Struggling Computer Users

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Struggling Computer Users


Following are actual excerpts from a Wall Street Journal article about
struggling computer users:

1. Compaq is considering changing the command "Press Any Key" to
"Press Return Key" because of the flood of calls asking where the
"Any" key is.

2. AST technical support had a caller complaining that her mouse was
hard to control with the dust cover on.  The cover turned out to be
the plastic bag the mouse was packaged in.

3. Another Compaq technician received a call from a man complaining
that the system wouldn't read word processing files from his old
diskettes.  After trouble- shooting for magnets and heat failed to
diagnose the problem, it was found that the customer labeled the
diskettes then rolled them into the typewriter to type the labels.

4. Another AST customer was asked to send a copy of her defective
diskettes.  A few days later a letter arrived from the customer along
with Xeroxed copies of the floppies.

5. A Dell technician advised his customer to put his troubled floppy
back in the drive and close the door. The customer asked the tech to
hold on, and was heard putting the phone down, getting up and crossing
the room to close the door to his room.

6. Another Dell customer called to say he couldn't get his computer to
fax anything.  After 40 minutes of trouble-shooting, the technician
discovered the man was trying to fax a piece of paper by holding it in
front of the monitor screen and hitting the "send" key.

7. Another Dell customer needed help setting up a new program, so a
Dell tech suggested he go to the local Egghead.  "Yeah, I got me a
couple of friends," the customer replied.  When told Egghead was a
software store, the man said, "Oh, I thought you meant for me to find
a couple of geeks."

8. Yet another Dell customer called to complain that his keyboard no
longer worked. He had cleaned it by filling up his tub with soap and
water and soaking the keyboard for a day, then removing all the keys
and washing them individually.

9. A Dell technician received a call from a customer who was enraged
because his computer had told him he was "bad and an invalid".  The
tech explained that the computer's "bad command" and "invalid"
responses shouldn't be taken personally.

10. An exasperated caller to Dell Computer Tech Support couldn't get
her new Dell Computer to turn on. After ensuring the computer was
plugged in, the technician asked her what happened when she pushed the
power button. Her response, "I pushed and pushed on this foot pedal
and nothing happens." The "foot pedal" turned out to be the computer's
mouse.

11. Another customer called Compaq tech support to say her brand-new
computer wouldn't work.  She said she unpacked the unit, plugged it
in, and sat there for 20 minutes waiting for something to happen.
When asked what happened when she pressed the power switch, she asked
"What power switch?"

12. True story from a Novell NetWire SysOp:

Caller: "Hello, is this Tech Support?"

Tech: "Yes, it is.  How may I help you?"

Caller: "The cup holder on my PC is broken and I am within my warranty
period. How do I go about getting that fixed?"

Tech: "I'm sorry, but did you say a cup holder?"

Caller: "Yes, it's attached to the front of my computer."

Tech: "Please excuse me if I seem a bit stumped, It's because I
am.  Did you receive this as part of a promotional, at a trade show?
How did you get this cup holder? Does it have any trademark on it?"

Caller: "It came with my computer, I don't know anything about a
promotional.  It just has '4X' on it."  At this point the Tech Rep had
to mute the caller, because he couldn't stand it.  The caller had been
using the load drawer of the CD-ROM drive as a cup holder, and snapped
it off the drive.


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