It’s a phrase I hear often at the good ol’ helpdesk.
While it’s completely possible that your machine looks like the one above, there’s a good chance that not everything is broken.
Unfortunately, when I try to seek more information, the phrase tends to get repeated – leaving us stuck in a standstill.
What’s Really Happening Here
Chances are, the user is just flustered and wants the problem to be dealt with quickly. Unfortunately, as a superhero who doesn’t have mind-reading abilities (that would be a REALLY useful skill), I’m stuck assuming the worst:
When in reality, a 5 second password change is all you really need.
How to Help
Remember that your friendly-tech supporter is NOT THE ENEMY. Any questions asked are meant to help get to the heart of the problem, so we can both move on with our days. Think of your tech supporter as a skilled doctor… if you told your doc that “everything is broken”, you’ll likely walk away with a hefty bill and a bodycast.
Answer your tech-hero’s questions, and you’ll both be back to work in no time.