Password reset suckage scenario #1

[Blade_Raver]

Easiest calls in the world, password resets, right? Wrong!

This happened about a year ago.

I'm trying to keep this as generalized as I can because I do not wish to reveal the identity of my current employer.

ME: Tech support drone supreme
SC: lolwut?

SC: I can't login. I forgot my password/locked my account.
ME: Okay, what's your User ID?
SC: My wut? (Yes, the level of intelligence of how it was said doesn't merit a proper spelling.)
ME: (Saying it slower and more articulate yet not rudely) Your User ID, sir?
SC: It's x####. (UserID's start with 4 letters, 4 numbers)
ME: Where are you calling from?
SC: (Company name.)
ME: Which location of (company name) are you calling from?
SC: (Gives state name)
ME: Okay, are you at...(I start naming some of the most called properties the company owns within that state)
SC: (Interrupts) (Property, City, State)
ME: Okay. All User IDs from there start with a C.
SC: Uhh, it's Cxxx####.
ME: Okay. One moment please.

(Waits 3-4 minutes for the ticket display screen to load up because at night those servers are running backups. Day crew gets it to load up within 10 seconds)

ME: Am I speaking with (Person's name)?
SC: Yeah.
ME: What's the last 4 of your social?

Scenario 1:
SC: It's ####.
(I check it, it verifies. I set a temporary password on the account. It's flagged to be changed at next login. Most of these people log into terminals, the passwords can't be changed at the remote terminals but at the actual PCs themselves.)
ME: Okay, your new password is (password). Please login to windows on a regular PC and change your password before logging into any other terminals.
SC: Okay. Thanks, bye. (click)

If only it did end that way... but as we all know, this is CS, it never ends like that.

ME: (Company) Helpdesk, Blade speaking.
SC: I can't log in after you reset my password.
ME: What did you do after I reset your password?
SC: I tried to login.
ME: Login to what?
SC: The system.
ME: Which system?
SC: The one I use.
ME: Windows?
SC: Yeah.
ME: On a terminal or a regular computer?
SC: I don't know.
ME: Tell me what the screen looks like.

He reads off the screen, it's a piece of proprietary software that he's trying to login to.

ME: That's the problem. You need to login to windows on a regular PC first and change your password before you try to login to (proprietary software).
SC: How do I do that?
ME: Ask your manager/supervisor. He or she will be able to get you to the right computer to change password before going back to the system.
SC: I don't want to. Why don't you just set my password and forget about all this mess so I can get back to work?
ME: IT Security policy states....
SC: (Interrupts)I don't care! I need to go to work and you're stopping me! Get it fixed now!
ME: Sir, if I break IT Security policy, I get terminated. Period.
SC: Well, why did other people do it for me before?
ME: Shouldn't have happened. Can you tell me who did it how long ago it was done? That's a violation of IT Security policy and they can be terminated for this.
SC: No.
ME: Thinking: Then your point is irrelevant! Sir, I can only do what I've been advised to do. Get to a regular computer and call me back and I'll walk you through it step by step if you wish. Otherwise, you're not going to be able to get into the system until your password is changed. That's IT Security policy.
SC: I don't like your tone or your attitude. I'm going to complain to the higher ups! You're gonna be gone!
ME: If you're going to launch a complaint, here's the ticket number....
SC: (interrupts) I don't need no ticket number! I'm gonna tell my boss and you're outta there and they'll put in someone who can do his job right!
ME: If you're going to launch a complaint, they're going to see the notes on the ticket, granted that the call is recorded anyways, here's the ticket number. Please write it down. Ready?
SC: (fumbling noises) Ok, ready.
ME: It's ##########.
SC: Ok.
ME: I'll also send an email to my boss so they can pull the recordings and review them along with setting up a time to discuss this with you or your management.
SC: Nevermind man, I'm not going to tell my boss.
ME: Understood. So, do you want to go to a regular computer and I'll walk you through how to reset your password?
SC: Yeah. I'll call you back in about 10 minutes. (click)

He never calls back for the rest of the night.
I send the email to my management regarding this issue.
Not another word is heard about it.

