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tech-support.shtml
- Compaq is considering changing the command “Press Any Key”
to “Press Return Key” because of the flood of calls asking
where the “Any” key is.
- AST technical support had a caller complaining that her mouse was hard
to control with the dust cover on. The “dust cover” turned out
to be the plastic bag the mouse was packaged in.
- Another Compaq technician received a call from a man complaining that
the system wouldn't read word processing files from his old
diskettes. After trouble-shooting for magnets and heat failed to diagnose
the problem, it was found that the customer had labeled the diskettes, then
rolled them into the typewriter to type the labels.
- Another AST customer was asked to send a copy of her defective
diskettes. A few days later a letter arrived from the customer along with
photocopies of the floppies.
- A Dell technician advised his customer to put his troubled floppy back
in the drive and close the door. The customer asked the tech to hold on,
and was heard putting the phone down, getting up and crossing the room to
close the door to his room.
- Another Dell customer called to say he couldn't get his computer to fax
anything. After 40 minutes of trouble-shooting, the technician discovered
the man was trying to fax a piece of paper by holding it in front of the
monitor screen and hitting the “send” key.
- Yet another Dell customer called to complain that his keyboard no longer
worked. He had cleaned it by filling up his tub with soap and water and
soaking the keyboard for a day, then removing all the keys and washing them
individually.
- A Dell technician received a call from a customer who was enraged
because his computer had told him he was “bad and an
invalid”. The tech explained that the computer's “bad
command” and “invalid” responses shouldn't be taken
personally.
- A confused caller to IBM was having troubles printing documents. He told
the technician that the computer had said it “couldn't find
printer”. The user had also tried turning the computer screen to face
the printer - but that his computer still couldn't “see” the
printer.
- An exasperated caller to Dell Computer Tech Support couldn't get her
new Dell Computer to turn on. After ensuring the computer was plugged in,
the technician asked her what happened when she pushed the power
button. Her response, “I pushed and pushed on this foot pedal and
nothing happens.” The “foot pedal” turned out to be the
computer's mouse.
- Another customer called Compaq tech support to say her brand-new
computer wouldn't work. She said she unpacked the unit, plugged it in and
sat there for 20 minutes waiting for something to happen. When asked what
happened when she pressed the power switch, she asked “What power
switch?”
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True story from a Novell NetWire SysOp:
Hello, is this Tech Support?
Yes, it is. How may I help you?
The cup holder on my PC is broken and I am within my
warranty period. How do I go about getting that fixed?
I'm sorry, but did you say a cup holder?
Yes, it's attached to the front of my computer.
Please excuse me if I seem a bit stumped, it's because I
am. Did you receive this as part of a promotional at a trade show? How did
you get this cup holder? Does it have any trademark on it?
It came with my computer, I don't know anything about a
promotional. It just has '4X' on it.
At this point the Tech Rep had to mute the caller, because he couldn't
stand it. He was laughing too hard. The caller had been using the load
drawer of the CD-ROM drive as a cup holder, and snapped it off the
drive!
- Another IBM customer had troubles installing software and rang for
support. “I put in the first disk, and that was OK. It said to put
in the second disk, and had some problems with the disk. When it said to
put in the third disk - I couldn't even fit it in...” The user hadn't
realized that “Insert Disk 2” meant to remove Disk 1 first.
- In a similar incident, a customer had followed the instructions for
installing software. The instructions said to remove the disk from it's
cover and insert into the drive. The user had physically removed the casing
of the disk and wondered why there were problems.
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