Users contacting IT helpdesk come in various shapes and sizes, but if you dig deep, you can actually classify most of them. And this can be quite useful, too, to understand the customers and find your way towards solutions faster. So here are some types:

1. The “Expert” – this one is a customer who heard he can do something new with your merchandise from a “good friend” who did it. So he makes a complete mess out of the good and brakes it even more trying to fix the mistake by himself. After all this, the Expert contacts helpdesk and demands his product to be replaced immediately.
2. The “What If”- this type often thinks they know absolutely everything about the product and actually knows which parts are critical for its life and which are not. So the “What If” removes parts and files from the product which they don’t recognize as vital. “Suddenly” the product stops working and they contact the helpdesk. They are often angry and trying to convince you the product is broken, but once you find out what they’ve done they start to be pretty pleasant.
3. The “Paranoid” – this one is convinced the product has a mind of its own and it is actually one very grumpy mind, so it breaks almost every minute. It will stop working all by itself and not because the “Paranoid” only washed it 5 minutes ago, despite it not being waterproof. Be patient with this type – explain as much as it is needed.
4. The “I Know Better” – this type contacts helpdesk with a problem and when they receive solution they often reply with “I don’t think this will help, because…”. They are quite polite and will need a lot of convincing to follow your instructions. They will argue in a polite kind of way with you about the solution and what it could be.
5. The “Polite” – a very rare type of user which is thought to be extinct. This type uses words like “please” and “thank you”, follow procedure, listen carefully and cooperate fine. Not very likely to come upon.