Bizarre True Stories from the IT Trenches

Tech support teams often handle requests for support that go way beyond configuring printers, troubleshooting Microsoft Outlook or restoring lost documents. According to a recent survey from Robert Half Technology, these requests can be downright bizarre. Tech support professionals truly must have the patience of saints and a charming keyboard-side manner to soothe the savage employees and help them solve their problems — when those problems are reasonable. "Beyond their entertainment value, these unusual requests demonstrate the strong customer service skills necessary to work in the help desk and technical support fields," says John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "The best IT professionals are composed and empathetic - and, of course, have a good sense of humor." More than 1,400 CIOs from U.S. companies took part in the research. For more about the survey, click here.