Home technology

There was a time when computers existed only in the business work-place. The closest thing we had to a computer at home when I was growing up was a Texas Instruments programmable calculator bought in my senior year, yikes!

Do your employees have better technology at home than they have at work? With high-speed cable/DSL internet to the home, you may be fighting an uphill service battle, since your employees may be downgrading their expectations daily. One of the smarter things IT has done is follow a 3-4 year replacement cycle for PCs, since this closes the gap with a new home computer. But if your supporting a remote office with a T1 connection, you may be toast in comparison.

On the other hand, home computers have increased end-user tolerance to technology issues. Everyone has experienced desktop issues first hand, and most probably had a bad customer service experience with a Dell rep in India. Our users seem to now view desktop issues as beyond the control of the IT department. The trend to internet-based business applications also supports this view.

This is no excuse for not providing stellar desktop service, but you should be thinking about what you are being compared and contrasted to.