Field support horror story
Hedbanger
I liked this one. Wonder if it's true.
j
>From vol...@got.net Fri Jun 14 19:04:11 1996
----- Forwarded message follows -----
Date: 14 Jun 1996 18:05:25 -0700
From: "Gordon Garb" <gordo...@quickmail.apple.com>
Subject: [HUMOR] Field Support Horro
To: "#165#_Friends_Who_Like_Humor" <gg...@apple.com>
[HUMOR] Field Support Horror Story du jour
> >From an ex-field sales/support survivor:
>
> I used to work in a computer store and one day we had a gentleman call
> in with a smoking power supply. The service representative was having
> a bit of trouble convincing this guy that he had a hardware problem.
>
> Service Rep: Sir, something has burned within your power supply.
>
> Customer: I bet that there is some command that I can put into the
> AUTOEXEC.BAT file that will take care of this.
>
> Service Rep: There is nothing that software can do to help you with
> this problem.
>
> Customer: I know that there is something I can put in... some
> command... maybe it should go into the CONFIG.SYS.
>
> [After a few minutes of going round and round]
>
> Service Rep: Okay, I am not supposed to tell anyone this but there is
> a hidden command in some versions of DOS that you can use. I want you
> to edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT and add the last line as C:\DOS\NOSMOKE and
> reboot your computer.
>
> [Customer does this]
>
> Customer: It is still smoking.
>
> Service Rep: I guess you'll need to call Microsoft and ask them for a
> patch for the NOSMOKE.EXE.
>
> [The customer then hung up. We thought that we had heard the last of
> this guy. But NO; he calls back four hours later!]
>
> Service Rep: Hello, Sir, how is your computer?
>
> Customer: I called Microsoft and they said that my power supply is
> incompatible with their NOSMOKE.EXE and that I need to get a new one.
> I was wondering when I can have that done and how much it will
> cost....
(Charles A. Ganson)²
Doug Herr wrote:
> If the path to the correct actions is fantasy
> then support the fantasy.
Sounds like a great MOTD, at least.
> Remember to never let the magic smoke out of your computer.
I never run it with the lid closed.
Gotta hear its little heartbeat.
> __
> Doug Herr, dh...@hooked.net
> http://www.hooked.net/~dherr
--
http://www.hooked.net/~cganson/toad.htm
8th: Simple subtraction
yo
hedb...@hooked.net (Hedbanger) wrote:
So, he should have put c:\dos\nosmoke.exe /f
invoking the filter option?
Doug Herr
I think it was hedb...@hooked.net (Hedbanger) who wrote:
>I liked this one. Wonder if it's true.
To take it seriously:
This is a wonderful example of appeasing a persons expectations. The
user expected there to be a software connection and the support people
lead the user to a place where they could do what needed to be done.
The idea that the software connection was real but not working lead
the user to a willingness to replace the faulty power supply.
The truth behind the machine is not important if the correct actions
are taken. If the path to the correct actions is fantasy then support
the fantasy.
Remember to never let the magic smoke out of your computer.
__
steve nellis
dh...@hooked.net (Doug Herr) wrote:
>To take it seriously:
yeah. i like the "strike any key when done" prompt.
searching *all* over the keyboard for the any key.
where is it?
Hedbanger
dh...@hooked.net (Doug Herr) wrote:
>I think it was hedb...@hooked.net (Hedbanger) who wrote:
>>I liked this one. Wonder if it's true.
>To take it seriously:
>This is a wonderful example of appeasing a persons expectations. The
>user expected there to be a software connection and the support people
>lead the user to a place where they could do what needed to be done.
>The idea that the software connection was real but not working lead
>the user to a willingness to replace the faulty power supply.
That's what makes it a good story: that ring of truth. Pure folklore,
in this case (or soon to be).
>The truth behind the machine is not important if the correct actions
>are taken. If the path to the correct actions is fantasy then support
>the fantasy.
Amen, bro. Just look at the christian church...
And the wonderful thing about it is that if anyone attempts to
investigate truth more deeply, they are guaranteed to be powerless to
come up with any useful information. Knowledge is power.
>Remember to never let the magic smoke out of your computer.
The smoke -- and some steam -- got out of my car yesterday. I managed
to contain it and all's well.
j