Blah!

Yesterday Mandiola left a comment requesting a particular story from my time at company I'll be referring to here as Landacom. This was my last job before going back to school. I was one of two tech support guys in the customer service center (CSC) at Landacom.

Landacom is mainly a software company and their main product is a database that customers access through the internet. One of our support procedures was that in the event access to the database went down for any reason someone from CSC had to send a voicemail to a large distribution list that included pretty much anyone of any importance in the company, short of the CEO. VPs, Managers, team leads... Important people. Sometimes this was part of my job.

Access to the database usually didn't normally go down that often, but like all complicated pieces of technology, now and then it had it's moments when it just didn't want to work. (Often at the worst possible time, but that's a story I won't be telling here)

This story involves one of the times went down while I was on phone duty. I collected the details, accessed the voicemail system and started leaving the message to all the important people.

"This is a Landacom system status update," I started "access to the Landacom system is unavailable at this time" so far so good "more details will be - should be - will be - Blah!" I finished, tripping over my tongue.

No problem, though. I'd just delete and start over. No big deal. I hit 79 to delete it and start over.

"Message sent" said the voicemail system.
(76 is delete...)

GAH!! It had sent. There was no way to retrieve it, no way to get it back. Whithin seconds everyone of any importance in the company would be under the impression that I was an idiot!

The only thing I could do was to send a new message and prepare for the consequences.

"Please disregard the previous message" I began...