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“She Exploded In A Rage”: PC Guru Is Left Dealing With Karen Over Her Son’s $2,000 Birthday Gift, Until Her Husband Gets Involved
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“She Exploded In A Rage”: PC Guru Is Left Dealing With Karen Over Her Son’s $2,000 Birthday Gift, Until Her Husband Gets Involved

Interview
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Often, when we hire someone to do a job for us, it’s because we don’t really know much about the task ourselves. You couldn’t pay me to fix my own car, repair any plumbing issues in my home, or build a computer. So, as clients, it’s best for us to trust the professionals and just keep our mouths shut when we don’t understand what we’ve hired someone to do…

Below, you’ll find a story that one custom computer builder recently shared on the Entitled People subreddit, detailing an experience he had with a paranoid Karen who wanted a birthday present for her son, as well as a conversation with the builder himself.

This custom computer builder is used to asking his clients thorough questions to ensure that he builds the best PC possible for them

Image credits: voronaman111 (not the actual photo)

But after one customer accused him of attempting to hack and scam her, he began to get frustrated

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Image credits: takemewu31 (not the actual photo)

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Image credits: Ron Lach (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Bobby5enpai

“If someone says they know everything about a computer, they are lying”

To gain more insight on this specific situation, we reached out to the custom computer builder who shared this story on Reddit, Bobby5enpai, and he was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. First, we wanted to know when this story took place, and what inspired him to tell it now. “This happened roughly 6-7 years ago,” he noted. “The reason I shared it now was because I am revamping my business structure. Besides computer work, I also use social media such as YouTube and Twitch. I wanted to show people what it is I plan on doing in the future for total transparency.”

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We also were curious what Bobby5enpai loves the most about his career. “The constant learning,” he noted. “If someone says they know everything about a computer, they are lying. While some processes and features of a product may not change immediately, the hardware does. Look at 15 years ago. From graphics of games to movie special effects and even daily tasks. We went from 2-4 cores being the norm to 8+cores being the norm,” he explained. “It doesn’t sound like much until you get deeper into the multithreads and what it means in workflows. We are always advancing forward, and we are now almost to the point where anyone can build custom AI from home.”

Image credits: Soumil Kumar (not the actual photo)

“To help someone get a head start on their dreams is well worth it in my opinion”

Thankfully, Bobby5enpai also noted that his customers are not typically like this. “Honestly, it is a rare occurrence,” he told Bored Panda. “I do get the occasional person that worries about privacy when it comes to custom builds, which you really should with anything that allows a person to access your hard drives. You must trust said people. Not many people get them built by a person, which is why I offer to build in front of them if I’m able to do so,” he explained, adding that he made time for the boy because it was his birthday. “However the usual customer is someone who knows what they want just not where to start. Or if they do know, they’ve just never built one, and they are worried they will mess something up.”

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We also asked the guru if it was worth it being able to build this PC with this boy and his father. “Oh, most definitely,” he shared. “I like passing on the knowledge to people. You see, the companies will sell you a computer, but won’t explain how to maintain them. You usually have to go to YouTube or a forum to ask around. This gave me an opportunity to talk to them and explain maintenance. The boy wanted to work on games, and he wanted to know more about computers. Both of which I know much about, so I gave him information, and resources for learning. To help someone get a head start on their dreams is well worth it in my opinion. We never really think about it, but just even one tip could leave an impression.”

Image credits: Nathan Anderson (not the actual photo)

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“Don’t let a moment ruin what you’re working so hard to do”

When it comes to what Bobby5enpai would say to this mother, or any other entitled Karens out there, he says, “Live. If you stay wrapped in your bubble, you don’t live life, you’re just riding the waves of someone else’s wake. Remember the boat of life is not a one-seater. Your friends and family may want to join you. Before you know it, your one-person speed boat in life becomes a slow moving cruise filled with the people you care about and who care about you.”

The computer expert also left us with some wise words. “Just because it’s not going the way you planned yesterday, doesn’t mean today will be worse,” he added. “Karens come in all shapes and forms, but they are a moment in your life. Don’t let a moment ruin what you’re working so hard to do. Dwelling on the past is the same as taking 10 steps back. Make four plans, and one will work. That’s why the L in plan is a straight road, while the other letters twist and turn. One plan will work, you just have to keep trying.”

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It’s wonderful to hear that this story of a difficult client turned into such a wholesome experience that the computer guru can look back on it fondly. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas, and then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article discussing why we should never be Karen customers, we recommend reading this story next!

Image credits: Alexander Kovalev (not the actual photo)

Many readers applauded the computer builder for his patience and willingness to work with the boy

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Adelaide Ross

Adelaide Ross

Writer, BoredPanda staff

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Howdy, I'm Adelaide! I'm originally from Texas, but after graduating from university with an acting degree, I relocated to sunny Los Angeles for a while. I then got a serious bite from the travel bug and found myself moving to Sweden and England before settling in Lithuania about two years ago. I'm passionate about animal welfare, sustainability and eating delicious food. But as you can see, I cover a wide range of topics including drama, internet trends and hilarious memes. I can easily be won over with a Seinfeld reference, vegan pastry or glass of fresh cold brew. And during my free time, I can usually be seen strolling through a park, playing tennis or baking something tasty.

