Relations can be CS's??

[marcus]

Why-oh-why do I do it? I knew that offering PC support to my relations was going to bite me, but I did it to keep domestic peace, what a mistake.

Among numerous pointless and tedious support calls I had to field [up 'til now] one, with my Mother-in-Law went something like this:

blah blah [my computer] blah [Explorer] blah ["C" drive] blah blah -- Fast forward through a further 5 minutes of utterly mindless head banging >

Me - Ok, Close that window
MIL - How?
Me - Just click the White Cross
MIL - What White cross?
Me - The one in the top Right hand corner of the window, in the little Red box
<pause>
MIL - Don't have one......
Me - Sure you do. Can you see the whole window, the four corners?
MIL - yes, of course
Me - Right, what is in the top Right hand corner of it?
MIL - A little Flag (Windows emblem)
me - OK, Right above that, about 3mm, Red box, White cross???
<pause>
MIL - No, not there

This went on for about 2 minutes with me directing her around the screen, perfectly sure that she just wasn't listening having long ago given up trying to follow me. Eventually I simply gave up breathless and almost shaking with frustration, handed my wife the phone and walked out the room. On my return I asked if her Mother ever found the white cross, "yes, although it took about another 2 minutes".

My father is as bad. I mean, I think it's great that he has a PC but I just wish he would either listen to advice or throw it away, it would be such a relief either way. I've told him numerous times how to attach an image onto a mail message for example and even made an instruction document including screenshots. But no, he CANNOT do it. His machine is the same as mine, I should know, I configured it ! He asks for help, I start giving it but I hear his interest wain and fall away after only a minute or two, but does he admit it? No, I have to go through the same dance every time I call him... It's like "Dad, we covered this the last 6 times I called !!!!"

The mind simply boggles sometimes.....

[technical.angel]

Be lucky, I'm still trying to teach my dad how to turn the damn thing on!

Jenni

[Tanasi]

I had a similar experience except with my boss. I was complaining one day that I was having to walk the same customers thru the same thing time after time and they acted like it was the first time they had ever done it. So he said to have them write it all down and when they call back with the same thing tell them to refer to their notes. OK sounds good.
A few hours later the boss wanted to copy a file to a floppy and for the umpteenth time I start to talk him through it when I asked "Are you writing this down?" Boss: "Hee Hee you got me there." He's never called back about that.