The life of being an "IT Pro" is not all glamorous, people want to ask you questions at your busiest times. If you (in rarity) have the time to answer a question, you are personable and given a "genius" gold star by the inquirer. If time is not a luxury you can afford (average case scenario) you may come off without the actual intent of being, condescending, short, hurried and even inexplicably frustrated when answering a query posed to you. If you don't have the time to come down off of your perceived throne to even address the issue (i.e. appear to ignore the inquiry while deep in thought), people perceive you as a d*** (whether they're right or wrong will require a long look in the mirror). I will state, here and now, that offensive words will be censored (free speech or not I don't wish to offend anyone with my posting of words thought to be ill, though I may offend others for not doing so).
The best scenario is of course number 1, so I need not explain that further. However, scenarios number 2 and 3, I can teach you to avoid. The answer to these last two scenarios are answered by the simple response of, "I'm a little busy at the moment, can I get back to you about that later?" This will tell them 2 things: 1. You're busy (you're a person with a workload too) and 2. You have noted their question and you will try to come up with a solution by your next meeting.
We are not generally frustrated people. We're not aliens or abnormalities to the human condition. We're the same as you, though interests may differ.
As an inquirer (yes we request a little effort as well) there are some things you can do to help your answer resolve quicker if your IT guy/girl is pressed for time. Try the following:
1. Help - Most programs (unless very cheaply made) have some form of help. Most people/end users neglect this method to save themselves time from reading and use the excuse of it being too technical. Read the help as it usually provides step-by-step instructions on simple questions for resolution. Believe it or not that's how I got my start on knowing my way around a lot of different software.
2. Asking another co-worker/friend - If the question, when posed to yourself seems simple, there are chances that others might have a solution. You'd be surprised at the combined knowledge of our species, this holds true for all levels of technical ability.
3. Google - www.google.com has been my friend for a long while and as such has served my needs for finding answers across the whole spectrum of lifes little issues, technical and non, complex or no. Plus, it's a lot better to attempt this and tell your technician you have done so, than to receive a lmgtfy.com (let me google that for you) link. You can start your own search for answers by following the example:
Question as you would pose to a technician:
"Is it possible to do ________ with Office 20XX?"
As you would enter it on Google.com:
"Is it possible to do ________ with Office 20XX?"
Following those steps may help you save time and even provide more answers to questions you have had for a while about computer software, hardware and uses. There are a number of technicians who have dedicated their lives to helping others become "tech savvy" with instructions that can tackle issues from almost any angle. Much like a newspaper, there are authors you will like and others, not so much. Take the time and opportunity to read here and there.
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