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So I get into work, and all's going well... until
I try to ring someone through and the lane won't turn on... ok this happens occasionally (The lane computer will become disconnected from the server), I just have to move em to a new lane and get the mechanic to reboot the lane computer.
When i try to move em... that lane won't turn on either... and neither will the lane my coworker is trying to use. This is strange, one set of computers going down is not uncommon... but 3 different sets, which aren't even that close to each other?
So we keep trying to use different lanes, FINALLY we find a few that work.
Out of 64 lanes... only about 14 (at most) of them would work.
This is bad... and we can't reboot the server right now because there's a league going.
Also, in about 30 minutes we're gonna get a huge rush of people, because we have a special on Wednesday nights. ($15 cover charge per person, and then you get 25 cent games, and 50 cent beers)... and obviously when you're selling cheap beer, people are going to show up en masse.
The mechanics started going lane by lane rebooting every single lane computer, but it wasn't helping.
Once the league finishes up, we go and reboot the server, which requires us to turn off our registers, during which we can't do ANYTHING. This process takes about 5 - 10 minutes, depending on how slow the server wants to be.
We reboot the server, turn our registers back on.... and nothing changed... oh crap... It's now about 5 minutes before the special starts, and people are already starting to come in. We call the computer tech but he's not answering his phone.
We use as many lanes as we can, but like I said, only about 14 of them worked, and they filled up fast. Now the lines are starting to form at the desk, and we have to try to reboot the server again. So we repeat the process. The manager tries to calm people by giving out the pool balls and letting people play pool for free... but we only have 8 pool tables. So those didn't last long.
Reboot the server again, and SAME THING... SHIT!
There's only one more thing we can try. Turn ALL of the computers in the building off, turn the server offer, and then reboot the MAIN network hub. This process takes AT LEAST 15 minutes... during which noone can do any business (not even the bar or the cafe), and all of the lanes that ARE turned on will be turned off.
We don't want to do it, but we have no choice. We tell everyone bowling what's going to happen, tell the people in line what's going on, shut EVERYTHING down, and reboot the hub.
Of course, even when you tell people what's going on, they don't listen. People are just stupid. I would be talking to the person in front of me, and the people behind them would be listening to EXACTLY what i was saying. They were looking directly at me, they were not talking amongst themselves, they could definitely hear me.
C = The customer that I am currently talking to
SC = The group behind them that was listening to everything I was saying.
Me = Stressed as hell.
C: "Hi, I'd like to get a lane."
Me: "Sorry, but we're having a huge computer problem right now, we have to take everything down and reboot the entire system, I can't do any transactions right now. It's gonna be at least 15 minutes before I can anything."
C: "Oh, ok so what do we do?"
Me: "Unfortunately, there's not much you can do other than wait. We have no access to anything."
C: "So it's gonna be 15 minutes?"
Me: "Hopefully."
C: "Hopefully? How long could it take?"
Me: "Indefinitely... we're trying to fix it, but we're not even sure that's going to work."
C: "Oh.... ok... I'll just go to the bar for a bit then."
Me: "The bar computers are down too. Everything is, the entire system is completely dead."
C: "Oh... *sigh* ok.... I'll be back. Thanks."
Me: "Sorry."
The guy behind him then walks up. Remember, he was listening to the entire conversation I JUST had.
SC: "Yeah, I'd like to get a lane."
*thinking* Seriously!? Are you really that fucking dense?
Me: "Like I said, the entire system is down right now, I can't do anything."
SC: "How long is it going to be?"
Me (sigh): "Hopefully, no more than 15 minutes."
SC: "Ok, I'll just get some drinks then."
Me (double sigh): "The bar computer is down too, he can't do anything either..."
SC: "Then what are we suppose to do!? This isn't right."
Me: "I know, but there's not much we can do about it. The only thing you can really do right now is wait and see."
He then walks away in a huff.
Well we reboot the hub, which took about 20 minutes. There are a LOT of people waiting, and a LOT of people that are irritated. (Me included).
One lady was even yelling at the manager (M) about it.
SC: "Why can't I do anything!? This is horrible customer service!"
M: "I know, but what do you expect me to do? The system is down, sorry, but that's just the way it is."
We get everything back up, and thankfully, it WORKED... sorta... we got about half the lanes back. So we get as many people as we can onto the working lanes, and then try ONE MORE TIME, to reboot just the server and our registers.
FINALLY, we got all the lanes back... well all but 6.
We start moving people as quickly as possible. Of course, it's not possible though, because nobody nows what they want, or how they're paying. We have to explain the special to almost every single person, even though they come in all the time. We have to remind them that the price went up from $10 to $15 a person, even though they come EVERY week, and the price changed 2 MONTHS ago.
Now, I'll admit, we were not being the most pleasant people. The manager was being the nicest out of all of us, but even he was being stern. He usually jokes around a LOT with people... but now he was just being straight forward.
