This could take a while

Support pilot fish at this big multinational company gets a call from a client, asking how to go about recycling a particular communication device.

"The client names the device," says fish. "I repeat back the name of the device. The client agrees the information is correct."

There's just one catch: When fish looks up the device in the database, he discovers it's under the control of a different corporate group in another country.

Fortunately, fish quickly finds the phone number for the corporate group and supplies it to the client. There's nothing more for him to do, since the device isn't controlled by fish's group.

Flash forward one week: The operations supervisor calls fish in for a royal chewing out. The reason? According to the boss, fish failed to document the problem and keep the system notes up to date on what was done to the device.

"Apparently the client spent the weekend trying to get hold of the group the number was for," fish says. "The group took the weekend off, and made no allowances for a physical intervention for their equipment.

"My new marching orders are to write up everything not done for the clients."

Sharky's got the same old marching orders for you: Write up your true tale of IT life and send it to me at sharky@computerworld.com. You'll score a sharp Shark shirt if I use it. Add your comments below, and read some great old tales in the Sharkives.

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