Delivery or collection

[dayzd]

Just a quick straw-poll...

 

When a user logs a problem with a piece of equipment, do you expect them to bring it to you (where possible), or are you expected to fetch it from them?

 

 

Most of our users are used to bringing their laptops etc to us, but there are those who disagree with this practise...

[glennda]

It does depend on who it is and what it is. Obviously if its a desktop pc then they cannot bring it to you, but i think they should make an effort to bring things like laptops etc to you.

 

But thats my opinion

[TechMonkey]

Yep agree. If it is a problem in situ or during a lesson then go to them. If it is a general issue or it is broken and needs a full going over they can bring it in. Otherwise you end up running round after them.

[Hightower]

Yes, same here. If it is a desktop/classroom laptop then we will go to the location. If it is something like a laptop for use at home then they are expected to drop it in our office. If somebody wants a camera/camcorder they are expected to collect/return it - however, if they log the request early enough I will try and remember to drop it off/collect it if I am passing.

 

Bit of both really.

[pete]

As above - if there's a chance we can fix it in-situ and it's T&L, we go. If it's heavy, we go. If it's light and not critical, they deliver since they know best when they can be without it for $time_for_work. If they want to borrow something, they collect (unless heavy).

[dayzd]

Good good. Glad to hear we operate the same way others do!

 

I posted this morning after a disgruntled teacher Helpdesked a faulty laptop and said 'I've borrowed one for now'. When we updated the call asking for the faulty one back, he marched up, slammed it down on the desk in front of us and went 'There!' before marching out again.

 

Just wanted to make sure we're not being too unreasonable! :-)

[john]

If its a laptop thats not fixed to a desk for whatever reason I would expect them to drop it off to us, but if its a fixed PC / big piece of kit then obviously not to bring it to us. If were not that busy we will pop to the persons office to collect / look at laptop in situe but its quicker if they can drop it in to us

[elsiegee40]

Depends on what it is, where it is and whose it is.

 

Size and portability are a huge factor... equally the person may or may not be at the top of my favourite person list.

 

Secretaries, the HT and Bursar are prime examples of people that I would rather stay in favour with. I would probably go collect from all of them!

[Edu-IT]

If they can bring it to me, bring it, if not I get up from my desk.

[Hightower]

If they can bring it to me, bring it, if not I get up from my desk.

 

You get up from your desk? B, b, bu, but that's just defeating the point of VNC and remote desktop right?!

 

Side note: VNC really needs an option to 'collect equipment from client'

[Marci]

It has... it's called "take over premises team's desktop to pop up a note and ask them if they can collect and deliver" - obviously the premises team should be previously acquainted with your sharing-the-cakes-n'-coffee-n'-wine methods of payment, and appear fairly rapidly with a hungry look on their face and their glaze fixated on the vanilla slices positioned by the door...

 

The vanilla slices should ideally have been acquired from a member of teaching staff for unbricking their iPhone / reinstalling windows on their personal laptop earlier that day. Always ensure you're paid in twice the number of cakes than there are mouths to feed for such occurences.

[michaelf]

To put a slightly different spin on the question, since we support multiple sites we'll always try and use VNC to offer remote assistance to the user without having to move anything anywhere.

 

That aside however, we follow the same as above, users are encouraged wherever possible to deliver the equipment to us, but if it's a fixed installation or we believe that the problem is related to the environment we'll visit and assist.