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This is a true story.
When I worked helpdesk I got a call one night from Robert.
He worked at a shoe store & had a problem with his PC. I asked him to read the error and he paraphrased what it said. He was kind, helpful, well spoken and intelligent, but Robert couldn’t read.
When I worked helpdesk I got a call one night from Robert.
He worked at a shoe store & had a problem with his PC. I asked him to read the error and he paraphrased what it said. He was kind, helpful, well spoken and intelligent, but Robert couldn’t read.
It was 2006 and Robert was 24yrs old.
He had tried to recite to me, from memory, the general phrasing, but this was a complicated error and that wasn’t going to cut it this time. I didn’t know he couldn’t read b4 asking him to detail the error text to me.
He had tried to recite to me, from memory, the general phrasing, but this was a complicated error and that wasn’t going to cut it this time. I didn’t know he couldn’t read b4 asking him to detail the error text to me.
He started to cry as as soon as I pressed him to read the error exactly as it was on the screen. He told me he couldn’t lose this job, he’d been fired from too many others and begged me not to tell his manager
At the time, I was only a lvl2 in the helpdesk and had no clout/power
At the time, I was only a lvl2 in the helpdesk and had no clout/power
Together Robert and I concocted a plan. He did not know he could go to the library and check out childrens reading books. So I made him a deal. If he learned to read, I would fix it so all calls for his store would be routed to me.
In early 2006, using Windows NT 4, I used
In early 2006, using Windows NT 4, I used
“net send * ALERT TFL 1789 - route calls to MBANANA” ensuring the entire support desk got my message. I also put an entry in our helper system to notify me when the site number was chosen. Robert and I worked the same shifts.
My SLA times plummeted, as I sat on the phone,
My SLA times plummeted, as I sat on the phone,
Teaching him the basic letter sounds so he could help me remote in to his computer (against protocol) so he didn’t HAVE to read me messages the first few times. We used Dial-up connections over PC-Anywhere so it was faster to have ppl read us errors back then 
Just 2 weeks after our first call, he called back with another error. HE COULD SOUND OUT A LOT OF WORDS!
Time was running out though. Our special alerting in our helper system only lasted 30 days and was tracked. I’d be asked about it at my monthly performance review.
Time was running out though. Our special alerting in our helper system only lasted 30 days and was tracked. I’d be asked about it at my monthly performance review.
2 days before the 30 day limit, Robert called in with a major DB error. For anybody who has ever had to do a DB rebuild in Sybase SQL Anywhere 9.0...you know how shite they can be
Robert’s RDP phone line was down so I couldn’t dial in. He was able to (painfully) read EVERY WORD
Robert’s RDP phone line was down so I couldn’t dial in. He was able to (painfully) read EVERY WORD
We eventually were able to solve his problem and get his store up and running.
Robert was smart, but just never had the opportunity to grow in life. I don’t know what happened to Robert, as I got promoted shorty after and didn’t talk to him again.
Robert was smart, but just never had the opportunity to grow in life. I don’t know what happened to Robert, as I got promoted shorty after and didn’t talk to him again.
The moral of the story though, is just because Robert couldn’t read didn’t make him dumb and just because people you know or work with can’t do things you can, doesn’t make them dumb.
It probably just means they didn’t have the same opportunities as you.
It probably just means they didn’t have the same opportunities as you.
