Chapter 5 DQ: 7

7. A manager commented at a support staff meeting, “What you know about how to

solve technology problems is less important than the skills you have to locate

information. “Do you agree or disagree?

I totally disagree, I believe they are equally as important. I have been an IT for almost 20 years. I have almost seen it all. When I say almost, that is exactly what I mean. No matter how long I have been an IT, there is always a new problem popping up. I believe a good tech will know enough about the technology that is malfunctioning that they can troubleshoot or research the issue to find the answer or fix. A person can search all the info in the world. They will be searching a long time if they don`t have a ballpark idea of what they are looking for.

Chapter 4 Case Study 5

1. What are the relative costs of OEM versus refilled cartridges for a typical printer? (Use a
printer you have experience with as an example.) We use a HP LJ Pro 400 Color printer and the OEM cartridges cost about four times more than the refilled cartridges.


2. What factors other than cost should be considered in making a decision about OEM
versus refilled cartridges? What are the pros and cons in this decision? Refilled cartridges are not very reliable and can be temperamental. OEM cartridges may be costly, but the quality and durability cannot be beat. Refilled is cheap and green, but it is more of a it may work or it may not work once you get the cartridge back.

3. Do some printer manufacturers discourage printer users from purchasing refilled
cartridges? How? Yes, They threatan that the customers will degrade the printer or even shorten the life of the printer by not using OEM products.


4. How might the purchase and use of refilled printer cartridges impact the work of the
support team? Are users in the Production Department likely to experience increased
problems with refilled cartridges that will result in more incidents for the user support
team? The use of refilled cartridges may increase the work load if these cartridges stop working all the time, Yes.

Activity 2-6: Evaluating my communication skills

Sometimes:

·          I give my full attention to others when they talk to me.

·         I maintain eye contact throughout a conversation.

·         I display empathy.

·         I deal with conflicts and differences appropriately.

·         I respect myself in my communications with others.

·         I minimize others' unwanted behaviors effectively.

·         I optimize others' suboptimal thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

·          I respond optimally even when I am ready to explode.

·         I deal optimally with those who complain, criticize, blame and make excuses.

·         I negotiate the best solutions with all personality types

·          I assert my needs appropriately.

Rarely:

·         I share my feelings and needs when appropriate.

·         I understand and optimize non-verbal communications.

·          I communicate my boundaries effectively to others.

·         I respect the dignity and rights of others.

·         I maximize communications with those who practice one-upmanship.

·         I respond appropriately when others are off track.

According to this communication skills assessment I walk the line of average communications.  I Rarely share my feelings and recognize anyone else’s feelings. It states I sometimes pay attention to others, display empathy and del with other people in an appropriate manner. This may be due to the nature of my current and past jobs. I have been dealing with end users for over 19 years. Frankly, I’m tired of dealing with customers and it`s getting harder and harder to empathize with them. The common themes or patterns seem to be not dealing with mine and others feelings well, and not communicating with others in an appropriate manner. I believe the best way to become a better communicator is to deal with the burnout factor first. I can possess the greatest commination skills in the world. They will count for nothing If I just don`t care. Some sites that have suggestions for dealing with burnout and having better communication skills are http://lifehacker.com/5674007/burnout-and-how-to-deal-with-it  and http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/08/14/10-ways-to-communicate-better-at-work- .

CH3-Compliant Script

                The IPhone 6 is an introduction to a bigger phone than iPhone users are used to. It is a 4.7-inch screen and comes with a front 2.2 megapixel and back 8-megapixel camera. It has a new sleek design compared to its predecessors. It has a great display due to the bigger LCD screen and the 326 PPI Pixel density. It has a fast computing performance as you would expect from an apple device and the sleek design gives the user a comfortable feel for the hardware and software use.

Script:

Good Morning/Evening/Afternoon Sir or Ma`am,

This call/e-mail is in reference to your complaint about your 16 GB IPhone 6.  As we understand it, your mobile device turns off during your routine runs sometimes. Due to the nature of your complaint we would like to gather some information from you to better assist you with your issue. Can you tell me your device has the most updated OS? When was the first time you noticed the issue? How hot or how cold was it outside during your run? What type of case do you have for your IPhone? Where do you put your device when you run? How is the battery life for your device and what is the battery percentage before your routine run? Please provide the above information at your convenience and we will contact you when we have a definitive solution for your issue.

V/R Apple IPhone Guru

Activity 2-11: Poor Communications Skills

http://www.rinkworks.com/stupid/cs_stuptech.shtml

This link provides many stories of customers unsatisfied with there service. It seems that that the techs are unwilling to help or just don`t know what they are doing. Either way, it`s crazy to me that all this different companies have help desks with the same type of people. They just don`t care.

Ch3-Discussion Question/Reading Level

6.   “If a technical writer has a choice of reading levels for a document (as measured by a readability index), it is preferable to aim for a reading level that is a little too high, rather than a little too low, which might insult the intelligence of your readers.” Explain your position on this statement.

I believe the best thing a technical writer can do is consider his/her audience. If you are creating instructions for a more tech savvy audience, then there may be no need to explain typical technical words and procedures. If your audience is new to technology, then lots of graphics and explanations should be provided. I am a firm believer of K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid), so the reading level should be as low as you can go without feeling like a children’s book. I think a 4th or 5th grade reading level is great starting point, so a little too high seems reasonable to me.

"Audience." Tech Writing Handbook. Dozuki. Web. 07 Feb. 2016. <http://www.dozuki.com/Tech_Writing/chapter/5>