Me: “***** College tech support, this is *****. How can I help u?”
Caller: “Yes, I’m having trouble with my e-mail client. I can’t figure out how to set up my account.”
Me: “No problem, let me walk u through it.”
(I talk her through the account set up screens. Finally, wen we’re done…)
Me: “All right, click on ‘OK’ and u should be all set.”
Caller: “What ‘OK’? I don’t see anything that says ‘OK’.”
Me: “There’s a button to the lower right of the window that says ‘OK’, next to the ‘Cancel’ button.”
Caller: “I don’t see it.”
(This exchange goes on for abut 5 minutes. I have the program open on my computer and describe the window to make sure she’s in the right spot, and she is. I make sure she’s running the same version, she is.)
Me: “Ma’am, I have the program open right now, and there should be an ‘OK’ button to the right of a ‘”Cancel’ button…at the bottom right of the screen.”
Caller: “That’s so strange…I just don’t see one.”
Me: “Hmm. Well, what building are u in? Maybe I could help u better in person.”
Caller: “I’m in the–oh, wait! u mean THAT ‘OK’ button?”
Me: “The one at the bottom right, next to a ‘Cancel’ button?”
Caller: “Yes!”
Me: “…yes. Click on that.”
Caller: “Thank u!”
(The other IT techs were laughing throughout this whole conversation… then one informed me that the caller was actually head of the college’s financial aid department. I suddenly understood why half of my friends were having problems with their financial aid.)
