From a Tech. Support survivor

Once you've registered your login, please put a post here. This will help us confirm real users vs spambots, and gives everyone a chance to say hello.

Moderators: Bookworm, starkruzr, MrFireDragon, PrettyPrincess, Wapsi

Post Reply
JemPowered
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue May 23, 2017 2:54 pm
Location: Golden, BC, Canada

From a Tech. Support survivor

Post by JemPowered »

Waspi Square is one of the main reasons I am still sane, especially while working as tech. support.

Of all the PEBCAK situations, illiterate people, and other assorted idiots who phoned in, one of the worst calls involved an old fart who was unable to troubleshoot AND had the audacity to inform me that he wrote a paper on the internet while I was still in diapers.

To everyone who calls in to tech. support, be kind please. Troubleshooting can be an ordeal and difficult.

Waspi Square was my rock. And I still enjoy the series today. I really wish this would become a TV series or cartoon.
User avatar
Dave
Posts: 7584
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 5:58 pm
Location: Mountain View, CA, USA

Re: From a Tech. Support survivor

Post by Dave »

JemPowered wrote:Waspi Square is one of the main reasons I am still sane, especially while working as tech. support.

Of all the PEBCAK situations, illiterate people, and other assorted idiots who phoned in, one of the worst calls involved an old fart who was unable to troubleshoot AND had the audacity to inform me that he wrote a paper on the internet while I was still in diapers.
I commend to you the Bastard Operator From Hell series. I think you'll appreciate it. It's not exactly Tech Support, but comes within first-cousin distance of it.
To everyone who calls in to tech. support, be kind please. Troubleshooting can be an ordeal and difficult.
And, the trouble is almost never the fault of the person you're calling to do the troubleshooting... so, yeah, be kind (and fair!).

I forget who originally wrote it, so I can only paraphrase: "The life of the Technical Support staffer is rather like that of a medical Emergency Medical Technician. Granted, one working in Tech Support usually isn't out there on the streets, working at dangerous accident scenes or trying to get into a site where there's still live fire taking place. On the other hand, the EMT usually doesn't have to come in at 9 AM to the cherry news that one of the senior managers has attempted to transplant a new set of lungs into his own body, unassisted, just before a Board meeting, and needs Joe-the-EMT to immediately help him get his breathing restarted."
Waspi Square was my rock. And I still enjoy the series today. I really wish this would become a TV series or cartoon.
It's one of those that I'm not sure a media presentation could do proper justice. So much of its "kick" lies in the imagination... and in the back-and-forth discussions that we fanatics carry out off-screen. :)

It'd sure be interesting to see somebody try, though!
User avatar
Atomic
Posts: 2948
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 12:39 am
Location: Central PA
Contact:

Re: From a Tech. Support survivor

Post by Atomic »

Dave wrote:I commend to you the Bastard Operator From Hell series. I think you'll appreciate it. It's not exactly Tech Support, but comes within first-cousin distance of it.
And for further IT fun, consider Shark Tank and The Daily WTF! More fun than a barrel of code-monkies!

Actually won a Shark Tank t-shirt a long time ago....
Don't let other peoples limitations become your constraints!

My Deviant Art scribbles
The Atomic Guide to Basic GIMP Stuff
Post Reply