(In)appropriate responses required!

[Belmit]

Received the following email into our helpdesk inbox from a lecturer, from home, on Sunday evening.


To: Helpdesk
From: Lecturer
Subject: vista help.. no box for typing only red cross what do I do?
Message Body: <blank>


This message boggles my mind on about four different levels. It's the kind of email you'd get from someone trying to make contact after being kidnapped and finding a ten second window to access a computer when the kidnapper leaves the room.

It also reminded me of the Red Dwarf episode White Hole.

Rimmer: 'Whiteholespewingtimeenginesdeadairsupplylowadvise please.' ;D

[semi-pro waster]

I'd probably take the BOFH approach and reply "Thank you for your message, we are currently investigating and will have a solution by 28/2/07." then ignore it and hope it was important. ;)

Another might be to just ask them to press the red cross and then remotely reboot their machine just to mess with them anyway.

I've never used Vista so I don't have a clue what the man is on about but I might also be tempted to go with being a shade snide, acknowledge that subject headers in emails are a good first step but that a bit of text in the message body would not go amiss.

Good luck sorting whatever it is.

[Kell_ee001]

I'd probably take the BOFH approach and reply "Thank you for your message, we are currently investigating and will have a solution by 28/2/07." then ignore it and hope it was important. ;)

Also make sure you put this message in the subject and leave the body blank :D

[mejinks]

Dear Lecturer, thank you for your recent e-mail to the helpdesk. Unfortunately, there was no requirement for telepathy when the helpdesk posts were filled, thus Im a little underqualified. Please could you outline where the error occurred and what you were doing at the time.

Helpdesk

Or

To: Lecturer
From: Helpdesk
Subject: RE: vista help.. Suggest using pen and paper
Message Body: <blank>

[Belmit]

Good luck sorting whatever it is.

Since we don't support Vista, or home PCs, I'm not too worried! That's just two of the four ways I was boggled; not because lecturers should know it's not supported but that common sense would dictate that we have nothing to do with their personal computers and probably know as much about Vista as they do!

[Justsomebloke]

Dear Numpty
Despite rumours to the contrary we are not mind readers. Learn English and describe your problem in full and i may help. Otherwise stay the **** out of my in box.
Kind regards
Someone obviously brighter than you.

[Robert]

I send work in over the web and compress it using winrar - now most times I get a reply asking why they can't open it. I'm sorry - but this maybe only me who thinks that, but when I see an extension I don't quite know, google quickly reveals the anwer.

I won't change as it obviously annoys the lecturers :D

[petemc]

To: Lecturer
From: Helpdesk
Subject: RE: vista help.. Sux 2 b u
Message Body: <blank>

[Kell_ee001]

To: Lecturer
From: Helpdesk
Subject: RE: vista help.. Sux 2 b u
Message Body: <blank>

Winner! :D