Computer Tech Support Stories

Over the years I have read hundreds of stories about calls from customers to the computer tech support lines. an example is the customer who calls in and asks where the 'any key' is on the keyboard, cos the error message on the screen is telling him to "Press any key to continue".

Now most of these stories are humorous and I suspect most are are in reality 'urban myths'.

One particularly good story involves a customer calling in and claiming that her coffee cup holder was broken. The myth is that the customer was using the CD drives pop out tray as a coffee cup holder.


I am sure that many of you have read this story in some shape or form and share my very skeptical view about its truthfulness.

Well have I got a story for you! I do actually have a real job. I develop courses and teach people about computers. I operate out of a computer lab and our students are mainly low income or from the homeless community. It is a fairly exciting gig, because you just never know what is going to happen next!

A while back I was teaching a class about Microsoft Excel and was waxing lyrically about its shortcomings. To illustrate my point I had my back to the students so that I could point out something on the projection screen. I turned back, and to my horror saw that one of the students had indeed put their cup of coffee on the coffee cup holder.

I walked over and removed it, asking "Why did you do that"? The answer left me speechless. "I didn't want to put it on the desk in case I knocked it over and it spilt into the keyboard"

So there you have it, this is NOT an urban legend, I have actually seen it!