Sometimes you just have to shake your head and utter the words, “It’s just one of those days.”

We all have them. Days when nothing seems to work, no matter what you try, and you’re at your wit’s end.

Then someone comes along and hey presto, it all works seamlessly for them.

That’s exactly what happened when the tech support guy in this story came along to help a customer.

But then he had a facepalm moment of his own.

Read on to find out what happened.

When “have you tried turning it on?” doesn’t work

It’s the early 1990s, and I’m doing field service work for a company that makes factory automation machines and software for manufacturing companies.

We get a call from a customer, and their production line is down “because your software won’t start up”.

We used a hardware copy-protection system for our software, which used a “dongle” plugged into the printer port. The software would not find the dongle if the printer was attached, but turned off.

So, that’s what the message in red text on a black background, with a flashing border around it says: “software licensing key not found. Check that printer is turned on”.

Let’s see how he responded to the customer.

So, I ask the guy: “Have you checked that the printer is turned on?”

“Of course I have, what kind of idiot do you think I am? You need to send someone down here now!”

Okay, well – that “someone” is me.

So I load up the company van with a new software key, a new computer, a copy of their custom version of the software, a new printer, every possible cable, all of the tools, and I get on the road.

Read on to find out what he found when he arrived at the factory.

Two hours later, I rock up to the factory, get checked in, issued ear plugs, escorted through a maze of passages and dangerous machinery, and meet the machine operator.

I point to the message on the screen, open up the printer cabinet, turn on the printer, point at the green power light, and restart the software, which works fine.

The operator gives me a comical “oops” pantomime, then a thumbs up.

Back out through the maze of passages, get to the van, and realize that I’ve locked the keys in it. So two more hours waiting for a co-worker to run the spare keys down to me.

Surely we can forgive the customer for the technical error of not turning the printer on.

It was the nineties, after all.

But what a fall from grace, fixing the printer in seconds before getting locked out of the van!

Let’s see what folks on Reddit said to this.

This person appreciated the story’s ending.

While others could relate to the ‘IT error’.

Meanwhile, this Redditor hoped the company had made the trip worth his while.

Sometimes we all make silly mistakes.

And this story is one silly mistake, followed by another silly mistake.

In times like these it’s worth swallowing your pride and admitting your mistake.

This guy certainly did.

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