$&#^$*^#%$ Email

Today my office changed its email from one we have been using for many years to another service. The company gave out simple instructions on what needed to be done by us employees, to make sure the transition went well. These instructions were spoon fed to us over a few days and in small manageable doses. They set up help desk for questions and had our IT dept available for help. They did everything they could to make it a success. This of course means, it has been hell.

I do not mind change. I welcome the updated technology and the benefit it can bring. I want the latest, fastest, piece of equipment that is available. I just want it to look, run, and act as my old one. If there is any problems we could always call the help desk. Our help desk is probably like the help desk in your company. They answer the phone, put you on hold, come back on to let you know they are working on the problem, and offer to call you back. Which they do, usually about three hours after you have solved the problem. No our luck has not been with our help desk, but our intern Paula. She is a recent graduate here for the summer. For the last three hours she has been answering questions, helping configure things that, well, just need configuring, and other technical stuff like that.

What I did notice was the look. As she answered the most basic questions I had, there appeared a look, a cross somewhere between “I am more than happy to help, and “move the dam cursor to the left, no your other left, you senile old fool.” I know I deserved the look, hell if she got my email running she could stomp on my toes for all I cared. She was being peppered with questions from all directions and to her credit she answered each one and in fact got us all up and running.

I don’t know if anyone fully understands what Paula does here. Hell, if twenty years from now I find out she was stealing company secrets and trading them for unmarked Tens and Twenties I would be surprised but still grateful to her. At least now, I could email someone the news.