Re: [Computerbank] the support curse

[Bruce McCubbery <brucemcc@melbpc.org.au>]

About the COST of it..

There's the money cost
and the people cost.

How much does it currently cost in $$$ terms, has anyone any idea of some
figures we might consider? How might we quantify this, averaging the money
cost over the number of clients with computers?

Many people hate doing support work.
Only those OK with doing it, even liking it, should do it.
The numbers able to do it must be increased a lot by finding new people
with the ability and appropriate demeanour.

People currently doing support work might often be better placed elsewhere
in Computerbank.
There is a hidden cost in misplacing our volunteer workers.

Organisation will solve us getting sufficient helpers suited for this
support role -- and asking for these sort of people to volunteer on the
upcoming weekly radio segment.

The cost in dollar terms needs to be clearly identified and spelled out
fully before we can really fix that area. Limiting the money cost of
telephone calls is one thing but that must always be balanced against our
need for the computers we issue out to be well understood and used. This is
not a question to avoid examining but one to consider and resolve according
to that necessary balance, satisfactorily.

Such matters of efficiency are best done by those with experience of doing
it elsewhere.

BP had volunteers who were going to work for us *and we were going to be
paid $50 for every hour one did. Yes, that's right, they were going to not
only work for us for free but every hour one did, Computerbank got $50!
UNBELIEVABLE

Why did I mention that now, here? The BP people have numerous
non-computer-refurbishing skilled people we have never tapped into, ones
like efficiency experts, for instance.

And cost accountants..

Bruce

At 02:06 9/01/02 +1100, Bruce McCubbery wrote:
>Thank you for raising this issue on here, Pen. I don't think it's
>unsolvable at all, far from it.
>The thing is: whatever answer(s) we come up with it can be geared to
>helping everyone Australia-wide if it is mostly Web and email and document
>based.
>I'm a strong believer in many minds working together on a common problem
>being able to solve almost anything.
>Actually, although I called this thread "the support curse" I see it has
>several advantages. 
>More later on that but..
>I've suggested (perhaps it was on 'wide?) that Computerbank (all of us)
>establish what seems to be needed to add to the current three tiers of
>Linux lists. People are saying two connected things:
>1. There's a need to separate away from irritating everyone else the
>repetitious "idiot" level questions.
>2. There's a need to make sure people ask all of their questions until
>everything is working happily, both them and their computer.

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