Educational one

[byh.livejournal.com]

It happened two years before but still it is the most interesting case I've ever seen. I was in tech dept of one factory, one of the local defense leaders - which only added the fun.

One day we had to install a few surge suppressors. After we received them we decided that the most users are advanced enough to plug them in themselves so we just gave them the devices. And then one of them calls. "You know, the surge suppressor is broken. When I turn it on it just shorts the power!" Oh, we think. Looks like there are people who are able to design circuits for MiG engine but can't figure how to use a damn surge filter. So we go there and look. And we connect the suppressor again, commenting each thing we do. The user mumbles something about "but it is broken!" which, of course, doesn't stop us from pushing the button. Then there is a loud click and about thirty computers and one kettle go down. No doubt - the damn thing does short the power.

We test the device, take it apart and see that it was assembled incorrectly. So we take it back to the shop. As we explain things to the manager he smiles. We clearly read in his eyes: "Goddamned stupid customers. Can't figure how to use the simplest device one can think of.". He takes the suppressor and asks us to wait. "Hey" - we say - "do not turn it on! It really does short power inputs." He smiles and leaves to "staff only" door.

The lights in the shop go off.
Lots of swearings. Especially from another manager who was busy installing OS for a customer. Without an UPS of course.


You know, sometimes you should listen to them.

Comments

[valiskeogh.livejournal.com]

BWWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA

now i want to go to walmart and rig some surge protectors...

[theobon.livejournal.com]

I love how nobody takes anyones word for things and has to test it themselves.
I wonder if I could do that same with "don't shoot yourself in the face, it will kill you"

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

Actually, most of the time when I hear "My hard drive is bad" it's in reference to the tower itself, not the actual drive.

I then have them open the system, tell them where the hard drive is, and say "THAT is your hard drive."

Which is usually followed by "ok well the modem is bad."

I then point out the modem to them.

The especially dense ones move on to "fine it's the vcr that's the problem."

[byh.livejournal.com]

Oh. Mine prefer to call their towers "processors". Which is fine. The thing which is not fine is that they then try to identify every other internal device they know elsewhere. The monitor always seemed a perfect container for hardware for them - perhaps because almost all of them had large 19" CRT.

[byh.livejournal.com]

Well. Technically it could be true :)

In such cases I usually say - yes, it was optimized and now you should notice a slight improvement in performance. And if there are any stability issues please call me right away (like they do anyway).

[byh.livejournal.com]

One time I tried it with laser printer toner.

One of toner tanks broke so I just put the toner in a paper bag. And clearly marked it - "Caution - Black toner". Of course there wasn't a single person in the department who did not open the bag to check if there really is black toner. Some made a nice mess with it a couple of times.