call ran over would you want him to cut that person off and say "Sorry I have to help someone else"? That's not great customer service either. Yes someone else should have called you on time instead but if we're talking about options that only involve this specific person I feel like he was kind caught in a no-win situation.

As far as the "IT types" and user error, as an IT type, I can tell you the vast majority of the time it is user error. That doesn't always mean it's the user's fault though. The goal is always to make things as easy and painless as possible for the users but that's sometimes easier said than done. I know there's things I've developed that I wish could be clearer or more intuitive but are limited by either the process itself, the software, regulations, etc. And it can be hard to tell a user diplomatically that their issue stems from something they're doing incorrectly because you don't want them to take it as "it's your fault for being stupid".