Me and my coworker on the other hand were being a little more short with people. We were just trying to get people out of the line and onto the lane as quickly as possible. We both let out several visible (and audible) sighs, and people were getting VERY straight forward answers.
As an example:
We try to keep everyone at least reasonably close together. It makes it easier for us to watch them, and it's a whole hell of a lot easier for the concourse and mechanics to do their jobs when everything is in the same area. We try to give people some breathing room when we can (we'll leave a lane open on either side of them if possible), sometimes this isn't possible though.
We get asked all the time if we can put people FAR away from people. Such as, we'll be putting all the customers in the 30's or 40's and they ask to be put on lane 10 or something.
C = Random Customer
Us = Me and/or my coworker
*What usually happens*
C: *Pointing about 20 lanes away from everyone else* "Yeah, can i get a lane down on this end away from everyone?"
Us: "Sorry, I can't, we try to keep everyone around the same area, it's easier for us, especially when we only have one concourse guy and mechanic on duty. We can't have them running up and down the whole house. I can try to keep at least one lane open next to you for as long as possible though."
C: "Ok, that'll have to do."
*What happened tonight*
C: *Pointing about 20 lanes away from everyone else* "Yeah, can i get a lane down on this end away from everyone?"
Us: "No. Sorry."
C: "Why not?"
Us: "We have to keep everyone in one area."
C: "Why?"
Us: "It's easier for us."
C: "So?"
Us: "There's only -one- concourse guy working, I'm not going to have him running up and down the entire building like that."
C: "I don't care."
Us: "I do... you're on lane 52."
C: "Can you at least keep a lane on each side of me open?"
Us: "No, we're too busy to do that. Unless you want to pay for the other 2 lanes, there will be people next to you. You're on lane 52." *Hand receipt to the customer while saying this, and get them shoes* "
Us: *While the customer is still standing directly in front of us* Next in line!"
We didn't even care if people were put off. We had to get these people on the lanes NOW. Yeah, it's not the best customer service in the world, but we had nearly 100 people waiting for nearly 30 minutes, what do you want from us? We're just trying to get this shit done.
We finally got everyone out of the line, and all was good. After that we went back to being cheerful and joking with the customers, and everything went pretty smooth after that.
I did have an argument with one guy, but I'll make that a separate post since this is ridiculously long and it's not related to the server problems
Phew... What a night...
I try to ring someone through and the lane won't turn on... ok this happens occasionally (The lane computer will become disconnected from the server), I just have to move em to a new lane and get the mechanic to reboot the lane computer.
When i try to move em... that lane won't turn on either... and neither will the lane my coworker is trying to use. This is strange, one set of computers going down is not uncommon... but 3 different sets, which aren't even that close to each other?
So we keep trying to use different lanes, FINALLY we find a few that work.
Out of 64 lanes... only about 14 (at most) of them would work.
This is bad... and we can't reboot the server right now because there's a league going.
Also, in about 30 minutes we're gonna get a huge rush of people, because we have a special on Wednesday nights. ($15 cover charge per person, and then you get 25 cent games, and 50 cent beers)... and obviously when you're selling cheap beer, people are going to show up en masse.
The mechanics started going lane by lane rebooting every single lane computer, but it wasn't helping.
Once the league finishes up, we go and reboot the server, which requires us to turn off our registers, during which we can't do ANYTHING. This process takes about 5 - 10 minutes, depending on how slow the server wants to be.
We reboot the server, turn our registers back on.... and nothing changed... oh crap... It's now about 5 minutes before the special starts, and people are already starting to come in. We call the computer tech but he's not answering his phone.
We use as many lanes as we can, but like I said, only about 14 of them worked, and they filled up fast. Now the lines are starting to form at the desk, and we have to try to reboot the server again. So we repeat the process. The manager tries to calm people by giving out the pool balls and letting people play pool for free... but we only have 8 pool tables. So those didn't last long.
Reboot the server again, and SAME THING... SHIT!
There's only one more thing we can try. Turn ALL of the computers in the building off, turn the server offer, and then reboot the MAIN network hub. This process takes AT LEAST 15 minutes... during which noone can do any business (not even the bar or the cafe), and all of the lanes that ARE turned on will be turned off.
We don't want to do it, but we have no choice. We tell everyone bowling what's going to happen, tell the people in line what's going on, shut EVERYTHING down, and reboot the hub.
Of course, even when you tell people what's going on, they don't listen. People are just stupid. I would be talking to the person in front of me, and the people behind them would be listening to EXACTLY what i was saying. They were looking directly at me, they were not talking amongst themselves, they could definitely hear me.
C = The customer that I am currently talking to
SC = The group behind them that was listening to everything I was saying.
Me = Stressed as hell.
