CIO Karen Buys Wrong Software, Won't Admit It, Pays 5X Service Hours Needed, Gets Fired

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mattstaff
Nov 13, 2021 3:00 PM EST

It sounds like it was only a matter of time before this CIO Karen ended up hitting her own self-destruct button. The thing about some of these particularly ignorant people is that when they're called out for this misguided antics, they just assume the belligerent, defensive stance and only ever end up making things far worse for themselves. Let's just send all the good vibes to Paul. Poor guy really went through it. For some more sloppy nonsense from the world of tech support check out this tale about the time that a department manager assumed that their monitors didn't need computers to work. 

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  • 01
    Font - r/talesfromtechsupport u/FederalAnt9•4d + Join 1 5 1 1 Bought the wrong software and don't want to admit you made a mistake? Cool; pay 5x as much and lose your job. Epic This happened over 20 years ago. Conversations from memory may have minor details altered, but the story's the same. TLDR at the end. I had worked about two years at this point for a MSP (at the time called a systems integrator), and they generously paid for the engineers/techs to obtain industry certifications. I started
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 02
    Font - By the time the MC occurred, I had worked my way up to junior level engineer, obtained my MCSE, CNA and was working towards my CNE and Cisco certs. At the time, Novell and Microsoft were neck and neck in server operating system dominance, hence getting both certs. With book study and field experience, I wasn't an expert, but I held my own.
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 03
    Font - One day I get called into the boss' office to meet with him, the owner, and the salesperson. The owner told me with a gleam in his eye that the company just landed a major, high profile client: our city's pro basketball team, and they've agreed to give us a small task to prove ourselves. I was to install and configure backup software on their Windows Server (important later) and test to ensure it works. The team offered the carrot of not only signing a long term support contract, but also
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 04
    Font - I showed up to the arena, checked in with security, and I'm escorted to the business office area. A lady we'll call Karen comes out and introduces herself as the CIO. Karen spent the first 45 minutes of my time there to take me on a grand tour... of the business office. I saw the owners' offices, the GM's office, her office, pictures of framed, autographed jerseys, the nearly empty trophy case, and the big glass window that overlooks the court. She even said I'm welcome to eat lunch in th
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 05
    Font - In another circumstance, I would've considered the tour a treat, but three things. First, I had another client to see that day, and this was messing up my schedule. Not a big deal, I can have the office call the client to move the visit back a little. Second, the team hadn't exactly been playing championship caliber basketball except the last two years prior. Before that, they made the playoffs twice in 15 years and got their heads kicked in both times. Third, my favorite basketball team
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 06
    Font - Then she asked if I was ready to see the server room. We turn a couple of corners, and she unlocked the door to... a really small office. Boxes stacked in one corner, spare furniture in another. At the back wall sat an old school CRT monitor hooked to an old school KVM switchbox on a desk connected to two tower computers sitting side by side on the carpeted floor. Right next to the monitor sat a stack of network switches with a spaghetti of cables that ran haphazardly up the wall and into
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 07
    Font - I quickly saw the first problem: the NetWare server was already setup to run backups but going by the status report date on the screen, backups hadn't been running for months. The software was only an add-on module to backup email folders. Using the credentials on the sheet, I logged in to the Windows server running Exchange to handle all the email. I tried to look at different settings, and I quickly realized I only had limited permissions. I logged to the Novell server, and I didn't hav
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 08
    Font - Karen: Why do you need admin permissions? Me: To... install and configure the backup software? The software also-- Karen: Why can't you just use the accounts I gave you? Me: Because... they don't have enough permissions? Also the backup soft-- Karen: My other tech (let's call him Paul) uses those accounts fine to run the backups. Why do YOU need extra permissions? (Picks up the desk phone and dials) Hey Paul, could you come to my office now, please? Thanks. Me: Probably because he has bac
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 09
    Font - Karen: (after Paul knocks on the door and enters). Have you had any problems with the daily backups? Paul: No. Why? Karen: federalant9 here says he needs extra permissions to install the backup software. Do you agree? Paul: (Looks side to side) I'm not sure as I just handle the deskto--
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 10
    Font - Karen: If Paul can manage backups with those accounts, I don't see why you can't install the software, federalant9. Me: How did you install the software originally? Karen: All of this was setup before I started here, and I was brought in to clean all of this up. 1. Me: Is there anyone else who manages the servers?
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 11
    Font - Karen: No, it's just me and him. Me: I see. Would you come with me please? I need to show you something. Karen: Why? Me: It's easier to show you than explain. Karen rolls her eyes, gets up from her desk, and motions for Paul to come with. We all go back to the "server room." Me: Ok, first let me ask. My understanding is you want the backup software installed on the Windows server, right? Karen: Of course, so it can perform brick-level backups of the email. You guys said you were sending o
