When a customer contacted the automotive helpdesk reporting that their car wouldn’t start because it was “too tired,” staff members found themselves scratching their heads and searching for a new troubleshooting manual—preferably one written in puns.
The call came in at precisely 8:47 a.m., just as the helpdesk team was settling in with their first coffee of the day. The customer, clearly frustrated and not known for her engineering expertise, explained, “My car just won’t start. I think it’s too tired.”
Helpdesk veteran Bob Simmons, who has been dealing with everything from flat batteries to mysterious dashboard noises for over a decade, was initially convinced it was a classic case of a dead battery. After politely asking the customer to check the battery terminals remotely proved useless, Bob inquired if the customer meant “tyre” and possibly had a flat tire instead.
“No no,” the customer insisted, “I said it’s too tired. Like, tired. Like it’s sleepy.”
At first, Bob considered the possibility that the customer had accidentally spoken to a sleep clinic instead of a car helpdesk. However, ever the professional, he continued the diagnosis. “Does the car display any warning lights?”
“Yes,” replied the customer, “the sleepy face emoji on the display keeps blinking.”
Unsure if laughter was an appropriate professional response, Bob asked to speak with the customer’s husband, hoping to find someone with more mechanical insight. The husband chimed in to clarify that they had downloaded a new dashboard interface app themed around “sleep wellness,” which shows car “moods” akin to Pebble watches.
As it turns out, the “too tired” message was the vehicle’s way of instructing the owner to check tire pressure, as low tire pressure causes extra strain on the engine, metaphorically making the car “tired.” After a quick tire pump session, the car sprang to life, proving that sometimes, car problems may indeed require a little nurture and a good pun to solve.
Bob Simmons has since requested that the helpdesk install a dictionary of automotive emojis to avoid future confusion. Meanwhile, the customer has reportedly taken to calling her sedan “the sleepyhead,” ensuring that her daily commute will never again be described as “too tired.”