Ten Truly Bizarre Help Desk Questions and Requests

As a CIO, you should always convey your appreciation for good help desk workers. Especially those who are capable of fielding the following bizarre employee and user questions and requests, taken from a recent survey from Robert Half Technology. CIOs were asked, "What is the strangest or most unusual request you or a member of your help desk or technical support team has ever received?" A number of responses reflect how certain employees still struggle to "get" technology. Others speak the willingness of users to abuse their company's tech tools. Then, there are flat-out outrageous requests that challenge a help desk employee's resolve (not to mention sense of ethics). While the exchanges are more amusing than alarming, they underscore a more serious situation: help desk morale. In fact, the annual turnover rate for these workers exceeds 30%, as many say they experience considerable stress on the job while feeling undervalued, according to industry findings. The following bizarre help desk questions and requests were compiled from Robert Half Technology's research, for which more than 2,700 CIOs in the U.S. and Canada took part.