It started like any other Monday morning at the IT helpdesk. The queue was already getting crowded, and I was powering through tickets like a caffeine-fueled robot. Then a new ticket popped up that instantly made me smile.
The user, Bob, sent in a message that read: “Hi, quick question. If I turn my monitor off and then back on, does that count as IT support? Asking for a friend.”
At first, I thought it might be a prank or someone testing our sense of humor. But nope—Bob was serious. I could almost hear the sighs from the other techs nearby as they read the ticket.
I replied, “Hi Bob, turning your monitor off and on again is a great first step in troubleshooting, but it doesn’t officially count as IT support until we get involved. However, if it solves your problem, you just saved yourself a support ticket!”
Bob came back, “So if it doesn’t fix it, that’s when I call in the real IT folks?”
“Exactly,” I confirmed, grateful this person understood our mantra of ‘Turn it off and on again’ but still knew when to escalate.
What really made my day was the follow-up a few hours later: “Switched the monitor off and on, nothing changed. So, you guys are officially hired!”
I promised Bob we’d send over a specialist—by which I meant we’d be right on it remotely.
This little exchange reminded me that IT support isn’t just about fixing problems; sometimes it’s about sharing a laugh and making the user feel like part of the process. And if turning the monitor off and on again gets users thinking twice before panicking, that’s a win in my book.