This is the first in (maybe) a series of “Tales From Tech Support”, which are true stories from my point of view. I’ll probably only post these on a Friday.
In the 1990s, I worked as a contractor for a large, well-established accounting firm.
We’d often buy new equipment and unpack it at the helpdesk, throw away all the packaging, and then take the actual kit to the user for deployment. That meant in our helpdesk area, we had hundreds of copies of the same manual for equipment. So we had a policy to throw most of the manuals away and only keep one or two in our ’library'.
In today’s story, I was deploying brand-new (and decent for the time) 17" CRT displays to partners around the company. They previously used 15" CRTs, so these were the most welcome upgrades. We would take them out to the user, set them all up successfully, then walk away.
We got a call from one of the partners, so I was sent up to deal with it. I walked into his office and left the door open behind me.
partner: I just got this monitor, where’s the manual?
me: Oh, we threw most of them away.
partner: WHAT!?
me: We have hundreds of mo…
At this point, he flipped his shit completely. He was seated while I was standing the other side of his large mahogany desk. He was full-on red-faced shouting at me, with everyone outside his office able to hear it.
partner: HOW DARE YOU! IT’S MY MONITOR! THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! I CAN’T BELIEVE YOUR ARROGANCE THAT YOU’D DECIDE TO THROW AWAY SOMETHING THAT CAME WITH MY OWN EQUIPMENT! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!!?
me: We have hundreds of monitors, and no need for all of the manuals..
partner: I NEED the manual!
me: Ok. Sorry.
I was somewhat stunned into silence. Part of me thought, “I am a contractor here. I could just say ‘fuck you’ and walk out”, but I stood and took it. He kept going for what seemed like ages but was probably just a minute or so.
partner: (still shouting, but I’ll dial down the caps) Who is your boss!?
me: Mike runs the helpdesk, John is the partner in charge
He picks up the phone to my boss’s boss and angrily explains to John down the phone that he’s outraged, that we’re all terrible people.
Over the course of a minute or so, his voice lowers as he’s calmed. I have no clue what John said to the guy, but he must have been some kind of “partner whisperer” because the conversation became civil after the phone call.
partner: (still on phone, but very calm).. Ok John, appreciate that, thanks very much for your help.
He calmly hangs up, then turns to me and says, in the most polite voice.
partner: John tells me you’re able to explain all the features of the monitor, and how I can adjust it?
me: Sure thing.
I spend no more than 5 minutes explaining in detail the six or so clearly labeled buttons on the front of his monitor.
partner: Thanks very much for your time.
me: No problem
I walk away, close the door and that’s it.
I had no idea at the time that people in the workplace would or could speak to co-workers like that and not apologise. It was enlightening!