One bright Monday morning, I received a ticket from a user that immediately made me pause and smirk. The ticket subject was simply: “Can my computer make coffee?” Naturally, I opened it, curious to see if this was some sort of prank or a genuine question from someone who might have been working a bit too hard on Friday night.
The message read: “Hi, I was wondering if there’s a setting or software that will allow my computer to brew coffee. I’ve been working so much that I could really use one without leaving my desk. Please let me know if this is possible or if I need to order something extra for my setup. Thanks!”
I double-checked the sender’s details—they were a very real, very busy finance analyst, not known for tech jokes. I considered replying with a clever quip about my own non-existent coffee module for PCs, but I decided to keep it professional and straightforward.
I replied explaining that, while modern computers do many amazing things, they unfortunately do not have built-in coffee makers or the capability to physically brew coffee. However, I did suggest a few smart home gadgets—like Wi-Fi enabled coffee makers—that could be controlled via a phone or computer app to automate their caffeine needs. I even threw in a cheeky note: “If only we could cram a coffee machine inside a CPU, the productivity might skyrocket!”
The response was an earnest thank you, accompanied by a follow-up question: “Do you think we can get IT to approve a smart coffee maker for the office break room? Our caffeine requirements have definitely reached enterprise level.”
While no ticket in the history of tech support made me laugh quite like this one, it reminded me that sometimes users’ creativity and exhaustion result in truly heartfelt—and human—questions. And if the IT department ever does approve a smart coffee maker, I’ll be sure to send a ticket requesting one with extra espresso shots included.