The IT Manager Upgraded Everyone To Wireless Laptops, But One Manager Called Them “Junk”
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Some people easily adapt to new technology, but some people seem to need things spelled out for them. While new computers don’t really come with an instruction manual, most people are able to figure out the basics right away.
Imagine using a wireless laptop for the first time. Would you instantly know how to use it, or would you want the IT manager at work to go over the basics with you?
In this story, we hear about a general manager who really didn’t understand common sense when it comes to wireless laptops. Even the owner of the company, who admits to being bad at technology, calls him out on not knowing the obvious.
Keep reading to find out what happens when the general manager gets a new laptop. It’s pretty funny.
I’m the General Manager, why doesn’t new my laptop work?
I was the I.T. Manager for Family Owned business in the city about an hour from where I live.
For the most part, the job was easy.
The Family Company Officers were only ones entitled to Priority Service.
When one person raves about something, it can have a ripple effect.
This case was just after the Owner/President wanted his desktop upgraded and I got him a Laptop with a docking station for his office and one for his home office.
The President loved it and the laptop went everywhere with him and he raved about how much more efficient it made his work.
This naturally caused all the other Managers to put in for the same set-up.
The owner wanted to cut costs if possible.
Being a small Family run Company; several million in sales and growing all IT Purchases had to be run past the Controller and approved.
I put all the requests through to the Controller and due to the costs of equipping every Manager with a laptop and docking station.
I get a call from the owner, asking if I can reduce the costs in any way.
I tell him that the Managers can use the same laptop as him, without the docking stations and they’d still be able to work, the only difference would be that they’d have to plug-in the charger since they wouldn’t have the docking station to automatically charge the laptop and they’d have to plug in their own printers.
The owner was on board.
The Owner told me to order the laptops and deploy them as I had the time, keeping all the sales terminals running was the priority!
The General Manager was a bit of d-bag, who acted like he was the only person that made the Company operate.
I had his laptop configured and took it over to him and had him login and made sure that his e-mail loaded and he was able to access the network.
He wondered how he was receiving e-mail and accessing the network without having a cable plugged in and explained it was that the laptop had a wireless card, and was accessing the network via WiFi.
Maybe it would’ve been better if OP had given the first laptop to someone else.
The GM, having gotten the second laptop after the owner took this as some sort of proof that he was so important.
He acted like he knew everything that was going on in the Company’s three locations.
He was pushing a lot of people’s buttons and started trying to push me.
Lesson number one, never get nasty with the guy who controls the Network!
But the GM had a complaint.
The following Monday I get a screaming phone call, demanding I do something because the stupid laptop wasn’t working and he had a Managers meeting with all the Managers and Owner.
I decided that he needed a lesson; so I finished configuring three more laptops and packed them up to take them to the Managers Meeting, I was the IT Manager, so I had to be there to answer any IT related questions or complaints.
I was coming up the steps to the meeting room with the three laptops, and the Owners came in right behind me and so we all entered the Meeting Room at the same time.
The GM had to wait before he could complain.
The Owner liked announcing that three more Managers were getting their laptops today and I would soon be ordering and assigning two laptops for each Salesgroup (Four person teams; two inside sales with PC’s and two Outside Sales who were getting the laptops)
I was told to pass out the laptops and show the Managers the new capabilities, wireless, connection to the network and e-mail where-ever Internet was available.
Thats when the General Manager D-Bag; decided to get up announce that these laptops were junk and didn’t work after 24 hours.
I looked at him and asked exactly whats wrong with it?
The problem was obvious.
He slid it across the huge conference table, to me and I opened it, and it was dead, didn’t even boot up.
I asked one of the other Managers for his power supply. I plugged the laptop into the power supply and it booted perfectly.
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When I pointed out to the D-Bag that he didn;t charge the battery. His response? ‘But, its wireless, why should I have to plug it in?’
The owner spoke up.
I was slightly stunned, but Karma is my friend, the Owner who is almost totally Computer Illiterate, turns to D-Bag and says, ‘Even I know you have to charge the battery of any portable device, phone, laptop, PDA! (Yes we still used PDA’s, smart phones weren’t a thing yet.)
The look on D-bags face and the laughter in the room made D-Bag shrink.
Two weeks later, he gave notice and announced he was moving on to where he will be appreciated.
I feel sorry for the new companies IT Department.
That’s funny! For working in IT, you’d think the GM would know he’d have to charge the laptop.
Let’s see how Reddit responded.
This person has a theory.
Another person shares their thoughts.
Here’s a similar story.
This is true.
The GM really overreacted. Clearly, there was nothing wrong with his computer. It was user error, and the user error was so basic. All he needed to do was charge the laptop. It should’ve been obvious. He could’ve laughed it off and gone on with this job, but apparently he let his embarrassment drive him away.
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