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Unexplained Spills, Impatience, And Denials
I recently started work at Staples, as a computer tech. Last night, we took in a computer which had a power switch with a tendency to stick, causing the computer to turn off shortly after being switched on. We took it in as a free tune-up for a preliminary look, and told her that we'd call within 72 hours (which was supposedly also the amount of time since it'd last been used) to give her an update on it's status.
Did she wait 72 hours?
Of course not.
She showed up the very next night, demanding answers. I had been too busy to get to it since she brought it in, but decided to take a look anyway. I opened the case, removed the front faceplate, and saw telltale brown stains on the inside of the plastic panel. Having had plenty of first-hand experience with what a sticky liquid can do to a piece of equipment, I could tell that something had been spilled inside. I worked the internal switch, and sure enough, it was getting stuck inside itself. In addition, the external button showed signs of a sticky coating around and on top of it, and often made a nice crunching noise when pushed. I told the owner than it likely had had something spilled in it.
What did she do?
Deny that it could even be possible!
She claimed that she'd had it in a corner, up against a wall, and that nothing could ever have gotten inside. She also claimed that the brown stuff was glue left over from manufacture. HP may not make the finest computers known to man, but they aren't that shoddy. Even Dave1982, who recently became my co-irker, could see that something sticky had been spilled inside.
We explained to her that we could contact one of our other techs, and see if he could order the proper switch assembly from HP, and she liked the idea. Only one problem: she absolutely refused to pay our standard $50 diagnostic charge for it!
In my opinion, it's a small price to pay for having a computer which boots properly every time you press the button, without paying several hundred for a replacement. She spent several minutes arguing with one of the managers, Alice, before demanding to speak with our general manager, Steve.
In the end, the managers made a deal with her, and she even got to bring the computer home with her (unlike most of our tech customers). Now, if only she could've gotten some sort of lesson to take home with her at the same time...
-Adam
Did she wait 72 hours?
Of course not.
She showed up the very next night, demanding answers. I had been too busy to get to it since she brought it in, but decided to take a look anyway. I opened the case, removed the front faceplate, and saw telltale brown stains on the inside of the plastic panel. Having had plenty of first-hand experience with what a sticky liquid can do to a piece of equipment, I could tell that something had been spilled inside. I worked the internal switch, and sure enough, it was getting stuck inside itself. In addition, the external button showed signs of a sticky coating around and on top of it, and often made a nice crunching noise when pushed. I told the owner than it likely had had something spilled in it.
What did she do?
Deny that it could even be possible!
She claimed that she'd had it in a corner, up against a wall, and that nothing could ever have gotten inside. She also claimed that the brown stuff was glue left over from manufacture. HP may not make the finest computers known to man, but they aren't that shoddy. Even Dave1982, who recently became my co-irker, could see that something sticky had been spilled inside.
We explained to her that we could contact one of our other techs, and see if he could order the proper switch assembly from HP, and she liked the idea. Only one problem: she absolutely refused to pay our standard $50 diagnostic charge for it!
In my opinion, it's a small price to pay for having a computer which boots properly every time you press the button, without paying several hundred for a replacement. She spent several minutes arguing with one of the managers, Alice, before demanding to speak with our general manager, Steve.In the end, the managers made a deal with her, and she even got to bring the computer home with her (unlike most of our tech customers). Now, if only she could've gotten some sort of lesson to take home with her at the same time...
-Adam
Reeked of cigarette smoke, and who knows what else. Had a lovely sticky residue on the slide-down door over part of the front panel, too.
I AM the evil bastard!
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