Read less »
Adelaide Ross

Adelaide Ross

Writer, BoredPanda staff

Howdy, I'm Adelaide! I'm originally from Texas, but after graduating from university with an acting degree, I relocated to sunny Los Angeles for a while. I then got a serious bite from the travel bug and found myself moving to Sweden and England before settling in Lithuania about two years ago. I'm passionate about animal welfare, sustainability and eating delicious food. But as you can see, I cover a wide range of topics including drama, internet trends and hilarious memes. I can easily be won over with a Seinfeld reference, vegan pastry or glass of fresh cold brew. And during my free time, I can usually be seen strolling through a park, playing tennis or baking something tasty.

Mindaugas Balčiauskas

Mindaugas Balčiauskas

Author, BoredPanda staff

Read more »

I'm a visual editor at Bored Panda. I kickstart my day with a mug of coffee bigger than my head, ready to tackle Photoshop. I navigate through the digital jungle with finesse, fueled by bamboo breaks and caffeine kicks. When the workday winds down, you might catch me devouring bamboo snacks while binging on the latest TV show, gaming or I could be out in nature, soaking up the tranquility and communing with my inner panda.

Read less »

Mindaugas Balčiauskas

Mindaugas Balčiauskas

Author, BoredPanda staff

I'm a visual editor at Bored Panda. I kickstart my day with a mug of coffee bigger than my head, ready to tackle Photoshop. I navigate through the digital jungle with finesse, fueled by bamboo breaks and caffeine kicks. When the workday winds down, you might catch me devouring bamboo snacks while binging on the latest TV show, gaming or I could be out in nature, soaking up the tranquility and communing with my inner panda.

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Allison B
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

$100?! I'm jealous. My poor pc is old and isn't working great anymore. I'm a big gamer and am having enough trouble building a good gaming PC with a $2000 budget! Graphics cards are so expensive right now. Damn you bitcoin miners.... luckily the prices have gone down a bit but not much. If he only charges $100 to $500 how the hell is he still in business? Wouldn't he be making absolutely no profit? Or am I misunderstanding?

Jen M
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The $100 was the "profit". He used the grand for parts, then charged a $100 fee to build it. Obviously $100 doesn't even cover his time involved. But that's the monet he takes home above and beyond the cost of the computer parts themselves. It's a loss though, because he's essentially working at minimum wage when considering his hours involved. Sounds like he just liked helping people, kids especially, learn about computers, which is fantastic!

Load More Replies...
Dirk Daring
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dear Karen: If you think the guy was going to try to hack you, don't you think he'd just add that capability into the computer you're hiring him to build? Think things through. With warmest regards, Logic and Reason.

Seadog
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Exactly. I used to build and give away PC's to people who couldn't afford one and I'd always install a remote control program (IE TeamViewer) so if they had an issue they could call me and give me the login and password so I could see what the issue was. And they were all very appreciative of it and most were even fascinated to watch me work and explain what I was seeing/doing.

Load More Replies...
Charlie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The father should have been the one calling from the get go. He seemed more reasonable, accepting his own shortcomings, and appeared open minded for new knowledge. But I do know that Karen type too well.

Load More Comments
Allison B
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

$100?! I'm jealous. My poor pc is old and isn't working great anymore. I'm a big gamer and am having enough trouble building a good gaming PC with a $2000 budget! Graphics cards are so expensive right now. Damn you bitcoin miners.... luckily the prices have gone down a bit but not much. If he only charges $100 to $500 how the hell is he still in business? Wouldn't he be making absolutely no profit? Or am I misunderstanding?

Jen M
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The $100 was the "profit". He used the grand for parts, then charged a $100 fee to build it. Obviously $100 doesn't even cover his time involved. But that's the monet he takes home above and beyond the cost of the computer parts themselves. It's a loss though, because he's essentially working at minimum wage when considering his hours involved. Sounds like he just liked helping people, kids especially, learn about computers, which is fantastic!

Load More Replies...
Dirk Daring
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dear Karen: If you think the guy was going to try to hack you, don't you think he'd just add that capability into the computer you're hiring him to build? Think things through. With warmest regards, Logic and Reason.

Seadog
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Exactly. I used to build and give away PC's to people who couldn't afford one and I'd always install a remote control program (IE TeamViewer) so if they had an issue they could call me and give me the login and password so I could see what the issue was. And they were all very appreciative of it and most were even fascinated to watch me work and explain what I was seeing/doing.

Load More Replies...
Charlie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The father should have been the one calling from the get go. He seemed more reasonable, accepting his own shortcomings, and appeared open minded for new knowledge. But I do know that Karen type too well.

Load More Comments
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