‘You have to fix this’: Employee risks getting fired by asking IT guy from rival company to fix her office tech problem

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Mar 8, 2024 6:00 PM EST

Every company should have an IT person on-site who is able to take care of every technical problem in the office. Even if the company is small and they don't have many employees, if there is a physical office, there should be an IT person there.

This way, if something goes wrong, the people in charge of the office would not go and blame innocent employees, like the receptionist in this Reddit story. This story was told by an IT guy who had a woman come in from a totally different office and different company and asked him for help. She told the IT guy that there was a connectivity issue at her office and they didn't have anyone to fix it. She then told him that if she didn't get the problem fixed, she would probably be fired. 

The lovely IT guy didn't leave this poor receptionist hanging, so scroll down to read the rest of the story. Once you are done, click here to read a story about a retail worker who got back at an entitled customer.

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  • 01
    "I could get fired for this..."
    via Canva
  • 02
    Random company let me in their server room.
    via u/Refusalz
  • 03
    A few years ago, I was working with a Managed Service Provider (MSP), and I found myself onsite at a client's office situated in one of those business center plazas. I was engrossed in troubleshooting
    via u/Refusalz
  • 04
    some networking issues when there was a knock on the door, and in stepped a lady asking for "The IT Guy." As it turned out, she was the receptionist for a shipbuilding company located across the
    via u/Refusalz
  • 05
    hall. She appeared visibly nervous and desperate, explaining that they were experiencing internet connectivity issues at her company's office. I quickly contacted my boss to let him
    via u/Refusalz
  • 06
    know of the situation, and he gave me the green light to assist if I chose to do so. With his blessing, I headed over to their office.
    via u/Refusalz
  • 07
    During the walk, the receptionist confided in me that her job was on the line if she couldn't resolve the connectivity issue. I couldn't help but wonder since when had a
    via u/Refusalz
  • 08
    receptionist become responsible for managing a company's network? Why would they hold that over her head. She should quit! anyways
    via u/Refusalz
  • 09
    Upon arrival, she ushered me into their server room, where I discovered that the problem stemmed from a faulty UPS. After swiftly rerouting the power, I advised her that they
    via u/Refusalz
  • 10
    needed to replace the UPS as soon as possible. The current setup was precarious, and continuing operations without addressing it could lead to further issues down the line.
    via u/Refusalz
  • 11
    Following this incident, the MSP I was working for secured the shipbuilding company as a client. It was clear they had been rawdogging life without any IT Management or support. Kind of wild since they had around 20+ employees.
    via u/Refusalz
  • 12
    Calabris 23 hr. ago Worked for a Credit Union and we were in the middle of a security audit. One of the things they did was send some random dude to a random branch. Did not
    via u/Calabris
  • 13
    work for us, worked for the audit team. He strolls in and tells the front line people that he is from IT and needs to get into the IT closet to "fix an issue" They just escort him back
    via u/Calabris
  • 14
    there and let him in and walk away. Needless to say we got dinged on that and had to educate the branches "again" about not letting just anyone into an IT closet. sigh
    via u/Calabris
  • 15
    XVWXVWXVWWWXVWW 23 hr. ago Cloud Admin · Shouldn't even need to educate front line workers. They SHOULD NOT have access to server rooms/networking closets under any circumstance. Maybe branch managers... maybe.
    via u/XVWXVWXVWWWXVWW
  • 16
    gigglesnortbrothel - 23 hr. ago Jack of All Trades I'd talk about the time I got access to a congressperson's server room just by asking but I don't want any Secret Service paying me visits.
    via u/gigglesnortbrothel
  • 17
    asedlfkh20h38fhl2k3f · 22 hr. ago Circa 2010-2013 working for a medical system, I learned that you can basically get into any room in the hospital - including operating rooms so long as you bunny up first - if you just walk with confidence. If anyone asks, you just tell them you're IT and they go on about their business.
    via u/asedlfkh20h38fhl2k3f
  • 18
    thedarbo 1 day ago That is busy if not against practice to let one of you guys wander jn and touch, diagnose, and fix a company that does not have a contract with your MSP.
    via u/thedarbo
  • 19
    That being said the helpful IT guy at my core would have done the same thing. Sounds like it worked out in the end pretty well
    via u/thedarbo
  • 20
    Ok_Presentation_2671 · 23 hr. ago I'm an IT Professional not a IT Guy.
    via u/Ok_Presentation_2671
  • 21
    whocaresjustneedone · 23 hr. ago What sparked you to tell this story multiple years later?
    via u/whocaresjustneedone
  • 22
    Refusalz OP. 23 hr. ago Honestly idk. It just came to mind because. 1. The receptionist was being held accountable for technical issues.
    via u/Refusalz
  • 23
    2. They let a random person in their server room. 3. It was a unexpected way my MSP gained a client.
    via u/Refusalz
  • 24
    gramathy 23 hr. ago No IT support and blaming recpetionist? what the the ?!?
    via u/gramathy
  • 25
    Unable-Entrance3110 21 hr. ago This type of situation happened all the time during my stint as a consultant. In this way, IT consultants are a bit like vampires, once you are invited in, you are trusted.
    via u/Unable-Entrance3110
  • 26
    You just have to be careful because another truism is "if you touch it, you own it"
    via u/Unable-Entrance3110

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boss workplace-stories employee fired drama manager job secretary tales-from-the-workplace reddit story IT guy workplace Reddit funny
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