Those Are Not Answers

[Jay 2K Winger]

Oy...

This is part Brain Burp, but the way she kept cutting me off when I was trying to ask questions bumped her into Sucky territory for me.

She called up to report that a printer in her office had run out of toner. Simple enough task to fill out a ticket and send it to the group that handles office consumables like that.

J2K: "Is this a <network A> or <network B> printer?"
SC: "It's a <model>--"

No. That's not what I asked.

J2K: "Is this a <network A> or <network B> printer?"
SC: "Yes."

NO! Listen to what I ask you!

J2K: "Which is it?"
SC: "Oh. Uh, <ID#>--"

NO!!

J2K: "Is this printer hooked up to <netA> or <netB>?"
SC: "Oh. <NetA>."

It was after this, as I was trying to get other information about the printer-- it's brand and model, it's asset ID tag, etc-- that she kept cutting me off and trying to do the "life story explanation" of how she discovered that the printer was out of toner, all information that I don't need in order to fill out the ticket.

Just another irritant to the day...

[mattm04]

Ah, the famous "yes" answer to a multiple choice question.

I'm sorry answering YES to small, medium or large is in fact not acceptable. Nor is it acceptable if the question is <Network A> or <Network B>.

[Midnight_Angel]

Huh? Why so?

According to Boolean logic, answering YES (or TRUE) to a multiple choice question states that at least one of the choices, is indeed TRUE.

Which is, in fact, a correct assumption.

*ducks for cover*

[Dave1982]

Because normal human conversation does not operate using Boolean logic.

[Imogene]

normal human conversation

Shhh! You'll blow the cover of our great and exalted master race of robots!

[mharbourgirl]

Shhh! You'll blow the cover of our great and exalted master race of robots!

I always said you couldn't keep a secret, but would they listen?

[Ironclad Alibi]

I always said you couldn't keep a secret, but would they listen?

"They" get mentioned a lot on this forum because "they" don't listen, don't read, don't think, etc.

[Josh]

??? I have replaced toner cartridges on several office type pro printers and its not necessarily rocket science, why would you need to call service for that??

[Imogene]

??? I have replaced toner cartridges on several office type pro printers and its not necessarily rocket science, why would you need to call service for that??

fill out a ticket and send it to the group that handles office consumables like that.

Perhaps office supply has a tight control on all the useful usables to cut down on costs and Jay was called in in an attempt to circumvent that iron hold...?

[Tama]

Who knows...I mean, I try to look under the printer for model number, and stuff (and look up online what works for it, that's how I looked up what sort of RAM to buy for my laptop), and...I try to exhaust all other modes of gathering information first before I call tech support and bother them with my stupidity.

Some people just aren't that smart and don't want to take the time, I guess?

[Miss Maple Leaf]

Because normal human conversation does not operate using Boolean logic.

I guess I'm abnormal then, because I have a tendency to answer questions like that sometimes.

I never do it intentionally though, and don't realize that I've done so unless it's pointed out to me.

Them: "Would you like A or B?"
Me: "Sure."
Them: "Which one?!?"
Me: "Oh! Um, A. Sorry."

I just tend to be literal sometimes in real life, especially if I don't have the time to think through my responses before giving them, like I do online. I'm not trying to be difficult or a smartass, I just think my brain's on (a rather lousy) autopilot sometimes.

[Andara Bledin]

??? I have replaced toner cartridges on several office type pro printers and its not necessarily rocket science, why would you need to call service for that??

Depends on the printer. My company once had a beast of a machine (nicknamed The Bismark for it's size) that required a service call for practically everything other than adding paper.

Yeah, we got rid of that and picked up a more reasonably sized machine that was better suited to our needs.

Some people just aren't that smart and don't want to take the time, I guess?

Some people are lazy jerks, and others are technophobes. I get to deal with both at my work because I'm a technophile, geek, and not afraid to get my hands dirty to figure something out combined with being able to know when to stop before I actually break anything.

I guess I'm abnormal then, because I have a tendency to answer questions like that sometimes.

The problem isn't the answer, it's the question.

They want to know which you'd prefer, but just ask if you'd like one.

^-.-^