More Stupid Customer Tricks

[bitchtude.livejournal.com]

So while working for $Small_Local_Repair_Company, I get a call from $Retired_Lady. Her wireless mouse & keyboard are not working. Since I hate wasting my time and not getting any money for going out on $Stupid_Shit calls, I did the standard phone questions of "Did you press the connect button?", "Do they have fresh batteries & are they in the right way?", "Did you check the cables?", and so forth. She swore she checked all that and didn't have any other mouse or keyboard to use. Okay, fine, at least I'll make a little commission along with the regular pay so I go out to the job. First thing I do is plug in a USB mouse to make sure the USB ports work. Mouse kicks in, no problem. And just to be sure, I click the connect button on the receiver and on the mouse & keyboard. Mouse works but no keyboard. Pop the battery cover off and the damn things are in backwards. *sigh* "Problem fixed, ma'am. Your keyboard batteries were in backwards. That'll be $XX."

2 weeks later she calls again only this time it's just her keyboard. I go through all the same questions. She gives all the same answers. So I go out again. Try the connect button and this time it didn't work. I flip the keyboard over as she's telling me that she just put new batteries in the keyboard. The little plastic latch for the battery cover is jammed UNDER the plastic back of the keyboard. WTF? I have no idea how in the hell she could do that. I explained that I'll have to break it to get the batteries out. She says okay, I have her sign on the invoice that it was okay to break it (CYA!!!) and finally get to see the batteries. And yep... they're in backwards. again. *headdesk* This time I SHOW her how to put the batteries in and tape the cover back on. "Problem fixed, ma'am. That'll be $XX."

I kind you not, 2 more weeks and she calls for the THIRD time. I specifically asked "Did you check to make sure the batteries are in just like the diagram shows?" Her reply: "Oh yes, my friend checked it out and he says the batteries are fine." *bitchgripemoan* Go out there and take the battery cover off.... I don't need to tell you what I found. I explained AGAIN how that batteries need to go in. "Problem fixed, ma'am. That'll be $XX."

"Why do I have to keep paying for you to fix the same problem?"

Wanted to say: "Ummm.... cause you're an idiot and need to not let 'friends' work on your computer."

She's lucky I was nice. I could have charged her double what I did for each call, which is what they agree to over the phone when they schedule the appointments. And I should have done it and considered it the ID10T tax.

Comments

[merlin-t-wizard.livejournal.com]

Sounds like she was lonely...

[bitchtude.livejournal.com]

Oh, living in an area with mostly retirees... I've had those too, LOL!

[jjjiii]

I'd think it'd be mandatory not to ask if the batteries are in right, but to insist that they try "reversing the polarity" (because here's a situation where that really makes sense and would do it!) to see if that might get the electrons flowing the right way.

Geez, replacing batteries every two weeks, just so you don't have to have a 6' wire leading to behind the big scary box. Some people must have all the money in the world.

[pne.livejournal.com]

This is what brought me back to wireful mouses at home (which were surprisingly difficult to find; practically all the mouses in the shop were wireless ones).

[mattcaron.livejournal.com]

What annoys me is the proliferation of "fancy" mice. My mice need to be:

(1) Wired
(2) Optical
(3) 2 buttons + scroll wheel.

That's it.

When you can find them, they're $10.. when you can find them.

[notthebuddha.livejournal.com]

Lots of home improvement, big box, and department stores have these, GE brand is popular, and often for $7. You can often find some cheaper at dollar stores, but they don't last.

[10001110101.livejournal.com]

I am also vexed by this issue. We really should petition the hardware makers to get back to making QUALITY wired mice specifically designed for people who actually effing work for a living.

[mattcaron.livejournal.com]

Hell, see this post (http://mattcaron.livejournal.com/154802.html) about laptops.

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

Make a note on the file. If she ever calls again, tell her to pop the batteries out and put them in 'backwards'.

Hysterics!

[areolamay.livejournal.com]

Sorry, just wanted to say this had me chuckling!

Maybe she cannot form long term memory?
Or She's in God's Waiting room and is bored outta her mind?
Or maybe she's taken a nice fancy to ye young man.

Either way: LMAO ROTF

[ptstech.livejournal.com]

That's just sad.

Also, her friend is a moron.

[margaretc.livejournal.com]

Never used a wireless keyboard or mouse - do the batteries really die every 2 weeks? That's astonishingly pitiful (and wasteful).

[notthebuddha.livejournal.com]

Rechargeable batteries.

[kenbrody.livejournal.com]

My wireless mouse has rechargeable batteries -- I simply put the mouse in its base at least once every two weeks. (And if I forget, it simply tells me "low battery" at some point, and I put it in the base that evening. It lasts all day even with "low battery".)

My wireless keyboard has standard batteries. I think I've changed them once in the past two years.

[yanni85.livejournal.com]

"Why do I have to keep paying for you to fix the same problem?"

Because you keep making the same mistake.

Do we need to break out the definition of insanity here?

[notthebuddha.livejournal.com]

"Why do I have to keep paying for you to fix the same problem?"

"Well ma'am, we have no control over human error."


Or, you could maybe take a picture of the batteries in correctly, print it, crop it, and tape it under the keyboard.

[lihan161051.livejournal.com]

I've had to take care of this exact problem entirely over the phone. Ugh.

And if the case were keyed so the batteries would only fit the right way, she'd break it trying to force them in backwards, and then call your complaint line for a replacement claiming it was defective and/or misleadingly labeled. Been there, done that too. (At least she sounded fairly pleasant. Sometimes they're not just incapable of learning their way out of the paper bag, they've learned that being a complete asshole about it is a semi-viable defensive strategy, so when they're in full tantrum, they bring in lawyers. Lovely people.)