Power To The People

(I work for a company that provides both phone support and on-site support for residential customers.)

Caller: “Hello, I seem to be having an issue with my Internet. It’s not working.”

Me: “Well, I’m sure we can fix that. First thing’s first: can we reboot the computer?”

Caller: “I don’t know how to do that.”

Me: “Well, by reboot, I mean restart. I believe you have a [Brand] computer. That should be running [Operating System], correct?”

Caller: “It’s a something [Brand]?”

Me: “Just click on the start button in the lower left-hand corner of the screen. Then select ‘Turn off computer.’”

Caller: “I can’t find the start button.”

Me: “Well, it might just be hidden. How about we just turn the power off on the laptop.”

Caller: “I don’t know how to do that.”

Me: “Just press the power button on the computer. Hold it down, and the computer will turn off.”

Caller: “I don’t know what the power button is.”

Me: “How do you normally turn the computer on or off?”

Caller: “I never have.”

(I check the records to reveal she’s had the computer for six months.)

Me: “Well, can you possibly find the power button on the computer? It could be on the side. It should be glowing green. It has the power symbol on it.”

Caller: “What’s that?”

Me: “It looks like this problem will require a tech to be sent out.”

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