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I know how to do a Google search.

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  • I know how to do a Google search.

    Had this older woman (70's, I guess) come in a couple of times over the last month. Seems like a sweet old lady, but I'm wondering if she has some sort of mental problems.


    First visit: gave me a web site to look up, she wanted a list of the board of directors for some <blank>-American organization. Easy. I don't think I even charged her to print it out.

    She mentioned she had another site she wanted the same info from. I asked what it was, but she didn't have the web site. No problem, I say. I can search for it.

    She refused to give me the information. Something about her mother had once told her that she shouldn't take advantage of people's kindness and blah blah and all that noise. Since she has to walk a couple of miles here from her home (she doesn't drive) I tell her it's no problem, let's do it now and save her a trip. No, no, no - she won't tell me what she needs, she'll come back some other time. Whatever. Did my good deed for the day.



    Second visit: Tells me the <blank>-American museum she's looking for, needs the board of directors list. Because five years ago someone told her that information was available online. Because surely nothing on the WWW could change in five years. I check the museum's web page, do a Google search, can't find it.

    Aha - I say - here's a phone number to the fellow who runs the museum. Just call him and ask where you can get that information. No, no - she can't do that because she has some sort of problem with the guy and won't get into it.

    Crazyyyyyyyyyyy

    I do a couple more searches but find nothing. She asks if I can research it for her. Now I'm getting annoyed. I offered a solution but she refused it, and she can't comprehend that I KNOW WHAT THE FUCK I'M DOING. I don't claim to be a Black Belt in Google-Fu but my karate is strong. I can usually find anything I need to.

    So I tell her yes - I can research it for her. For my hourly rate of $90.

    Well, you can imagine how that went down. Couldn't afford it, so she'd see if the library could help but thanks anyway.

    Fine. Have a nice day.



    Third visit (some 15 minutes ago) - tells me the librarian used Google Word Search to find what she needed but wouldn't print it out because she couldn't afford the printouts. (I guess I'm a charity now) Of course she doesn't remember the web site and neither her nor the librarian wrote it down.

    She tries describing how the librarian searched, with a black column on the one side and white column on the other side and adding/eliminating search words - I have no idea what she's on about. But I try a couple more searches my way, still can't find the info.

    Since she won't call the museum I offer to do it for her. The guy won't know who I'm calling for - I don't even know this woman's name if he asked. No, no, no - no calls. She doesn't want me to do it. And she doesn't want to go back to the library because she's dealing with me. Well, yeah - because I'm the sucker who hasn't charged you anything yet and I'm wasting my time I should be spending on customers computers. No wonder you only want to deal with me.

    I have to admit, I was getting curious exactly why she wanted this info and why she wouldn't talk to the guy at the museum. I tried to subtly find out but couldn't get anything out of her. I'll have to try waterboarding, I guess.

    But this woman is pissing me off more and more, because I KNOW HOW TO DO MY JOB. She comments that I'm not really helping and I respond that I don't know how to help her any better. I've searched, made a recommendation, and she doesn't want to hear anything.

    I tell her if the librarian can find the web page, all they need to do is write it down and I can pull it up. So she says she'll try getting help at the library. I couldn't tell if she was being passive-aggressive or not, but I'm now beyond the point of caring. If she comes back in with the URL I'll look it up real quick but otherwise, I'm just telling her I have work to do and if she can't pay us for our time I can't help her.


    I can't even imagine her thought process on this. Why does she need the board of directors? Why won't she just call the guy at the museum or have someone else call for her? Why can't she understand that the information she wants may not be online? WHY WON'T SHE LISTEN TO ME WHEN I TELL HER I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING?

    What's that line from Star Wars... who's the bigger fool? The fool or the fool who follows him.

  • #2
    At a guess I'd say she's trying to get someone in trouble. Probably because of some crazy-ass scenario that's only loosely connected to reality.

    You may want to just tell her you can't do these things for free anymore, it's taking too much time away from paying customers. After hearing that a few times she'll probably go away.
    When you start at zero, everything's progress.

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    • #3
      Quoth An Haddock View Post
      Second visit: Tells me the <blank>-American museum she's looking for, needs the board of directors list. Because five years ago someone told her that information was available online. Because surely nothing on the WWW could change in five years.
      You could check the Wayback Machine...

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      • #4
        She was back yesterday. Fortunately it was as I was walking out the door so I didn't have to deal with her but I had already made sure Sidekick and Sidekick's Sidekick knew not to do anything for her unless she was paying. (which she will never do, since she can't even afford the .50 or 1.00 a page the library charges to print stuff out)

        - and by the way, that's a valid question. Why doesn't she just bring a notebook or some paper to the library and write down the info they look up for her? Lazy.



        She was asking the sidekicks to go on "Google Word Search" (which is just Google) but she's so stubborn you can't tell her that. I still don't know why she won't listen when people try to explain anything computer-related to her. I guess she knows more about them than us.


