Adrian

I had an issue with my computer recently that required a call to the technical support line.

The problem had to do with a few key programs not working at all and I shared with the first person who helped me that I first noticed a possible red flag when my computer starting seeming sluggish.

I worked with a few of the first liners and they made a some of the standard suggestions- shut down and restart, check on another log in to see if it's hardware or software. I had already done that. So I was assigned a case I.D. and figured it would be a longer process than I hoped and maybe even require taking the computer in for repair.

I made my way up to a senior advisor. (Strangely, every time I called in after trying what the online support advisor told me to do and gave them my case number, they referred to my problem as "computer acting sluggish". That was a symptom, not the problem. But anyway...)

I was told to do software updates. No help.

Called back- told to do a disk repair. No help.

Called back, got right through to a senior advisor and was told the next step was to do a OS reinstall.

Did that. No help. Called back.

Told to do an software update for the reinstall because the reinstall undid the previous update.

No help.

Was told the next step would be to do an erase and restore. Hummmm. Are you sure? None of this by-the-book-stuff seems to be helping. (And I had about 6 hours invested so far.)

And then I was put through to another senior advisor and then things changed.

Adrian came on the phone. "Hello, this is Adrian."

He took the time to find out the nature of the problem. Not sluggish: shutting down.

He quickly determined (with some degree of frustration) that an erase and restore wouldn't do any good either. "It's clearly not that type of problem."

So we did some trouble shooting ("I don't know why they didn't do this the first time", said Adrian).

We turned some stuff off and back on. We moved stuff around. We tried by the book stuff and then stuff Adrian "just seemed to know about". "Huh, that's weird, well ok then let's try this--no help, well ok, it's got to be something with..." Adrian said a time or two.

And after about an hour together, Adrian was able to isolate the problem and get everything working.

Adrian redeemed his company and the company's brand. He made all those dramatic product launches seem not so over the top ridiculous.

He made me glad I had the problem. So that I could work with him to find the solution.

I edited the company's online support number in my address book and listed Adrian as the person name associated with the company and listed his direct line and extension. I'm not sure if I can call him or not directly for future issues, but I'll sure try. I may even call him, hope to get his voice mail and tell him about how he did something slick product launches, clever marketing, and apps that can remotely turn your lights off can't do.

He made me believe in humanity again.

So. I have to ask myself in the days since. Am I ready to be an Adrian?

Can I do with "faith work" what he did in online tech support?

Or will I just continue to hope for a better turnout at the ministry team meeting?

I will become an Adrian. Let me know when I not heading in that direction.

You've got my direct line.