“Yes! Yeeeessss you sir in the cleanblack duster with the headphones in listening to Rage Against the Machine off Napster, I’m talking to you! I know we’re all having a white angst day today, but I really need you get on setting up those accounts,” Clavius ordered with a mean, happy smile.
Indifferently, Diablo, not even bothering to look up from his screen, gestured vaguely stage right while muttering in a whiny voice, “I’m waiting on sales to finish their stuff before I can do anything.”
The other tech support drones groundhogged their heads up over their privacy screens to watch.
Clavius’ smile melted into an annoyed sigh that preceded a sharp, “What?”
Sensing provoked annoyance, Diablo locked eyes with Clavius before theatrically whirling counterclockwise about in his task swivel chair with his arms raised above his head. At 180º he dipped his right hand, snatched a signup sheet from a stack on his desk and flutterswooped it up into the air. Coming to an abrupt stop at 360º, Diablo simultaneously slapped his white flag down and loudly stated, (ensuring that the sales department would hear,) “Here!” Look at this!” while also stabbing with his index finger.
“Here! There’s no contact email address, only credit card information! This one,” and again with the spin and page drop, but this time in a much more businesslike demeanor, “doesn’t have an MX record.”
Clavius blinked.
“Does it need an MX record?”
Hesitatingly now, “Er, why wouldn’t it? It’s on the form.”
“What if I just wanted a place to park my website presence, but not any other service. Do I technically need an MX record set up with my account?”
“No.”
“OK. So it is possible to set up an account without an MX record, even though the MX record field is blank on the signup sheet. Yes?”
Acknowledging, “Yes.”
“But have you asked sales if there should be an MX record for this account?”
“Yes, of course!” with a shake of the head and the wave of a hand.
“How?”
“I sent them an email.”
“You sent them an email.”
“Yes.”
“So why isn’t the form on the salesguy’s desk so I can chew him out instead of you for the signup backlog?”
Diablo saw the light. Without another word but with the chattering of the other techs buzzing behind him, he turned to the stack, dug out a few, unplugged himself from his computer, rose, and then delivered the signup sheets to the unsuspecting salesguys with a casual, “I need these forms fully filled out before I can do anything.”
The other groundhogs scurried themselves and followed quickly behind.
There was rarely such a polite exchange between factions, and the salesguys were uneasily quiet.
Satisfied, Clavius barked, “Keep up the good work, men! But get cracking on those signup sheets or I’ll filter the network!”
Cackling, he turned to the sales pen.
Heather Kilbourn 