        So after failing to explain that Google is the same as Google Word Search and her not listening (in addition to explaining that we do, in fact, need to be paid for our services) Sidekick went in the back to test a hard drive.

        Crazy old woman then tried to get Sidekick's Sidekick to help her, to which he explained that he was under the same obligation to be PAID for his work.

        Seeing that no one was going to give her any charity, she finally left. I assume she went down to the library to bother them.


        Oddly enough, we can't just drop everything we're doing with the 6 or 7 PAYING customers computers we're working on to look up your horseshit.


        I swear if I see her come by again I'm locking the door.
        Last edited by An Haddock; 02-25-2016, 02:42 PM.

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        • #5
          Quoth An Haddock View Post
          I still don't know why she won't listen when people try to explain anything computer-related to her.
          I'm gonna assume you're being rhetorical here, but we all know the answer.

          She knows/assumes someone will do it for her.
          Skilled programmers aren't cheap. Cheap programmers aren't skilled.

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          • #6
            I had a regular group of older people at the toy store. They were friends of my grandparents. They'd come in, we'd do small talk, then we'd spend at least 45 minutes if not longer going through all the toys in the shop, looking for something perfect for the grandkids/greatgrandkids. They'd pull out a little pad of paper, and jot down notes on what they decided was the perfect toys, tell me they needed to consult with the wife/husband, thank me for my time and leave.

            I've never see them again.

            Later I found out they were telling my grandparents how knowledgeable and friendly and helpful I was, but that they were picking my brain to find out what to buy at WalMart. *sigh*
            https://purplefish-quilting.square.site/

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            • #7
              Quoth Kanalah View Post
              I've never see them again.

              Later I found out they were telling my grandparents how knowledgeable and friendly and helpful I was, but that they were picking my brain to find out what to buy at WalMart. *sigh*

              I suppose your grandparents didn't tell them that it was rude of them to waste your time and not purchase anything.

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              • #8
                Quoth Kanalah View Post
                Later I found out they were telling my grandparents how knowledgeable and friendly and helpful I was, but that they were picking my brain to find out what to buy at WalMart. *sigh*
                There's a reason why independent specialty stores have knowledgeable, helpful staff (and somewhat higher prices), while WalMart is minimally staffed and has low prices - the price at the independent store includes advice from the staff.

                Those "customers" were, in effect, shoplifting - except instead of stealing physical merchandise, they were stealing the staff's time in order to get information to use when purchasing elsewhere. If this goes on for too long, the independent store will shut down due to lack of sales, and there will be NOWHERE to get the personalized service.

                If you make use of the staff's time, buy your product at the independent store.
                Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

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                • #9
                  No my grandparents praised me for being so helpful and not "forcing" them to buy anything right then.

                  And yeah, the store didn't stay open very long after that. >.<

                  I drive out of the way to get my feline overlord's food from a mom and pop pet store because they research everything they carry to find out if it's healthy for pets.

                  And I pay more for fabric because I go to the small local shops to get the higher quality fabric.
                  https://purplefish-quilting.square.site/

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                  • #10
                    Quoth Kanalah View Post
                    No my grandparents praised me for being so helpful and not "forcing" them to buy anything right then.

                    And yeah, the store didn't stay open very long after that. >.<

                    I drive out of the way to get my feline overlord's food from a mom and pop pet store because they research everything they carry to find out if it's healthy for pets.

                    And I pay more for fabric because I go to the small local shops to get the higher quality fabric.

                    Our town is very much like that and many of our customers at least try us first because they want to keep business in town. We try to reciprocate, of course.



                    We're still better than the Geek Squad.

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                    • #11
                      Quoth An Haddock View Post
                      We're still better than the Geek Squad.
                      Of course, that's an easy standard to meet.
                      Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

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                      • #12
                        Quoth wolfie View Post
                        There's a reason why independent specialty stores have knowledgeable, helpful staff (and somewhat higher prices), while WalMart is minimally staffed and has low prices - the price at the independent store includes advice from the staff.

                        Those "customers" were, in effect, shoplifting - except instead of stealing physical merchandise, they were stealing the staff's time in order to get information to use when purchasing elsewhere. If this goes on for too long, the independent store will shut down due to lack of sales, and there will be NOWHERE to get the personalized service.

                        If you make use of the staff's time, buy your product at the independent store.
                        We get the same thing at my used-book store -- people browsing the books and then ordering from Big River.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Quoth Mental_Mouse View Post
                          We get the same thing at my used-book store -- people browsing the books and then ordering from Big River.
                          If I found a book of interest in a used book store, chances are if I ordered it through Big River it would come from a Big River partner that is also a used book store, and have to also pay shipping. Better to buy used books locally so you can see what you're getting.
                          "I don't have to be petty. The Universe does that for me."

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