Manager Scolds a Tech Support Guy After He's Found Fixing a Personal Laptop at Work, Gets Humiliated After Learning it's the CEO's Computer

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Dec 7, 2023 8:00 PM EST

In the corporate world, there's always a hierarchy. As the lowly pleebs that waltz through the front door every morning clocking 40+ hours every week, it's safe to say that we don't have too much clout in the corporate ranking system. Unless you're a good-haired CEO with shiny shoes and an entire team devoted to acting as your personal away-message, you're most likely falling at the lower end of the totem pole of company power. 

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    kvdovr
    via u/canva

  • However, it's those ladder-climbers somewhere in the middle that sometimes need a reality check. The golden boys at the tip-top have always known the feeling of power, but that middle management team just recently came into their big, decision-making pants and they've got a superiority complex to answer to! 

  • In our next story, a tech support crew member brought a snarky middle manager down a few pegs after reminding him who the big boss is… the CEO. Scroll to enjoy this satisfying tale, where a lowly pleeb like us gets brought up to the big leagues for a play.

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    r/r/MaliciousCompliance Posted by u/smohk1 2 hours ago 4 Manager told me to call the person of the computer I was working on...so I did. S OC
    via u/smohk1
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    I was sitting in my office one slow day and the CEO walked in (always a pucker moment even though I'm on VERY good terms with him) and he handed me an (obviously non business) laptop and asked if I could get it back up and running as it had "very important thing" on it that was needed shortly and as I wasn't doing anything and he still signed my paycheck, I said "you got it sir!"
    via u/smohk1
  • 04
    Later a middle mangler comes in and asks me to do something and I say "you're number 2 in line" and pointed to the (obviously not corporate) laptop I was fixing. Mangler didn't like that much and demanded I call whoever and tell them that it wasn't acceptable for me to be working on personal equipment.
    via u/smohk1
  • 05
    So I pulled out my cell and called. Mangler could only hear my half of the convo but what he heard was something like "hey Tom, I got Bob here telling me it isn't acceptable for me to be working on your personal stuff and he wanted me to call you and tell you...
    via u/smohk1
  • 06
    "Oh sure, he's right here, hang on" and I handed the phone to the mangler mangler started off saying "It's not accepabl..." and then his eyes got REAL BIG and the rest of the conversation was "yes sir" and "no sir"
    via u/smohk1
  • 07
    He hung up and thundered "why didn't you tell me it was CEO's laptop?!?!?" and I said "you didn't give me a chance and demanded I call them RIGHT NOW!!!!"
    via u/smohk1
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    RedditAdminAreMorons 2 hr. ago It's fine to question IT. Don't act like they're in the wrong before you hear the answer, though, or you'll end up on the very long queue for something that typically takes less than ten minutes to clear up. Vote Reply Share Carbuyrator 50 min. ago My customer service instincts kick in when someone decides I'm stupid. I'd hate to disappoint them after all.
    via u/RedditAdminAreMorons
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    One_Consideration_44 · 2 hr. ago That guy will never question you again. When asked why I was doing something I would always say the top kick wanted it done ASAP. Never an argument, even when it wasn't remotely true. It never got me in trouble and got me promoted fast,
    via u/One_Consideration_44
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    ForgotTheBogusName 2 hr. ago If the manager wanted to know who, they could have asked. Reply Share Vote nix1312 hr. ago Mangler
    via u/ForgotTheBogusName
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    cheeseadelic · 57 min. ago Never demand from IT. It never ends well. Vote Reply Share Big-Net-9971 . 2 hr. ago Perfect, no notes!
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    redzaku0079 1 hr. ago but the mangler is right. his sort of disappeared, but he's right. it's not a corporate laptop, therefore it shouldn't go to corporate tech support. so what would happen if it somehow gets I even more and the manufacturer doesn't want to fix it? who is to blame?
    via u/redzaku0079
  • 13
    Dovahpriest 23 min. ago Doesn't really matter. OP said "a middle manager" not "my boss" or "my manager", so they're not in OP's direct chain of command. CEO tells IT to jump, Timmy from Marketing doesn't get to override it. Not their department, not their call to make.
    via u/Dovahpriest
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    1touchable 23 min. ago In the place of CEO I would be very happy with request the manager made, so my work force isn't wasted on someone's personal stuff if there is other things to do.
    via u/1touchable
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    SushiPearl 43 min. ago Being undermined after enforcing the standard is always a fun experience. Ceo is the AH here. Reply Share Vote Square_Plum_2801 36 min. ago It's not the message it's the delivery that prompted the MC
    via u/SushiPearl
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    www mikemojc 58 min. ago Instant demands call for instant results. Vote Reply Share montepora 58 min. ago You are evil!!!
    via u/mikemojc
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    drunken_augustine 7 min. ago This is why it is important to take a beat and make sure you have all the information you need before you engage with a situation. Respond, don't react. Hopefully you manager has learned that now. Good job OP
    via u/drunken_augustine
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    Felonious Buttplug_ 55 min. ago That is what we call a win-win situation. Vote Greyjoy00067. 30 min. ago Reply Still a win in the OP's case.
    via u/Felonious_Buttplug_
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    Sideways FancyPrance 1 hr. ago Yeah, but eventually the other people you work with will catch on. We know who pulls out the big names in meetings in an attempt to wield their power, and people talk about it. Once you get caught doing it (the person finds out the CEO or whoever doesn't know about it), you lose a lot of respect with a lot of people.
    via u/SidewaysFancyPrance

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boss worker tech support employee manager malicious compliance work coworkers working it ceo employees computer supervisor workplace Tech laptop coworker
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