Daily stupidity

[phaedra-13.livejournal.com]

As I mentioned in my intro, I support a software product that communicates with CBP. Here are are just a couple of tickets we get on a daily basis:

COMPLAINT: My release won't print!!
PROBLEM: CBP hasn't released it yet (the exact date and time of the release is posted right in front of their noses...if it's blank....duuuuh)

COMPLAINT: I can't create a billing invoice!!
PROBLEM: The file is locked (upon entering the file, a message constantly flashes across the screen than NO changes can be made)

COMPLAINT: Why does my prior notice say that the export date is invalid?
PROBLEM: You are trying to submit prior notice on freight that has already arrvied in the US (boys and girls, can you tell me what "prior" means?)

Comments

[gilmoure.livejournal.com]

You think your customers can read? At best, they do what my preschooler does and recognizes some frequently used words.

[bekscilla.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, thanks for reminding me of the term "prior notice". I was talking about it the other day, but couldn't remember the name

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

We get something like that with certain print requests which are processed on a mainframe backend and spat out via TCP/IP to whichever printer in the entire country is closest to the user.

99.9% of the time, such print requests will take less than five seconds. So users have become used to 'instant' prints, and often use them when printing stuff out for customers.

However, when there's significant load on the mainframe, print requests take a low priority, and the mainframe ops won't even look at a specific print job unless it's taken over 24 hours to process.

We're not even the mainframe helpdesk. But guess who gets ten kazillion calls when the print jobs aren't appearing NOW NOW NOW?