Top these: The 22 craziest employee questions

How much is the mileage rate again? What day is payday?

These are the types of questions that may drive you and your staffers a little batty now and then, especially when they get asked over and over again (sometimes by the same employee). But there’s one group that may have you beat.

Your colleagues in IT get walloped by a whole host of some of the most bizarre requests and querries. In fact, the folks at Robert Half Technology surveyed IT workers and compiled a list of some of the most out there ones.

Take a look at the list and see if Finance can top some of these:

From the category “the strangest or most unusual requests ever received”:

• “Can you come over and plug this cord in for me?”
• “How do I remove a sesame seed from a keyboard?”
• “How do I pirate software?”
• “I need help drilling a hole in the wall.”
• “Can I turn on the coffee pot with my computer?”
• “How do I clean cat hair out of my computer fan?”
• “I dropped my phone in the toilet. What should I do?”

From the category “lending a hand well outside one’s job description”:

• “Can you recommend a good dry cleaner?”
• “I can’t find my packages online. Can you help me?”
• “Can you help me repair a washing machine?”
• “We need you to fix the microwave in the lunchroom.”
• “Can you help me fix my toilet?”
• “Where can I find a video of Elvis Pressley online?”
• “Can you help me fix my chair?”
• “My car’s cup holder is broken. Can you help me fix it?”
• “Can you help us get money out of the vending machine?”

And lastly, from the category of “Computer 101 questions”:

• “Will you show me how to use the mouse?”
• “How do I send an email?”
• “How do I start the Internet?”
• “My computer won’t turn on or off.” (The computer wasn’t plugged in.)
• “How do I click on different files?”
• “I’d like to download the entire Internet so I can take it with me.”

An opportunity to train

Yes, these will certainly garner a chuckle. And perhaps your staffers can even top a few of them with some requests that have come Finance’s way.

But it’s also a great training tool for maintaining a “customer service attitude” with all your internal and external customers.

Try coming up with some more questionable questions that either you have been asked or could be. Then challenge your people to come up with the most customer-friendly, helpful responses.