Naruto-kun
Charter Member
I am only a bystander so maybe my thoughts aren't worth much, and I think of times past when I have unwittingly acted the same way as a developer trying to give support so I would stand condemned by my own words as well. Very much regretted. But is it really all that one sided? Is it really so hard for SSW members to swallow the cutting remarks I have seen from some of them and go the extra mile instead to try and help the customer get around his problem? The few times I have learned the lesson and bent over backwards to help someone out, even to doing personal one on one Skype and email sessions, setting up custom debugged gauges and such to try and diagnose the problem has brought an immense amount of satisfaction when the problem is resolved and the customer is happy, especially when there is something on their system that is standing in the way of the code doing its work.
On the other hand, I can appreciate the frustration that the customer may have, since he doesn't have the technical eyesight that us developers have. I sometimes feel like I am talking to a baby because the most simple words I can use are often beyond their most advanced understanding. But venting frustration makes it a bit worse. The more my feathers get ruffled, the harder it is to swallow my pride and keep calm enough to consider all the possibilities including the one that I have messed up somewhere. So to Zsolt I can appreciate your frustration, but an already proud SSW is only going to get their hackles raised further and be less inclined to help you.
@Stickshaker sometimes it is an outright pleasure to help someone because the problem is quite easy to solve and/or they are reasonably technical themselves, or are at least polite and patient themselves. But when the customer is lacking in some way or another, it is going to take more on the developer. And this much I can say. When I have successfully solved the problem for an impatient customer, my request that they be a little more polite and patient with me when coming with their problems tends to go much deeper than if they get turned on with cutting words, and they are easier to help the next time.
And as for the SSW members here, would you give up so easily and turn on a child simply because your understanding is so much more developed than his? It helps to view the vast contrast between yourselves and your customers and extend your patience and caution with your words accordingly.
On the other hand, I can appreciate the frustration that the customer may have, since he doesn't have the technical eyesight that us developers have. I sometimes feel like I am talking to a baby because the most simple words I can use are often beyond their most advanced understanding. But venting frustration makes it a bit worse. The more my feathers get ruffled, the harder it is to swallow my pride and keep calm enough to consider all the possibilities including the one that I have messed up somewhere. So to Zsolt I can appreciate your frustration, but an already proud SSW is only going to get their hackles raised further and be less inclined to help you.
@Stickshaker sometimes it is an outright pleasure to help someone because the problem is quite easy to solve and/or they are reasonably technical themselves, or are at least polite and patient themselves. But when the customer is lacking in some way or another, it is going to take more on the developer. And this much I can say. When I have successfully solved the problem for an impatient customer, my request that they be a little more polite and patient with me when coming with their problems tends to go much deeper than if they get turned on with cutting words, and they are easier to help the next time.
And as for the SSW members here, would you give up so easily and turn on a child simply because your understanding is so much more developed than his? It helps to view the vast contrast between yourselves and your customers and extend your patience and caution with your words accordingly.
