I've heard this joke before. Someone I know sent this to me by email, purporting it to be a true event and that the help desk person was fired and is now suing to get his job back.
I suspect its false, but figured I'd ask anyway.
This has got to be one of the funniest I've heard of
in a long time. I
think this guy should have been promoted, not fired.
This is a true story
from the word Perfect Help line which was transcribed
from a recording
monitoring the
customer care department. Needless to say, the Help
Desk employee was
fired. However, he is currently suing the Word Perfect
organization for
"Termination without Cause." This is the actual
dialogue of a former Word Perfect
Customer Support employee.
(now I know why they record these conversations).
"Rich Hall, computer assistance; may I help you?"
"Yes, well, I'm having trouble with Word Perfect."
"What sort of trouble?"
"Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden
the words went
away."
"Went away?"
"They disappeared."
"Hmmm. So what does your screen look like now?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"It's a blank; it won' t accept anything when I type."
"Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?"
"How do I tell?"
"Can you see the C: prompt on the screen?"
"What's a sea-prompt?"
"Never mind, can you move your cursor around the
screen?"
"There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept
anything I type."
"Does your monitor have a powe! r indica tor?"
"What's a monitor?"
"It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like
a TV. Does it have
a little light that tells you when it's on?"
"I don't know."
"Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find
where the power
cord goes into it. Can you see that?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if
it's plugged into
the wall."
"Yes, it is."
"When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that
there were two
cables plugged into the back of it, not just one?"
"No."
"Well, there are. I need you to look back there again
and find the other
cable."
"Okay, here it is."
"Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged
securely into the back
of your computer."
"I can't reach."
"Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is?"
"No."
"Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean
way over?"
"Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle,
it's because it's
dark."
"Dark?"
"Yes, the office light is off, and the only light I
have is coming in
from the window."
"Well, turn on the office light then."
"I can't."
"No? Why not?"
"Because there's! a power failure."
"A power........a power failure?.... Aha, Okay, we've
got it licked
now.
Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing
stuff your
computer came in?"
"Well, yes, I keep them in the closet.
"Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it
up just like it
was when you got it. Then take it back to the store
you bought it from."
"Really? Is it that bad?"
"Yes, I'm afraid it is."
"Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell
them?"
"Tell them you're too stupid to own a computer."
