Should Have Better Monitored The Situation

(I am the office manager and in-house IT department. I schedule a Monday off to go to the doctor. When I return to the office on Tuesday there are 14 notes from one of the partners about his broken computer. I call and inform his assistant I will be down soon and open my e-mail:)

Partner’s Email: “[My Name], I called your office and left several notes but you didn’t return my calls. I see a note that you left saying you wouldn’t be in but my computer is broken. I called [Repair Company] and they will be in today.”

(I call back the assistant and ask what the problem is.)

Assistant: “I have no idea; it just won’t turn on. We called repair.”

Me: “What happens when you turn it on?”

Assistant: “Nothing.”

Me: “Does the monitor come on?”

Assistant: “No. Wait, Mr. [Partner] wants to talk to you.”

Partner: “Look, I know you scheduled off weeks ago but this is important. I need this fixed NOW so I called for repair. I need you down here to be here when they arrive.”

(I hurry down to his office and glance at the computer. The monitor is unplugged.)

Me: “We should plug in the monitor before they get here. They charge by the hour so I don’t want anything slowing them down.”

(I turn to see the partner and his assistant looking sheepish as the login screen appears. Just then the repair tech arrives.)

Tech: “So, what seems to be the problem?”

Me: “His monitor won’t turn on unless it’s plugged in.”

Partner: “But I know nothing about computers!”

Tech: “I hope you know something about accounting because I’m going to have to charge you $150 for this.”