As technology continues to advance and become more integrated into our daily lives, it’s no surprise that we rely heavily on tech support to fix any issues that may arise. However, what happens when the techie is called out to a customer ASAP but upon arrival, there’s nothing to fix? In this article, we’ll explore the frustrating and sometimes confusing phenomenon of techies being called out to customers only to find out that nothing is actually wrong.
On Call Welcome once again to On Call, where readers share their tales of tech support tasks that prove futile and furtive.
This week, “Paul,” a reader, recounted the time he received a call asking him to travel to provide tech support for a customer’s site an hour away within an hour. Although he accepted, he was not provided with any details about the job and was instructed to wait for further instructions upon arriving.
It is customary to ensure that the person sent to provide support has the necessary skills to complete the task. Paul found it unusual that he wasn’t given this information.
Paul’s travel was justified because his employer had a contract with the customer stating that a tech would arrive within two hours of a request for support. The cost of having Paul travel and waiting without doing anything was more affordable than the penalties owed to the customer if nobody appeared on time.
Interestingly, Paul was frequently summoned to a lot of these types of jobs because he lived closer to clients than other colleagues who worked in his employer’s larger offices. It is unknown if the customer was aware of the situation.
Have you ever found that the best course of action in your job is to do nothing? Share your story by clicking here to email us, and we’ll consider featuring it on a future Friday edition of On Call. ®
In conclusion, being called out to a customer as a Techie may seem like a priority task that requires urgent attention. However, there are times when doing nothing is actually the best course of action. Taking the time to assess the situation, prioritize tasks, and seek assistance when necessary can help prevent exacerbating the problem and ensure a more efficient and effective resolution. So, the next time you find yourself in a similar situation, don’t be afraid to take a step back and evaluate your options before taking action.
