The Help Desk Facepalm: When Asking for Help Goes Hilariously Wrong
Ever wondered what happens when a help desk employee needs help—only to arrive at your door with absolutely no information? No notes, no username, not even the name of the application causing chaos. Just a blank stare and a vague plea for assistance. If you’re picturing a sitcom scene, you’re not far off.
Today’s tale, courtesy of Reddit’s r/TalesFromTechSupport, dives into a real-life comedy of errors that’ll make every IT pro nod, groan, and maybe even facepalm in sympathy. Buckle up: this is "The Wrong Way to Ask for Help."
The Anatomy of a Help Desk Disaster
Let’s set the scene. A help desk employee strolls into a sysadmin’s office—a brave move, considering the sysadmin’s desk has probably seen more caffeine and chaos than most battlefield command centers. The employee announces, “I have a user on the phone who can’t open a Citrix app.”
So far, so good, right? But then comes…the interrogation.
- SysAdmin: What’s the username?
- Help Desk Employee: That’s a good question.
- SysAdmin: What’s the name of the Citrix app?
- Help Desk Employee: I don’t know.
- SysAdmin: What’s their hostname?
- Help Desk Employee: I forgot.
- SysAdmin: Have you asked anyone else in the help desk for assistance?
- Help Desk Employee: I didn’t. They were all on the phone.
- SysAdmin: Have you done any troubleshooting at all?
- Help Desk Employee: I have not. I just assumed you would take care of it.
As the post author, u/Ok_Pomelo_2685, so succinctly sums up: “All the questions I just asked you, go back and ask them.”
Lessons from the Trenches: What NOT to Do
If you’ve ever worked in IT support, you know the drill. The bare minimum for any troubleshooting is information. Username, device hostname, application name—these are your bread and butter. Without them, you’re not troubleshooting. You’re just guessing in the dark, and that’s how you end up rebooting the coffee machine instead of the user’s VM.
This story is both hilarious and instructive. Let’s break down the major missteps:
1. Show Up Prepared (or Don’t Show Up Yet):
Walking into someone’s office for help without a shred of information is like going to the doctor and saying, “I feel bad, but I won’t tell you where or how.” Help desk employees, take notes—literally!
2. Do Basic Troubleshooting First:
Even if you’re stuck, try some basic steps: log out and back in, restart the app, or check for error messages. Sometimes, you’ll solve the problem yourself (bonus points!). At the very least, you’ll have more details to offer.
3. Phone a Friend—Or, You Know, Another Help Desk Colleague:
If you’re out of ideas, ask a teammate (unless they’re all on the phone, of course). Two heads are better than one, and you might learn something for next time.
4. Don’t Assume Others Will Clean Up Your Mess:
Sysadmins are skilled, but they aren’t psychic. Handing off a problem with zero context is a quick way to get sent back to square one—and maybe earn a gentle (or not-so-gentle) lecture.
Why Does This Happen?
It’s easy to poke fun at stories like this, but there’s a deeper lesson here about training and communication. Maybe the help desk employee was new, overwhelmed, or never taught the basics of information gathering. Maybe the company’s support process is broken, or maybe it was just one of those Mondays.
But in every organization, these moments are golden opportunities for mentorship. A little guidance (“Here’s a checklist for collecting info before you escalate a ticket”) can go a long way. Humor can help, too—after all, we learn best when we’re not taking ourselves too seriously.
The Silver Lining (or, How to Turn Facepalm into High-Five)
Next time you’re on either side of the help desk divide, remember: asking for help is a skill. Bring the right info, try a few things first, and don’t be afraid to say, “I’m new, can you show me how you’d tackle this?” That’s how we all get better—and maybe, just maybe, keep the sysadmin’s eye-rolls to a minimum.
So, IT warriors and tech support survivors: what’s the funniest or most frustrating help request you’ve ever received (or given)? Share your stories in the comments—because if we can’t laugh about it, we might just cry into our keyboards.
Found this story relatable? Have a tale of your own? Drop a comment below or share this post with your favorite IT meme lord!
Source: The Wrong Way to Ask for Help on Reddit
Original Reddit Post: The Wrong Way to Ask for Help