Doctor, We’ve Got A Serious Case Of Self Loathing

(This occurs at the end of a tech support call. I’ve taken the customer through troubleshooting steps that worked, resulting in the customer being back online. He’s followed instructions better than a lot of people I talk to.)

Customer: *dejectedly* “Thanks for helping me. I’m just so stupid.”

Me: “No, no, you did great! You got it working!”

Customer: *incredibly sadly* “Yeah, but you had to tell me everything!”

Me: *trying hard to cheer him up* “Well, this is my job; I was trained for this. I’m sure you know things about your job that I wouldn’t know!”

Customer: “No, I’m stupid at my job, too…”