![You Don’t Need To Spell “at” [story]](https://i0.wp.com/faildesk.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/at-sign.jpg?fit=600%2C557&ssl=1 "You Don’t Need To Spell “at” [story]")
Hi,
I have many stories as I’m working as a System admin/IT manager at a place where 90% are people above 40. Without saying where “this place” is – I can say we sell stuff you have to build yourself. and men hate going there.
I get to work…and after 2 minutes the phone is already ringing.
Worker: I’m trying to send a mail to the custumer. But i keep getting error that it did not send.
Me: Are you sure the mail address is correct?
Worker: I’ll call the customer and check again.
…after 5 minutes, the worker calls back.
Worker: Yes, the mail address is correct.
Me: Okaaaayyy…. so I tried to send a message to my private mail and it worked fine.
As I had no more clues i asked her to spell the email address for me.
Worker: I can do that, but I’m sure there is something wrong with our system.
Me: Even so, please spell it for me.
Worker: customerfirstname.lastnameatgmail.com
Me: You don’t need to spell ‘at’ for me. I know what the @ sign is.
Worker: Oh okay.
After a bit checking I tell her to spell it again for me.
Worker: Well this is a waste of time. It’s not always our fault. But I’ll spell it again (starting to sound grumpy).
customerfirstname.lastnameatgma…
Me: Why are you spelling “@” again?
Worker: BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT THE CUSTOMER TOLD ME!
Me: So you’re not using @ sign at all?
Worker: No why should I? The customer didn’t have that in her mail.
Me:…are you joking with me?
Worker: No.
Me: Have you ever seen a email address that doesn’t have @ sign?
Worker: Yes. Mine.
Me: What’s your email address then?
Worker: www.hotmail.com
Me: *me hanging up the phone* …and then calling her boss.
“Me: You don’t need to spell ‘at’ for me. I know what the @ sign is. ”
Way to go with the snotty attitude. And we wonder why people tend to treat I.T. with contempt. It goes both ways.
How is that snotty?
Boy what a horses #@%. You will be over 40 one day. I’m not very computer savvy, but I try. I’m not stupid either, I eventually get things. You have a very condescending attitude. I’m sure if I put you in front of a mimeograph machine you would ask questions I would find incredibly stupid. Oh yeah, by the way, mimeograph is how we old folks made multiple copies years ago.
I’m 51. And agree 100% with the author. It’s a business, and you’re expected to be competent in the postion you occupy whether you’re 25 or 65. Unfortunately, as anyone who’s had the experience of interfacing with these customer support people probably know, there seem to be many who are ill suited for their job. People like this usually waste the customer’s time as well as that of internal departments with whom they interface.
My nan is 86 and knows what an email address looks like. I admit it may be a bit condescending but if you work in a place where you have to email people, it’s probably a good idea to know what an address looks like, even if you don’t know why it looks the way it does. In a normal day, you’re likely to see the @ symbol at least once I would think.
Both parties were a bit dumb here. At the point where she was spelling the word “at” the author should have caught on to what the problem probably was.
Competence at the work place is important, on both sides of the equation.
Cut the IT dude some slack. They were just expecting more from the worker then gross stupidity. A lot of us techs give your average user the benefit of the doubt. We shouldn’t >.<
For my defence. when people go to the interview
they are asked about there it knowledge. And saying you have normal it knowledge but don’t know what @ sign is bs!.
This is a person that is in contact whit our customers. What do you think they will say when the sales person don’t know what @ sign is? And on top of it all she is blaming the system and being rude on the phone. It might sound harse the way i wrote it but i wasn’t being rude when “i said you don’t need to spell @ sign for me”. If you accept a job that says “required basic computer knowledge”. And to Mr Not quite over the hill. If i applied for a job that required me to work whit a mimeograph i would make it my bizniz learning how it works or not take the job. It’s as stupid as taking a job as a car mechanic and not knowing where the engine is.
Sadly you CAN send e-mail without @. All you need is Outlook and a corp directory. It will only show the person’s name. Perpetuating this idea. *sighs*