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 12
    Font - Me: That's why I'm asking. You bought an add-on module for the Novell server (showing her where it says on the box). I can't install this on Windows. Karen: (snatches the box from my hand). I called the software company myself and ordered it from them directly after I told them the setup here. Are you saying they lied to me and sold me the wrong product or made a mistake? Me: No, I'm not saying that as I wasn't part of the conversation. I'm only saying this is for Novell, and I can't inst
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 13
    Font - Back at her office, she sat down, went to the website while I stood behind her, then spun around to me with a smirk on her face after a few mouse clicks. "See? This is what I bought. It says right here it will backup Microsft Exchange servers." Me: Well, this doesn't say brick level backups. And, it says for Novell servers. Can you click where it says Microsoft? Karen: (Sighs and clicks). This is pointless. I bought what I bought because it's half the cost. When I called, they said this w
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 14
    Font - Me: (pointing to the screen) It says right there the Windows version performs brick level backups. The NetWare version will backup the emails, but the entire database. And it will restore the entire database as one file, but it can't do brick-level backups or restores. A server can backup anything as long as it can see it on a network and it has permissions to it. Karen: Here's the bottom line. They told me this would work. I'm paying you to make this work, so make it work. Or tell me you
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 15
    Font - Me: It'll work but not like how you think. And if you want to (air quotes) "make it work" it will only install on Novell. Can I show you? Karen: (Sighs and hands me the software box). Me: I still need an admin login.
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 16
    Font - After several more minutes of debate over the admin login, she reluctantly logged me into the Windows server. I put the CD into the Windows server, and nothing happened. I brought up the CD in Explorer to show her folders and files, but no executable and no way really to install. She unlocked the Novell console, I inserted the CD, mounted it, and the install auto-ran. I didn't look back, but I could feel her eyes burning holes into the back of my head. In about 30 minutes, I installed the
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 17
    Font - Me: By the way, your backups haven't been running for about 3 months. I fixed that for you. The scheduled service didn't have a login account configured, so I plugged in the backup operator username/password. Karen: What do you mean?!? You saw the status screen when we walked in and it said a successful backup?!? And you said you needed admin rights?!? Me: Yes, that was the LAST successful backup which was months ago. (Switching to the logfile on screen) Here's the date and time of the la
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 18
    Font - Karen stomped to the door, opened it, and yelled for Paul. When he arrived, she lit into him so loudly someone from the cubicles came into the room to see what the problem was. I still feel bad about that because it wasn't Paul's fault... After three hours, I left and immediately called my boss from the car, explaining exactly what happened. Sure enough, Karen had already called. My boss reassigned my other client and asked me to come back. When I got back to the office, the owner, my bos
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 19
    Font - They looked up Karen's account, and politely explained that according to the notes, they told Karen to buy the Windows version for brick-level backups of Exchange email accounts. But Karen balked at the price, so they offered her the Novell version with the caveat that it would perform entire Exchange database backups and user folders only. I wasn't completely right but right enough. Karen now insisted that they only sold her what they sold her because she threatened to buy their competit
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 20
    Font - After the software company hung up, Karen asked the owner when he could send me out to finish the job. He muted the phone and asked me if I wanted to go back out there, and I said no. He asked me if I would go if he sent a senior there with me, and I agreed. He then unmuted and told Karen that to make sure there are no issues, he was sending me with a senior engineer, and he made a deal with her. If the senior corrected my work, there would be no charge for service. However, if I was corr
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 21
    Font - We went back after Karen got the correct software, I installed it without a hitch even though she had enabled remote desktop on the server to watch me. I also wrote up a job aid for Paul with screenshots to manage backup jobs. The senior saw I knew what I was doing, so to pass the time he made a list of recommendations for her: server racks, anti-static mats, UPS, racks for the switches, cable management, adequate ventilation and temperature controls, physically securing the room, disaste
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 22
    Font - A few months later, my boss told me they got a call back from the team's new CIO. He said after the team restructured the business unit, he took Karen's place and hired additional staff. Paul discovered the recommendation list among a bunch of emails Karen had deleted with a brick-level restore of her emails that I setup. The new CIO wanted to know how soon the company could send someone to complete the recommendation list and consult his staff on additional recommendations. Since the new
    via u/FederalAnt9
  • 23
    Font - TLDR; CIO Karen buys the wrong software and won't admit it, pays 5x the service hours needed to do the work, tried to delete the recommendation list my coworker emails to her, and the new CIO restores the email of recommendations from the software I configured after she's fired. 3.2k 107 1, Share
    via u/FederalAnt9

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