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The original was posted on /r/talesfromtechsupport by /u/FeralSparky on 2025-10-31 01:30:39+00:00.

For names its ME, SM - Shop Manager, EM - employee, MG - Manager.

This is just a simple and short one I had today. I do IT for a bunch of auto repair shop at the corporate office. The shops have what we call the bluesheet. Its just an excel sheet with protected formula’s where they put in expenses vs income to show short/over deposits for their drawer.

So one of our shops called me this morning before they filled it out and sent it in. Its a recent shop we required after a franchise owner quit and it went back under out control. So new employees and manager at the location.

We have been teaching him how to do everything, I have been teaching him how to run the POS, where all the links are for his day to day. While he’s filling out his bluesheet he asks me.

SM - Why does it not put the number zero in the bluesheet when I enter it for cash or credit?

ME - Because its not needed, zero means nothing came in our out.

SM - But its not calculating it in the totals when its not showing up in the sheet.

ME - Because it doesn’t need to. Its zero, there’s nothing to add or subtract from the total.

SM - Then how does it know what the total is? It needs the zero.

ME - OK… I’m thinking your a bit confused. What’s 1 + 0?

SM - Its 1 of course #talking to EM# Can you believe this crap, he thinks I’m sort of moron. I know its supposed to show up.

SM - #talking back into the phone# Don’t talk to me like I’m an idiot.

ME - Listen bud. You cant add or subtract zero from anything, adding it or not does not matter. When the sheet see’s you put zero it leaves it blank because its not used.

SM - #Talking shit about me to the EM in the background before talking into the phone# Listen I just want the zero to show up in the sheet

ME - As I am not you’re or anyone’s boss and this sheet is EXACTLY what the higher ups want you’re going to have to talk to them about changing it but I’m telling you that your overthinking this problem. When you have nothing to add to the sheet you don’t have to put a zero.

SM - This is ridiculous. I’m going to talk to the MG about this.

Hangs up

I think nothing of it for about 2 hours when my manager comes in

MG - Did you tell SM that he cant fill out the sheet properly?

ME - No. He asked me why it does not put the zero on the sheet when he enters it and I told him its because its unnecessary.

MG - Well we were talking with him and we have decided that we want all the shops to enter zero and for it to show up on the sheet going forward.

ME - Can I ask why?

MG - Well it just sounds correct to us that it should show a zero to properly calculate costs.

ME - Before we go forward with this I want you to understand that adding zero to the sheet will NOT change the calculated total in any way. You will simply be adding an extra unnecessary step for no benefit to anyone. This will simply confuse and cause problems with all the other shops we control for no net benefit.

MG - I’ll take that up with the others and get back with you.

10 minutes later I get a call on my phone “Were going to keep it as is and train the problem employee”