Some tech support calls are less about broken computers and more about just how wide the technology gap can be.

So what would you do if a customer calmly explained that he had “the television, the typewriter, and the box they plug into,” but couldn’t figure out why his computer came with a foot pedal?

Would you immediately know what he was talking about? Or would you have to think about that one for a moment?

In the following story, one IT worker finds himself in this situation and is pretty amused by the whole thing.

Here’s what happened.

The…Foot Pedal?

I used to be a tech support representative long ago, right around the time when Y2K was a major concern for a lot of people. (You would have thought it was the end of the world, honestly.)

Anyway, I was supporting the customers of a particular computer company when I got this call.

Me: Thank you for calling Computer Company Tech Support. My name is… And so the intro goes. I get the customer’s name and his computer’s information and ask how I can be of service. This, this-! was his response.

At first, he couldn’t determine what the foot pedal was for.

Customer: “Hello? I got the television, the typewriter, and the box it all plugs into. But, what’s this here foot pedal for?”

I was stumped. Foot pedal?

Me: “Sir, could you please hold a moment. I’d like to look this up if I could.”

Customer (really nice guy, honestly): “Well, sure. I don’t mind.”

I put him on hold and began thinking. What was going on there? Television? Typewriter? Box? Foot ped- Oh, Lord, forgive me.

Suddenly, he realized exactly what it was.

It was at that moment that I threw my hand over my mouth and started giggling uncontrollably. I realized what he was talking about.

After taking a moment to calm down, I composed myself, took a deep breath, and brought the customer back from hold.

Me: “Sir, that isn’t a foot pedal. That is your mouse. It moves the arrow around on the screen so you can click the buttons at the top to open programs.”

Then, I referred him to a community college course in his area so he could take a basic computer literacy course. Sometimes, all people need is a nudge in the right direction.

Hilarious! It’s not every day that tech support calls are that easy.

Let’s check out how the people over at Reddit relate to this story.

This reader calls him out.

They sure did!

Yet another person referencing an old story.

Here’s someone who thought they knew.

That’s a new one!

Most probably expected this story to go another way.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.