'Today I snapped': CEO's receptionist bosses around a tech support guy, guilt-tripping him into doing tasks outside his job description before getting hastily put in her place

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
May 18, 2024 9:00 AM EDT

Whether you're a computer wiz or technologically challenged, we can all agree that there's one office appliance that has earned the award for 'Worst Piece of Equipment Ever Made': The printer. No matter which way you approach it, printers always have something wrong with them, they never work properly, and their interfacing changes seemingly on a whim. I'm not suggesting that printers are out to get us, but if there were any mechanical appliance that was to take over the world just to spite humanity, I wouldn't be surprised if it was somehow orchestrated by the printers. 

Although there are some companies where the tech support teams are in charge of printer management, the techy guy in our next story had the fortune to work for a company large enough to outsource this responsibility to professionals. However, the pushy, arrogant, and CLUELESS receptionist in our next story didn't seem to know the difference between the official printer company's tech guys and their own. 

Scroll for the entire tale of how a tech support guy stood up for himself by setting healthy boundaries in the workplace, even when a bossy and incompetent coworker tried to push him around. 

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  • 01
    "No Karen, I don't work for you❞
    via canva
  • 02
    There's only so many ways I can tell you "that isn't my job" before I snap. Today I snapped. Short I'll try to keep this simple and short as possible but there is some explaining required.
    via Saint_Bastion_
  • 03
    My IT department does not support printers in my company beyond basic installation and making sure they're connected to the network. This is because every god d*mn company has settings and configuration menus and processes for their products arranged in their own specific ways
    via Saint_Bastion_
  • 04
    and we have too many issues to worry about then those printers. For the CEOs Admin department of my company, they have a new copier and scanner they have purchased. A few weeks ago, I set up the printer, it was connected to the network my job is done, people can print and scan.
    via Saint_Bastion_
  • 05
    The reception for the CEOS department called me today asking for someone to be on sight. When I asked why, she said it was because she said the vendor technician was visiting to enable an auditing feature. I told her that we don't
    via Saint_Bastion_
  • 06
    support that, but apparently the vendor insisted an IT rep be there so for ease of mind I went. The vendor was able to square away things on the copiers no problem, but there was a step that involved making sure every user connected to this printer copier
    via Saint_Bastion_
  • 07
    enable a setting within printing preferences so that the copier recognizes the jobs received as approved. The receptionist insisted I learn this process so I can show others, and I told her no, we don't support it.
    via Saint_Bastion_
  • 08
    USUALLY, I'm a nice guy, and will do it anyway. But when the printers were first set up I got in trouble for something similar with another feature they wanted enabled that I worked on. My boss very explicitly told me in the future not to say yes.
    via Saint_Bastion_
  • 09
    Fast forward to today- I'm setting boundaries, and informed her the CEO and my boss already designated someone in their office to be the person to learn this process and help people with it, but she kept arguing with me. She was giving me sass.
    via Saint_Bastion_
  • 10
    She accused me first of not doing my job, then said why does the person in their department not get two paychecks for doing IT and their normal role. Finally, I snapped, and said "I'm going to go. I'm not explaining my job to you."
    via Saint_Bastion_
  • 11
    As I started to walk away, the receptionist said "you did explain your job" to which I responded "yet you're not understanding it".
    via Saint_Bastion_
  • 12
    I think I'm going to get reported by her and maybe in trouble because it's the CEO admin receptionist not a normal one. But I couldn't help it. I can only tell you so many times, previously and today, that this isn't my job. I guess today I snapped.
    via Saint_Bastion_
  • 13
    xthatwasmex • 22h ago Time for a CYA email to your boss, explaining that you turned down the requests as per previous orders and will escalate any further inquiries about policy to them?
    via xthatwasmex
  • 14
    K1yco 22h ago You did tell her the CEO (here boss) did tell you not to, so as long as your boss backs you up you should be good.
    via K1yco
  • 15
    CatchLightning • 21h ago Printers are the devil and I refuse to work with them. I always say when you have a printer problem you don't need IT, you need an exorcist.
    via CatchLightning
  • 16
    Cdn Nick 22h ago "Happy to assist, please enter a ticket for your request, have a great day"
    via Cdn_Nick
  • 17
    Igaetz • 21h ago My former coworker had a delightful expression for this situation. Imagine this in a slow Texan drawl ... That ain't my baby to rock
    via Igaetz
  • 18
    Modular Persona • 19h ago Your mistake was getting into it with her. "Look, I'm not supposed to mess with this stuff. [Boss] specifically told me not to, you'd have to bring it up with him."
    via ModularPersona
  • 19
    After that's said, just respond with some variation of the below anytime someone tries to argue it: "Sorry, I donno what else to tell you."
    via ModularPersona
  • 20
    Trooper_Ted • 22h ago "I have neither the time, nor the crayons to explain this to you."
    via Trooper_Ted
  • 21
    DibblerTB • 20h ago This does not sound like snapping to me, she is a coworker, not royalty. I would have used stronger language, once accusations about me and my job were made. Then again, I am Norwegian.
    via DibblerTB
  • 22
    creegro 21h ago Computer engineer cause I kn... At an old job we had to pretty much know everything about every single locations printers and setup, and we had 30 sites to manage.
    via creegro
  • 23
    So everyone has different some places have a xerox from others have ricoh junk, others have some sort of scan to email setup and the printer is always forgetting it can do that...
    via creegro
  • 24
    And then the cursed lexmark at one place always fell off the network for some reason, even though my boss told me "toy setup a printer and it's done forever", which didn't apply to this hellspawn that needed to be reinstalled on the one PC every few weeks
    via creegro
  • 25
    Now, I just repair printers when they aren't fully working. And I love to tell people they need to order supplies like toner/imagining units, cartridges as those are replaced by the store. One printer from today is acting up and leaving marks over the pages. Welp, I've replaced all I can, my last tech told you guys to order a new imaging kit, did you do that?
    via creegro
  • 26
    No you didn't? You say the current one is a month old but the last guy to come here was over 3 months ago....so it's no longer a month old then since you never replaced it at the techs request. So do that. No I'm not coming back for that, order it and get it done
    via creegro
  • 27
    SiXandSeven8ths 22h ago The receptionist insisted haha, no Karen, insist all you want, I don't work for you.
    via SiXandSeven8ths

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boss worker tech support employee drama manager job work coworkers snapped working ceo employees supervisor workplace Tech company coworker business receptionist printer
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