BOFH: This printer engineer knows every trick in the book
In this satirical BOFH column, an office printer develops a faint squeak, prompting the narrator and colleague to contact its contracted service provider rather than risk invalidating the maintenance agreement. The narrator portrays the support process as deliberately obstructive, with the engineer requesting serial details and offering inconvenient appointment times.
Having anticipated these tactics, the narrator provides several identifying numbers immediately and accepts a next-day visit, while arranging a reserved parking space. When the engineer arrives late, he removes cones and a fake council “sink hole” warning placed by the office, setting up the next stage of the prank; the supplied extract ends there.
In short
- A squeaking printer prompts a service call.
- The narrator satirises obstructive printer support.
- The engineer arrives late to an elaborate parking prank.
Explained simply
BOFH is a long-running satirical column that finds dark humour in the everyday frustrations of office life, particularly around technology and customer support interactions. This instalment revolves around a printer developing a minor fault and the sequence of events that unfolds when the office contacts the contracted maintenance engineer.
The narrator has learnt that support processes often involve frustrating tactics: engineers request serial numbers and propose inconvenient appointment times, deliberately or otherwise slowing the repair process. Rather than accept this passively, the narrator gathers the necessary information and accepts a next-day appointment, whilst also preparing the office for the engineer's eventual arrival.
The situation becomes a contest of wits between customer and service provider, reflecting the broader tension many experience when dealing with technical support. Underlying the humour is a commentary on the sometimes adversarial nature of these interactions and the power dynamics between those seeking help and those providing it.