Thoughts on how to perceive/interact w/ electronic devices/transactions

[LSLGuy]

I too get frustrated. I find with frustration that 2+3 often = 12. So if I can separate out the real 2 from the false 3 I imported into this interaction out of habit I’ll save myself 10 frustration points.

That’s the value to me as an end user to use the medium / message frame.

We’ve all seen the frustrated customer who’s got a problem at a retail store due to some management issue. Some spit and fume and berate the low level clerk whose job it is to be spit and fumed at. Others take a better, calmer tack. And are much more effective. You say you do that with clerks and I believe you.

Is there a way to import that approach to this environment? As you say, the issue isn’t so much tech as it is your reaction to tech. And your growing reaction today to all your accumulated reactions of the past. You’re sort of ready for a CBT-style intervention in your mental/emotional habits on this narrow topic.

Something closely related to this is the public reaction to GMO food, or even to tomatoes bred the old fashioned way for high yield and excellent shippability. As long as the only thing these innovations does is help Big Ag be more profitable, nobody is much in favor. It’s seen as “Screw you!” aimed at consumers.

If instead the same effort was spent to make more flavorful or more nutritious food folks would be much more inclined to embrace the changes as progress they can see accruing to their benefit, not somebody else’s.

[Mangetout]

@Dinsdale

Thanks for the thoughtful post, Mangetout. I wonder about your thoughts on a couple of things.

I tend NOT to change any settings on either my work of home computer. At home, I’m afraid I’ll mess something up, invite hackers or delete something. At work, we’re always told what we an NOT to do with/plug into the computer. Moreover, whenever I tried to customize settings, add macros, etc, I’d lose them on a subsequent “upgrade.” So now I do everything the barebones simplest way possible. I do EXACTLY what I’m told to - and nothing more. I have papers taped up and stickies telling me the 3 different ways I’m supposed to sign out, for example.

So, there are a couple of issues. First, I expect my employer (and the tech staff) to ensure that this tool is reliably functioning the way it is supposed to. The same way I expect my pens and phone to do the same thing each time I try to use them. When something goes wrong, I wish to have someone diagnose it and either fix it or tell me how to fix it. For me, the situation generally is “My computer is showing me ABC. I want to do XYZ. I’m not able to do it as I normally do. What do I need to do?”

I think that’s fair enough - the tech staff are there to try to maintain whatever level of service has been agreed. In practice though, computers are a lot more complex than pens - and despite it absolutely being the responsibility of the tech guys to resolve the problem, they are most likely not carrying the correct answer around in their heads at the moment your problem arises. They should know how to go and find the answer, is all that can be expected.

The second thing is that I lack certain vocabulary. For example, yesterday the person was saying something about my cache and cookies. Sure, I’ve heard those terms before and have some vague idea what they mean, but I do not do anything to change/empty/delete them on my work machine. Like I said, I don’t want to screw anything up. And the vocabulary does not stick with me. I get confused when someone asks me for a user ID, as opposed to a log on ID, vs a password, or several other terms I do not distinguish. When I sign on, I enter one 6 digit number that was assigned to me, and then an 8 digit number that I made up. That’s the only way I think of them - the 2 numbers I have to enter to get into the computer. The other day, someone asked me for - I forget the term. Maybe laptop ID number. Something I NEVER need to use. After a moment, I asked “is the number located on a sticker on my laptop?” That vocabulary gap causes me difficulty. And, like I said, the subtleties and distinctions of much of the vocabulary do not stick with me.

Well, that’s just bad customer service - anyone working in tech support needs to meet the customer at their own level. If they want the ID number of your laptop, they should have asked the question enough times to have scripted it as “Could you tell me the asset number of your machine? - It’s the 6 digit number on the green sticker on top of the lid”, or something like that - and the same goes for any other piece of information or instruction.

Sometimes I wonder if there are differing expectations on the different sides of IT. Should users be able to describe things the way IT providers think of things? Or should IT providers put forth the effort to elicit information from folk who do not think like IT people?

It’s a blend of both really. I get support tickets that say nothing more than (for example) “Problem with screen - please fix” My tech gets down there with a spare monitor and it turns out they’re mean the numbers published on the ‘sales screen’ - which is a web page - might not be correct.
Or “I can’t print this order - please resolve” - what I need to know is what do you actually mean by 'can’t print’ - broken printer? An error message on the screen? A blank sheet of paper came out? You can’t find the ‘print’ button? Your left mouse button has stopped working? It could be anything.

Obviously as an end user, the problem is sometimes truly mysterious, but volunteer as much information about the process and where it deviated from your expectations as you can. If you already do this, you’re not the problem.

[Thudlow_Boink]

Today’s XKCD is possibly relevant.

[Dinsdale]

Thanks again, all. I should say up front, that my overall interactions with IT staff have been positive. Well, exceptions are the phone/cable companies, where they shift into a script to try to sell you. And I appreciate when I do not have to fight through a thick accent to decipher instructions that might confuse me in the clearest English. Or when you call, and the person rush mumbles sa script you can’t understand - does not set the stage well.

But the folk at work, or the people at my insurer, regularly impress me at how friendly they are, and how willing they are to do what they can to solve my problem. What troubles me is that I even have to call them up so regularly. And then, having to fight through a phone tree doesn’t help. Can tend to nudge your mood in the wrong direction before you ever get to the helpful person.

I do acknowledge that my past experiences - and my lack of interest in learning about tech - contribute to my reaction towards new issues. When given the option, I’ll select the low-tech option, just because I expect a lower learning curve, and fewer breakdowns later. But it is getting harder and harder to find and use those low-tech options.

Are there specific approaches you take when view new screens/applications to find the info you want? Like I said, I don’t understand why Office chooses to place some of their basic commands where they do, and I get more and more frustrated when I have to hunt and seek them. Many web pages are poorly designed - you’ll look up a restaurant or store, and can’t find the menu or address/phone number without clicking various icons. I guess I’m an atypical user/consumer, in that I find such things irritants, rather than alluring features.

Part of this is a frequency issue for me. If I loved to sit on my phone or the internet, I’d be more facile in dealing with variability. But as someone who just wants most of tech to work as a tool, I prefer standardization and fewer distractions.

I appreciate that you accept that I am not criticizing all modern technology. That would be a ridiculous position. Instead, I’m trying to figure out how to interact with it more effectively - while not allocating significantly more of my time and effort to it. I’d rather be making music, playing with my dog, digging in my garden…