I'll post more of them in this thread later.

[Eric the Grey]

Gotta love it when they back down after their attempt at getting their way fails and you don't back down.

I've had a couple of those. One system in particular at the company I work for requires us to send new/changed passwords via email to keep people from changing someone else's and getting into areas they should not. Not everybody likes that idea.



Eric the Grey

[Captain Trips]

Gotta love it when they back down after their attempt at getting their way fails and you don't back down.

Not really their "attempt" but more like when they realize their empty threat is meeting a real response -- and that they also realize that if they did follow through that THEY will be the one in trouble for trying to circumvent company policy!

[draggar]

SC: I don't want to. Why don't you just set my password and forget about all this mess so I can get back to work?
ME: IT Security policy states....
SC: (Interrupts)I don't care! I need to go to work and you're stopping me! Get it fixed now!
ME: Sir, if I break IT Security policy, I get terminated. Period.
SC: Well, why did other people do it for me before?

Its funny how people don't care about policies when it's not their job on the line.

[Eric the Grey]

Its funny how people don't care about policies when it's not their job on the line.

And how they can never tell you exactly who "they" were. I run into that a lot.



Eric the Grey

[Blade_Raver]

Password reset suckage #2

Another one that happened about a year and a half ago.

ME: Tech support drone supreme
SC: lolwut?

Scenario 2 - Assume 75-100% of everything that happened in Scenario 1 up to asking of the last 4 of the SSN, and we get to:

ME: Am I speaking with (Person's name)?
SC: Yeah.
ME: What's the last 4 of your social?
SC: I don't know.
ME: You don't know the last 4 digits of your social security number?
SC: No.
ME: (sigh)...ok....
SC: It's not my account, it's someone else's.
ME: I asked you if you were (Person's first and last name) and you said yes.
SC: I just use his account.
ME: Company IT Security policy prohibits this.
SC: Well then why did I call someone else a while back and they reset the password?
ME: Can you tell me who did? That's a terminable offense as it violates IT Security policy.
SC: No.
ME: If I can speak to (Account holder) and authenticate him I'll reset his password.
SC: Well, he's not here right now.
ME: Then there's nothing else I can do. Why haven't you sent in a request to IT Security to have your own account?
SC: Nobody told me anything about that.
ME: Talk to your supervisor and he should get you set up with the proper forms to request it.
SC: Ok. In the meantime what do I do?
ME: I'm not sure what you mean by that question. I can't reset the password to the account because you're not that person nor do you wish to put me in touch with that person.
SC: I need to get these (insert name of company property) done now!
ME: And if I completely disregard IT Security policy and reset the password, I will be terminated. Call your supervisor.
SC: I will, and report your ass for failing to do your job!
ME: Here's the ticket number...
SC: I don't need a ticket number. I'm just gonna tell my boss.
ME: If you want my management to review the notes on this call along with pulling up the call records, I suggest you also make mention of this ticket number along with your complaint.
SC: Okay, gimme the number.
ME: (Ticket number)
SC: Got it, you're in trouble now.
ME: (rolling eyes - whatever dude) I'll be sending management a notification regarding this issue so they'll be expecting a call from you or your supervisor.
SC: Fuck you! (click)

[Damien]

can you send this transcript to his supervisor?

[Blade_Raver]

Company's so large, I don't know who reports to who anymore..

Besides, it's been a year and a half ago. Call records are most likely purged by now...

I'm just recalling memories to entertain the readers here at CS.

For all I know the guy who called that in probably doesn't work there anymore, with all the job cuts and all.

[mattm04]

I recently discovered a user had shared their logon info with another user. The originia user ahs access to the most confidential financial records in the org. The other user needed to us the net to respond to some emails in their Hotmail account. I did not get the call from user A when they wondered why they could not access their account and demanded it reset immidetley. Not until you have a friendly chat with management and they tell me what to do.