The Mystery of the Disconnected Invoice Printer: A Classic Tech Support Facepalm
There are few things more frustrating than a printer that refuses to do its one job. But if you think printers have a mind of their own, wait until you meet the users. Today’s tale from the trenches of tech support will have you laughing, facepalming, and maybe even flashing back to your own “is it plugged in?” moments. Ready for a classic? Let’s untangle the saga of the invoice printer that wouldn’t print—because it wasn’t connected to anything at all.
The Printer That Wasn’t There
Our story opens in the hallowed days of hardwired cables and AS400 databases—back before Wi-Fi, remote desktop, or even a decent internet connection were common. A customer calls in, frantic: their invoice printer, which is absolutely essential to their business, just won’t print. They insist it’s hooked up to the computer named “PCNAME.”
The tech on the other end (u/Hammon_Rye, the original poster) is stuck peering into the abyss of printer statuses via a slow dial-up connection to the AS400, all while juggling a phone call with the increasingly impatient customer. “We need our invoice printer now!” the customer demands, the stress palpable. But no matter how many times the tech checks the network, that printer simply refuses to show up.
At this point, our tech support hero has learned not to take everything at face value. "Let's trace the cables," they suggest—an idea met with stubborn resistance. The customer insists, repeatedly and emphatically, that the printer is connected to PCNAME. But finally, after some gentle insistence, the truth comes out: the cable, rather than being plugged into anything, is just... lying on the desk.
Cue (not queue!) the collective facepalm. The critical connection never existed because the computer was out for repairs, and the cable was abandoned in no man’s land. The mystery was solved, the printer was quickly rehomed to a working PC, and the day was saved—not by technical wizardry, but by a little patience and a lot of cable tracing.
Why Do Users Insist? The Human Element of Tech Support
If you’ve ever worked tech support, you’re probably nodding along. As commenter u/Starfury_42 dryly put it, “Rule 1: End users lie.” But are they really lying? More often, they’re just convinced they’re right—even when reality says otherwise.
One of the most upvoted responses, from u/Chocolate_Bourbon, nails this dynamic with a hilarious analogy: it’s like telling your spouse the car is in the driveway because that’s where you always park it—even when it’s actually around the corner. Human memory is a funny thing; habit overrides actual observation, and suddenly, the invoice printer is “connected” to a computer that isn’t even in the building.
The community had plenty of ideas for how techs should deal with these situations. u/ww11gunny jokingly suggested that IT professionals should be allowed “percussive maintenance on one user/client a month with no repercussions.” OP chimed in, joking, “Wish it was so sometimes,” but gave credit to their employer for not letting customers cross the line into abuse. In fact, as they recounted, management once told a chronically rude customer that they’d be dropped if they didn’t change their attitude—a rare but heartening victory for tech workers everywhere.
Cables, Clue-by-Fours, and the Art of Troubleshooting
The physicality of tech support in the pre-remote era meant that “tracing the cable” wasn’t just a metaphor—it was a lifeline. As several commenters reminisced, sometimes the only problem was a cable not plugged in, a monitor not powered, or (in one memorable case) a fan causing interference with a CRT monitor.
The community even got creative about tools for user attitude adjustment. u/Candid_Ad5642 proposed a “two feet of clue by four,” and u/NotPrepared2 introduced the legendary LART—Luser Attitude Readjustment Tool. For those feeling especially whimsical, there’s always RITA, the Reliable Internetwork Troubleshooting Agent (yes, a rubber chicken, as per RFC2321), ready for ceremonial debugging.
But behind the jokes lies a kernel of wisdom: technology is only as reliable as its connections—both literal and human. As OP noted, remote desktop software eventually made things easier, reducing the “unintentional but incorrect information” that so often made troubleshooting an adventure. But for the physical stuff—those pesky cables—there’s still no substitute for having someone on-site willing to check.
Lessons Learned: Patience, Persistence, and Empathy
So what can we take away from the saga of the disconnected invoice printer? For one, never underestimate the power of asking the obvious question—even if you’ve already asked it five times. Users might not be trying to mislead you; they may just be overwhelmed, stressed, or stuck in their own assumptions.
As OP reflected, it’s all about patience and a bit of gentle prodding. And sometimes, it’s about having a good laugh—because if you don’t, you’ll end up needing your own LART or RITA just to get through the day.
Whether you’re a battle-hardened tech or an everyday user, remember: the answer might just be lying on the desk—unplugged, unseen, and waiting for someone to look.
Conclusion: Your Turn to Share!
Have you ever spent hours troubleshooting only to discover the solution was right in front of you? Maybe you’ve been the befuddled user—or the heroic tech support. Share your war stories, facepalms, and best “is it plugged in?” moments in the comments below. And next time your printer won’t print, well… check the cable. Trust us.
Original Reddit Post: The (disconnected) invoice printer won't print.