Long lines at IT walk-in service cause frustration

Students on the North-West University’s Potchefstroom (NWU) campus are upset about the long lines and slow service at the Student IT walk-in service, where they get help with issues such as software and Wi-Fi support.

The Student IT walk-in service is in F20 next to the School of Communication.

Students often complain about the slow service at the IT walk-in service because getting help is a long process and they do not have enough time to queue. “I went to the IT place last Wednesday, I spent almost three hours waiting for assistance, the queue was too long and I was late for my class,” Nelisiwe Bezana (23), a senior corporate communication student, said.

Thato Tlhanyane (30), IT assistant, said, “The IT walk-in service opens at 08:00 and closes at 17:00. There are eight workers per day to assist students in the centre and we assist more than 100 students per day, the place is always packed at the beginning of the year.”

Louis Jacobs, the director of corporate communication of the NWU Potchefstroom campus, said on average in 2020, the Student IT walk-in service has attended to 200 student walk-in requests per day, totalling 3 000 requests over three weeks.

The IT walk-in service on the Potchefstroom campus is very small compared to the one on the North-West University Vaal campus, which has two Student IT walk-in service points. They are spacious and there are enough assistants to help students at all times during working hours. 

“The NWU Vaal Student IT walk-in service provides fast service because there are two options. If building 13 is full or has a few students waiting for assistance, you can go to building 9A. You won’t spend more than 30 minutes waiting for assistance,” said senior political science student, Thato Phiri (25), who transferred from the NWU Vaal campus.

“Here on the NWU Potchefstroom campus, it’s a different story. The IT walk-in service is small, and it is always full, inside and out.” 

The NWU Vaal Student IT walk-in service points both have enough IT assistants to help students, according to Zenande Xhabuza (24), a temporary IT assistant. “There are also temporary assistants that are hired to help with students during the first busy weeks of February after university re-opens,” she said.

Jacobs said both IT and the NWU management on the Potchefstroom campus are aware of the problems with the high demand for IT services at the beginning of each year. IT keeps statistics on the demand and supply, and many efforts are made to address the issues.

Temporary staff are employed in Potchefstroom, too. “We double the number of staff dedicated to the Student IT walk-in service at the beginning of the year by appointing temporary staff,” Jacobs said. 

Jacobs further said IT has launched various marketing initiatives to improve the availability of information and self-help solutions. “We launched a discord channel, and regularly distribute pamphlets with all the necessary information and self-help guides to assist students to connect to the Wi-Fi, change their passwords; and install free software,” he said.

The goal of these information pamphlets is to empower the students to help themselves and to eliminate the need for them to visit the Student IT walk-in service.