The Day I Was the Tech Support Problem (And Learned the Ultimate Humility Hack)
We’ve all heard the phrase “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” But sometimes, the most brilliant tech minds can be stumped by the most basic questions. Today’s story is a humbling confession from the frontlines of IT: the day a seasoned support pro realized the real issue wasn’t the expensive docking station, the user, or even the hardware… but themselves.
If you’ve ever spent hours troubleshooting a “broken” device, only to realize it just wasn’t plugged in, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re in some pretty great—and hilarious—company.
When the Tech Support Pro Is the Problem
Redditor u/BitBird- shared their favorite (and most humbling) tech support story: a frantic user called in about a brand-new, top-of-the-line docking station that just wouldn’t work. No video, no USB, not even a flicker of life. BitBird- ran through every fix in the book—firmware updates, new cables, different ports—for a solid hour, on the verge of declaring the unit defective.
As a last-ditch effort, they asked the user to read the model number off the bottom. That’s when the user, after some confusion, replied: “It says ‘AC/DC Adapter.’”
The punchline? The user had plugged their laptop’s power brick into the dock’s USB-C port, and the dock’s own power supply was still snuggled up in the box. The “dead” docking station wasn’t broken—it was just unpowered.
The silence on the call, BitBird- recalls, was “profound.” No one said “I told you so.” Sometimes, the solution is so embarrassingly simple it humbles everyone involved.
“Is It Plugged In?”—The Oldest (and Still the Best) Troubleshooting Trick
You might think this kind of mistake is rare, but the r/TalesFromTechSupport community would beg to differ. In fact, the “is it plugged in?” move is such a universal trope that u/bluehost joked, “Honestly, it’s wild how often the fix is ‘plug it in.’ Gotta love the ones where the fix is so simple it physically hurts to admit.”
Other users shared their own tales of woe and wisdom:
- u/dbear848 confessed to calling the cable company about a “defective” router, only to sheepishly realize the cable wasn’t plugged in. “I apologized to the rep for not figuring that out on my own.”
- u/LeafyAster revealed a clever trick: instead of asking users if a printer is on (and getting defensive “of course it is!”), they’d ask users to turn it off and back on. Cue the sheepish: “Oh, it was already off. I’m so sorry.”
- And for the classic “power outage” gotcha, u/jeffrey_f told of a 35-minute POS troubleshooting session that ended when the user needed a flashlight—because the storm had knocked out power to the whole building. “As soon as the power is restored, this problem will self correct.”
The consensus? Even the most experienced techs double and triple-check the basics. As u/No-Algae-7437 puts it: “Is it plugged into the AC outlet? No…really…go check…now is the other end of the cord plugged into your pc? No…really…go check…”
Furry Friends and Accidental Saboteurs
Of course, not every tech mishap is entirely human error. Sometimes, our pets are the real IT gremlins.
u/Inconsequentialish shared a story about a router with a big, mysterious button on top. After much confusion, the tech suggested pressing it. “And lo, it sprang back to life.” Turns out, that button toggled the Wi-Fi, and the family cat was the prime suspect in shutting it off.
u/Elvessa had a similar feline fiasco: her slightly “wider than he should be” cat would sit on a decorative box housing the TV remote, turning the TV on and flipping through channels. “Apparently that decorative box didn’t withstand 14 lbs sitting on top of it,” she wrote, “so the top would bend inward and push buttons on the remote…”
No wonder u/bdm68 suggested, “Do you have a cat?” should be a standard troubleshooting question.
Facepalms, Humility, and the Joy of Shared Mistakes
Why do these stories resonate so much? Because, as u/Particular_Archer499 put it, “I think most folks have those moments. Or at least I hope ‘most’ do or I’d feel dumber than I normally do.” Whether it’s plugging into the wrong HDMI port, missing an RGB strip, or forgetting a keylock, IT pros and users alike have been there.
Even the original poster, u/BitBird-, chimed in: “That’s what we’re here for my dude. Remember most of us started out helping out our grandparents in the most useless things.” The community agreed—it’s not about blame, but about patience, humility, and learning to laugh at ourselves.
And sometimes, it’s about learning to ask the right questions in the right order. As u/FuturaDD2020 summarized:
First Question for Support: Is it plugged in?
Second Question: Is it switched on?
Maybe the third should be, as u/ThunderDwn quipped: “Are you lying to me?”
Conclusion: Celebrate Your Tech Troubles (and Tell Us Your Best One!)
The next time your tech refuses to cooperate, remember: even the experts make rookie mistakes. Whether it’s a forgotten power brick, a mischievous pet, or a storm-induced blackout, sometimes the simplest solutions really are the answer.
Have you had your own “is it plugged in?” moment? Did a furry friend ever sabotage your setup? Drop your most humbling tech support tales in the comments below—let’s commiserate, laugh, and celebrate the fact that, sometimes, we’re all the problem.
Because in tech (and in life), humility is just another step in the troubleshooting process.
Original Reddit Post: My favorite tech support story is the one where I was the problem