So this story happened over the past 5 days, but at the end of it I was wondering if I had handled it poorly or maybe a better way of communicating---but honestly, I did what I always do--I explain while showing, or let the client guide me to their problem and step in and show them where they're missing a step or whatever it is that needs to be addressed. I am always told by clients that I am extremely patient and helpful, but none of that seemed to matter to the person in the following story.

People involved ME (obvious), BOB (the client) and Bob's laptops: 10 year old LT with failing mechanical drive. A brand new expensive HP, and finally an older (bob's daily driver) laptop which is literally falling apart (hinge break + screen damage from said hinge break).

The plan was fix the 10 year old first so Bob could use it while I set up the new one and moved all data from his daily driver to the brand new one.

It is important to note that this 10 year old laptop had not been used for the majority of it's life. Bob wanted a new ssd put in, clean install of windows, whatever data was on the 10 year old "unused" laptop moved over, and MS office.

The second part of Bob's plan was that he had a brand new laptop one with, as he said, "AI features because I need to learn how to start using AI. So I want office on this brand new computer with AI, and Copilot AI"---you get the drift. 70+ year old Bob wanted AI. This brand new laptop would be worked on after the first laptop was repaired and given back to Bob so he could use it in the interim while his new AI laptop was set up.

So, new ssd to replace the mechanical, ms office, and a data transfer were done. For a data transfer like this I typically move the old contents into a single folder with the old libraries in it on to the desktop (ie: OLD DRIVE DATA with all the subfolders being the User libraries desktop, docs, pics, et cetera). I explain this and show this to Bob when he picks up the old laptop, while dropping off his unboxed new laptop, and his daily driver laptop. During show and tell Bob made no queries, raised no flags. Paid and went on his way.

Bob gets home and calls me, leaves a 3 minute voicemail. Instead of listening to it I just call him. First thing out of Bob's mouth, "You really messed this up. This is unusable!"

I ask what he means. "Well, there's no chrome on here---you put firefox." I explained that all he had to do was download and install chrome.

"I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT. YOU'VE MESSED THIS UP. OFFICE IS NOT ON HERE EITHER."

I explain that office is in fact on there, but he had to open the start menu to find excel, word, etc. and start it from there.

"What about chrome? I can't believe this."

I reiterate that it is extremely simple to go and download and install chrome.

"For you it is, maybe. I do this once every 5 years. I guess I'll have to figure this out---this is unusable."

At this point I'm like (in my head, thinking to myself)...ok Bob. You're talking about jumping into AI but you can't manage to download and install Google Chrome? You can't find a program in the start menu?

I still have to set up Bob's brand new AI HP laptop and move his data over. So I think to myself, if bob is losing his mind over this stuff---I'm going to be very meticulous on this new laptop set up. I match EVERYTHING...mouse pointer size, color, pointer trails, import passwords, bookmarks, homepage setup, desktop icons (where they're located on the grid). I mean every detail is matched up.

The day for Bob to pick up arrives. First thing he does is drop the old laptop (the 10 year old one we swapped an ssd into) and exclaims, "BOY YOU REALLY MESSED THIS ONE UP."

At this point I do lose patience. I tell him that, no, I did not. It wasn't working when he brought it in. It works now, and I did everything I could for it with the little information I had. I then ask, "What is messed up now?"

"MY HOME PAGE IS GONE. YOU GOT RID OF IT." What Bob means is that when he opened chrome it dropped him at his email provider's webpage instead of "www.google.com"

This man is telling me I fucked his whole life up over a home page. Let me be clear that when I type Bob in all caps, it's because he is being loud (not shouting), and accusatory.

I show Bob how easy it is to switch his startup page, and we move on to his brand new AI laptop on which I spent, honestly, too much time on.

He gets right to complaining. "Where is excel? I don't see it."

I point to the shortcut. I point to all the shortcuts matching his previous daily driver laptop.

He opens excel.

"Well where are my files? Oh this is not right. This is unusable."

I ask Bob what the fuck he is talking about (politely). He points to the RECENTLY OPENED FILES area of excel that is blank because it is a brand new laptop.

I try to explain how recently opened list works.

"WELL WHERE IS IT? YOU TRANSFERRED THE DATA, RIGHT?"

I re-explain recently opened lists.

"WELL THE WHERE IS IT?"

Exasperated I say, "I don't know. It is wherever you saved it. Your data has all been moved to where you saved it. So if you saved an excel spreadsheet named BOB to your documents folder, you go to your documents folder and it is there." I show him each library and how the files are there.

He points back at the recently opened list and asks, "WELL THEN WHERE IS IT? YOU TRANSFERRED THE DATA, WHERE IS IT?"

Point of clarification that I did not mention earlier: When Bob called to say he was on the way I told him I had an upcoming appointment and would have to leave at 2:45. So, he should get there soon if he had questions. Bob arrived at 2:30.

I look Bob in the eyes and say, "I do not have the time to, nor is there any point in arguing about this. The data is there, I've tried explaining this---I'm afraid that is all I can do."

Bob says, "Fine, how much do I owe you?" I tell Bob and he slaps his credit card down and then this motherfucker says, "I'll just go somewhere where they know what they're doing."

My cool is lost. I slide the card back at him and tell him I don't want his money and wish him luck. By this time my 2:45 appointment is there, waiting, so I invite the 2:45 in and start going over their job with them---completely ignoring Bob who has made his dissatisfaction clear.

Bob says nothing else except for, just as he's leaving the office, "Goodbye /u/DroopyScrotum, you'll NEVER see me again!"

I don't respond or acknowledge and just keep taking care of my 2:45 appointment.

In the 26 years of doing this work I've never had an interaction like this. I've always been able to use my method of explaining while showing, and letting the client show ME what they're experiencing. I'm trying to not let this bother me, but also trying to find whatever might be useful to take away from this experience to prevent it from happening.