When Tech Support Gets Thrown Under the Bus (But Brings Receipts)
“Why isn’t it working? It worked last Friday!” If you’ve ever worked in tech support, you’ve probably heard this line—usually delivered with a sense of panic and, more often than not, a hint that the blame is about to land squarely on your shoulders. But what if, this time, the “broken” computer was actually a pile of wires... and the whole workstation had been spirited away over the weekend? Grab your coffee and settle in for a tale of IT, office politics, and the sweet, sweet satisfaction of having photographic proof on your side.
The Monday Morning Mystery: The Case of the Vanished Workstation
Our story begins, as so many IT horror stories do, with a frantic Monday morning call. The OP (u/critchthegeek) was tech support for a bustling $90 million automotive company and its smaller aftermarket plant. The call was classic: a shop floor PC wouldn’t log in, production was halted, and—naturally—it was all the IT guy’s fault.
But when our hero arrived, the plot thickened. There wasn’t a login issue, a blue screen, or even a PC. The entire desk, computer, and work cell machine had vanished into thin air. As u/Trin959 cleverly put it, “If you’re the kind of jerk who throws others under the bus, you better be sure you know who’s driving.” In this case, it turned out the plant manager was at the wheel of this particular fiasco, having moved the whole setup over the weekend… but neglected little details like power, network, or even a desk.
When Poor Planning Meets IT Reality
It’s a tale as old as time: operations wants to move fast, but infrastructure can’t just materialize out of thin air. The new “location” for the workstation was, in fact, a pile of tangled wires and equipment in the middle of the floor—no power, no network, not even a hope of productivity.
This level of “planning” resonated with many in the r/TalesFromTechSupport community. u/jamoche_2 shared a classic, “Worked at a software company… Only one side of the office had power outlets.” Construction only started after managers pointed out running extension cords everywhere was a fire code violation. And as u/JackyRaven added, sometimes aesthetics trump practicality: a UK college skipped putting in enough power outlets, because the principal thought they looked “aesthetically untidy.” The result? Laptops that died by lesson two.
Even the attempts to “fix” these situations can be legendary. u/Important-Humor-2745 recounted users who “got power run” but revealed an unplugged surge protector—or better yet, one plugged into itself. “So in their defense, it was technically plugged into something.” You can’t make this stuff up.
Office Politics: When the Blame Game Backfires
Fast forward to Friday’s production staff meeting, where the plant manager tried to publicly pin the slowdown on IT. This is where our hero’s “CYA skills” came into play (as u/Trin959 praised). Armed with his laptop and projector, OP displayed photos of the plant manager standing, hands in pockets, next to the pile of IT rubble—proof positive that the only thing stopping progress was a lack of basic electrical and network hookups.
The room got the message. As the division manager dryly confirmed, “No, thank you”—and later bought refreshments for the victorious tech. Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words (or a thousand excuses).
Many commenters agreed on the importance of documentation. u/Budsygus noted, “Pictures are gold. Brilliantly done… Followup emails have saved me a bunch.” And u/KnottaBiggins reminded us that change control exists for a reason—when it’s ignored, chaos reigns (and cables end up snaking through hallways).
Lessons Learned (and Laughed At)
This saga struck a chord with anyone who’s ever been on the wrong end of a hasty office move, a poorly planned workstation relocation, or a blame-happy manager. As u/NotAnOwl_ pointed out, managers often move furniture (and even walls!) without mentioning it to IT, then act baffled when network cables get cut—or, in this case, when nothing works at all.
The takeaway? Good planning—and a healthy respect for what IT actually does—saves everyone time, money, and embarrassment. And when that fails, a well-timed photo (or a snarky analogy, like u/steveborn2fly’s “hammering a pipe into the sand and complaining that no water came out”) can turn the tables in your favor.
So next time you hear “It was working on Friday,” remember: sometimes, the real issue isn’t technical at all. And as this story proves, it pays to keep receipts—especially if you’re about to be thrown under the bus.
What’s Your Best “It Worked on Friday” Story?
Have you ever been blamed for a tech fail that was totally out of your hands? Do you have your own tales of missing power outlets, mystery moves, or blame games gone wrong? Share your best stories (and your favorite CYA moments) in the comments below!
Because while crap happens, as this post proves, it’s the bad planners—not the IT pros—who really need a reboot.
Original Reddit Post: But it was working on Friday