techrecovery | Welcome to Reallity (Reply)

Background I work as Senior Tech/Sales person/Donations Coordinator for a small non profit. We take in e-waste and refurbish computers and monitors to pass on to other NGOs. As a way of keeping the cost to them down we also have a small retail store, just like goodwill only geekier.

Last Wednesday around 11am I get a phone call (did I mention I also work the phone too?) it's a long rambling affair about how M's life was and oh did we happen to have any laptops for sale. I said we did but they were quite old. I could go through the stack and pull out a few of the better looking ones. M "Ok, I will be there around one pm".

Part the second, The visit.
Busy day happens but I manage to get to the pile and pull out a couple likely machines before 1pm. Everything works but is all p2 and early p3 machines most running Mandrake Linux but a few with win 2k. At 5:35 M puts in an appearance, I smile and greet her/him (pre-op, transsexual or just a transvestite you make the call). I get him/her set up with a couple of the systems while I dash around helping people with their donations and a couple other retail customers. All the while answering a torrent of questions about these elderly systems. Finally 6pm, quiting time, Except M hasn't made a decision. Well now that we are closed I can focus on him/her and help make a decision. In the course of the conversation I learned oh M used to work for Intel (not an uncommon thing up here) but hasn't had a computer in years and knows less about chip production than I do.7pm A decision is made hurray! Oh but wait this machine is running Mandrake and M wants to sync up a palm trio with the software disk. So I being ever so helpful point out that the machine over there is running windows 2k and yes everything will work just fine. 7:30 I have installed the palm trio software and her machine and phone are now syncing. That will be $75 plus tax, M "TAX! you never mentioned there was going to be tax!" I smile my best no jury in the world would convict me smile and say " Even though we are a non-profit we have to pay sales tax just like everyone else." As I ring M out I explain that this machine is sold as is where is there is no warranty thank you have a nice night.

Part the third, The second call
Thursday morning 9:32 am I arrive at work just in time to pick up a ringing phone it's M. M can't figure out how to reset the user name and oh I didn't include any reinstall media. I try to quickly walk him/her through the process but click on the start button and go into control panel is beyond M. As far as the reinstall disk goes if we have official disks I pass them along with computers but if I don't have the disk you don't get one. M currently has a legal copy of 2k with a valid product key and I pointed out how to order a new disk from Compaq even looking up the 1-800 number. I again stated that the machine is sold as is where is and has no warranty. I mention that it is almost 10am I have to get to work and the library has a good selection of using win 2k books. M then starts to cuss me out it wasn't very creative but it went on for a good three minutes click.

Part the fourth, The return of M
Today 2:30 pm M storms into the store claiming that she talked to MY supervisor and HE said I was to give her a new computer. I blink and say the only person above me is the founder C but he is in the office and I can go get him. I return with C and give him the sum up. He blinks and doesn't remember telling anyone that but it could have happened. At least until he meets M then he is positive that the conversation M is claiming never happened. Then things got even more strange M threatened to smash the computer into the glass cases then into Me and C, then mentions how easy it would be to break into the place and just take a new laptop and that the BBB and state attorney general will hear about us. As M is ranting The boss tries to figure out what is wrong with the laptop it boots everything works ect. But M is claiming that it isn't and the only thing that will fix it is that p4 2.4 ghz laptop over there we and exchange them and everything will be fine and dandy. We tell M no and that it's a as is where is item we won't exchange it. Finally we figure out what M's problem is, well the computer problem anyway, M doesn't have a phone line and wants to connect to the net. M spent lots of money on Clearwire and the machine doesn't have a network card. Therefore the computer is broken. I pull out my trusty 3com pc-card slip it into the machine, plug in the Clearwire modem from the kiosk and poof off we are to the intarwebs. M is flabergasted M then pulls out a d-link pc-card (which we didn't sell him/her). At this point I nod to my boss and he heads back into the office shaking his head. "Why doesn't it work with mine?" is the next thing out of Ms mouth. I try to explain about drivers but give up quickly I can't aim low enough. I say it's broken and to go to best buy and buy a new card then put the cd in and then the card. I could have installed the drivers for M and have in the past for customers who were just as clueless but at this point the milk of human kindness in me had not only dried up it had turned to a strange greenish colored cheese with a pungent odor.