email inbox is full on my return. Some of them have been marked read but I've no idea if they've been answered or dealt with, I'm going to go on past experience and say "No". Half of the questions are IT related "I can't get my VPN settings to work." or "My wireless laptop tells me there's an IP incompatability when I use it in the library, what can I do?"

Answer #1: That's a shame. What do you want me to do about it? I don't deal with VPN, it's an IT thing. Contact them to check your settings like I told you to in the last email.
Answer #2: Sorry your laptop doesn't work in the library, but hey, here's an idea - we have over 300 top of the range workstations for students across the 12 floors of the library, ever think about using one of them?

Grrr.

Still, answering those emails is actaully all I've got on the books for today so I suppose I should be grateful in a way.

Wonder how long I can get away with this, this sitting here doing bugger all cause there's nothing to do? Oh! Exciting news, I spoke to my head of department on Monday about whether the library would ever consider allowing some of the staff to work from home where possible. He said yes, probably, at some point in the future. Knowing the library the way I do, I know full well that'll be the same kind of nebulous concept of the future as the promise of an additional staff member in the department, but still - they know it's wanted now, and that there are people (like me and one of the other grade 3s in my department) for whom it makes so much more sense than coming in every day.

Ah well, guess I should make a start at these emails then.

Dear Student,

Thank you for your query regarding the problems you're experiencing with your VPN settings. I can't help you, go bother someone else.

kthnx

ETA smileawhile and I have been talking over email about how it can really get you down when all you do is deal with problems every single day. So I'm posting this here for everyone who works in customer service, or in some kind of support role:

Yes it sucks when things don't work, and yes it's tempting to take that out on the person at the other end of the phone or email, but that person is still a person. Say thanks when things work, don't expect them to wave a magic wand 'cause sometimes it might take a little time to fix the problem, sometimes it might not be fixable.

So on behalf of everyone who doesn't say it: Thank You!!

I'm off for one day and the supposedly shared email inbox is full on my return. Some of them have been marked read but I've no idea if they've been answered or dealt with, I'm going to go on past experience and say "No". Half of the questions are IT related "I can't get my VPN settings to work." or "My wireless laptop tells me there's an IP incompatability when I use it in the library, what can I do?"

Answer #1: That's a shame. What do you want me to do about it? I don't deal with VPN, it's an IT thing. Contact them to check your settings like I told you to in the last email.
Answer #2: Sorry your laptop doesn't work in the library, but hey, here's an idea - we have over 300 top of the range workstations for students across the 12 floors of the library, ever think about using one of them?

Grrr.

Still, answering those emails is actaully all I've got on the books for today so I suppose I should be grateful in a way.

Wonder how long I can get away with this, this sitting here doing bugger all cause there's nothing to do? Oh! Exciting news, I spoke to my head of department on Monday about whether the library would ever consider allowing some of the staff to work from home where possible. He said yes, probably, at some point in the future. Knowing the library the way I do, I know full well that'll be the same kind of nebulous concept of the future as the promise of an additional staff member in the department, but still - they know it's wanted now, and that there are people (like me and one of the other grade 3s in my department) for whom it makes so much more sense than coming in every day.

Ah well, guess I should make a start at these emails then.

Dear Student,

Thank you for your query regarding the problems you're experiencing with your VPN settings. I can't help you, go bother someone else.

kthnx

ETA smileawhile and I have been talking over email about how it can really get you down when all you do is deal with problems every single day. So I'm posting this here for everyone who works in customer service, or in some kind of support role:

Yes it sucks when things don't work, and yes it's tempting to take that out on the person at the other end of the phone or email, but that person is still a person. Say thanks when things work, don't expect them to wave a magic wand 'cause sometimes it might take a little time to fix the problem, sometimes it might not be fixable.

So on behalf of everyone who doesn't say it: Thank You!!

Mustn't spam LJ, mustn't re-read stories again and again, must write...

you just know that's not going to happen, right?

Heh.

Why isn't there a mood icon for "Procastinating"? That would be the most used icon ever....

Oh, adding this, (yeah, still not writing although I do have a Word doc open now at least!) emeraldswan posted an interesting poll about canon/fanon events post-Chosen/NFA (it's a flocked post or I'd link to it for you) and it's raised a question in my head again. I know it's been discussed before, but hey, why not open the floor again.

Why is Xander in Africa? Is he out there 'cause he's just travelling through? Is he working with/for the Council?

What about Willow, what's she doing in Brazil?

And here's the kicker, why do a lot of people apparently believe that Willow is working and Xander isn't?

ETA Just to make it clear - I don't think either Emmy or anyone on her flist *hates* Xander at all - my apologies if that's come across at all. :)

Mustn't spam LJ, mustn't re-read stories again and again, must write...

you just know that's not going to happen, right?

Heh.

Why isn't there a mood icon for "Procastinating"? That would be the most used icon ever....

Oh, adding this, (yeah, still not writing although I do have a Word doc open now at least!) emeraldswan posted an interesting poll about canon/fanon events post-Chosen/NFA (it's a flocked post or I'd link to it for you) and it's raised a question in my head again. I know it's been discussed before, but hey, why not open the floor again.

Why is Xander in Africa? Is he out there 'cause he's just travelling through? Is he working with/for the Council?

What about Willow, what's she doing in Brazil?

And here's the kicker, why do a lot of people apparently believe that Willow is working and Xander isn't?

ETA Just to make it clear - I don't think either Emmy or anyone on her flist *hates* Xander at all - my apologies if that's come across at all. :)