I love tech support… November 26, 2008
Posted by kimayars Uncategorized
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I have been working in tech support for a few years, and have some great stories to tell. They go beyond the “where is the any key” jokes (I once helped a guy buy some porn — one of the “perks” working for a company that streams video). After my first daughter was born, I stopped working and only recently picked up a part-time job doing IT support for a small local non-profit organization.
I love this job. It’s not the work, but the people. This has got to be the nicest company I have ever worked for. There are 50 employees: 47 women and 3 men. No one is trying to prove they know more than the other person. I listen to their tech problem, I fix it, we exchange a cookie recipe, and the day goes on. Fixing PC’s is not my dream job, but working in this environment is. That’s why this particular call today still has me giggling…
I’m at the grocery story with two wired little girls running through the aisles, trying to find a specific type of Afrin that a friend swears clears up sinus problems almost instantly. Just as I find it, my phone rings. It’s work.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Kim?”
“Yup! What’s up?”
“Marsha’s computer is burning.”
“What? Is it unplugged?”
“Well, it’s cool to the touch now.”
“Is it running?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Really? Holy cow. Is it smoking.”
“No, but can you come take a look at it?”
“Oh sure, you bet. I’ll be there in about 10 minutes.”
Here’s the other perk of my job: I’m almost always only 10 minutes away. In fact everything in North Bend is 10 minutes away. I bought my Afrin, loaded the kids in the car, self-medicated my sinuses, and drove the 1/2 mile to work (I was almost feeling guilty starting up the car).
There was definitely a brown residue on the underside of the PC. But the chassis wasn’t melted, and when I opened the case there was no hardware near the “burn site”. Then I flaked off some of the residue. Hrm. Some hot water and two paper towels later, I had determined that it wasn’t a burn. It was food. My best guess was that some sort of coffee-flavored candy rolled under the PC chassis and melted. And I say coffee-flavored because that’s what it smelled like. (I did manage to keep myself from trying a taste-test.)
Yup, I got called in to clean up a run-away snack. Needless to say I believe that Marsha was teased appropriately, especially since the news was delivered to her during a staff meeting.
But as with most things at this job, smiles, laughs, and playful ribbing kept what could have been a painfully embarrassing situation light.
And I got a great story to tell. Thanks Marsha!
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