C: "Hi, I'd like to get a lane."
Me: "Sorry, but we're having a huge computer problem right now, we have to take everything down and reboot the entire system, I can't do any transactions right now. It's gonna be at least 15 minutes before I can anything."
C: "Oh, ok so what do we do?"
Me: "Unfortunately, there's not much you can do other than wait. We have no access to anything."
C: "So it's gonna be 15 minutes?"
Me: "Hopefully."
C: "Hopefully? How long could it take?"
Me: "Indefinitely... we're trying to fix it, but we're not even sure that's going to work."
C: "Oh.... ok... I'll just go to the bar for a bit then."
Me: "The bar computers are down too. Everything is, the entire system is completely dead."
C: "Oh... *sigh* ok.... I'll be back. Thanks."
Me: "Sorry."
The guy behind him then walks up. Remember, he was listening to the entire conversation I JUST had.
SC: "Yeah, I'd like to get a lane."
*thinking* Seriously!? Are you really that fucking dense?
Me: "Like I said, the entire system is down right now, I can't do anything."
SC: "How long is it going to be?"
Me (sigh): "Hopefully, no more than 15 minutes."
SC: "Ok, I'll just get some drinks then."
Me (double sigh): "The bar computer is down too, he can't do anything either..."
SC: "Then what are we suppose to do!? This isn't right."
Me: "I know, but there's not much we can do about it. The only thing you can really do right now is wait and see."
He then walks away in a huff.
Well we reboot the hub, which took about 20 minutes. There are a LOT of people waiting, and a LOT of people that are irritated. (Me included).
One lady was even yelling at the manager (M) about it.
SC: "Why can't I do anything!? This is horrible customer service!"
M: "I know, but what do you expect me to do? The system is down, sorry, but that's just the way it is."
We get everything back up, and thankfully, it WORKED... sorta... we got about half the lanes back. So we get as many people as we can onto the working lanes, and then try ONE MORE TIME, to reboot just the server and our registers.
FINALLY, we got all the lanes back... well all but 6.
We start moving people as quickly as possible. Of course, it's not possible though, because nobody nows what they want, or how they're paying. We have to explain the special to almost every single person, even though they come in all the time. We have to remind them that the price went up from $10 to $15 a person, even though they come EVERY week, and the price changed 2 MONTHS ago.
Now, I'll admit, we were not being the most pleasant people. The manager was being the nicest out of all of us, but even he was being stern. He usually jokes around a LOT with people... but now he was just being straight forward.
Me and my coworker on the other hand were being a little more short with people. We were just trying to get people out of the line and onto the lane as quickly as possible. We both let out several visible (and audible) sighs, and people were getting VERY straight forward answers.
As an example:
We try to keep everyone at least reasonably close together. It makes it easier for us to watch them, and it's a whole hell of a lot easier for the concourse and mechanics to do their jobs when everything is in the same area. We try to give people some breathing room when we can (we'll leave a lane open on either side of them if possible), sometimes this isn't possible though.
We get asked all the time if we can put people FAR away from people. Such as, we'll be putting all the customers in the 30's or 40's and they ask to be put on lane 10 or something.
C = Random Customer
Us = Me and/or my coworker
*What usually happens*
C: *Pointing about 20 lanes away from everyone else* "Yeah, can i get a lane down on this end away from everyone?"
Us: "Sorry, I can't, we try to keep everyone around the same area, it's easier for us, especially when we only have one concourse guy and mechanic on duty. We can't have them running up and down the whole house. I can try to keep at least one lane open next to you for as long as possible though."
C: "Ok, that'll have to do."
*What happened tonight*
C: *Pointing about 20 lanes away from everyone else* "Yeah, can i get a lane down on this end away from everyone?"
Us: "No. Sorry."
C: "Why not?"
Us: "We have to keep everyone in one area."
C: "Why?"
Us: "It's easier for us."
C: "So?"
Us: "There's only -one- concourse guy working, I'm not going to have him running up and down the entire building like that."
C: "I don't care."
Us: "I do... you're on lane 52."
C: "Can you at least keep a lane on each side of me open?"
Us: "No, we're too busy to do that. Unless you want to pay for the other 2 lanes, there will be people next to you. You're on lane 52." *Hand receipt to the customer while saying this, and get them shoes* "
Us: *While the customer is still standing directly in front of us* Next in line!"
We didn't even care if people were put off. We had to get these people on the lanes NOW. Yeah, it's not the best customer service in the world, but we had nearly 100 people waiting for nearly 30 minutes, what do you want from us? We're just trying to get this shit done.
We finally got everyone out of the line, and all was good. After that we went back to being cheerful and joking with the customers, and everything went pretty smooth after that.
I did have an argument with one guy, but I'll make that a separate post since this is ridiculously long and it's not related to the server problems
Phew... What a night...
Princess Bride?
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