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  • #1

    The Blank Laptop screen.

    SC - Administrative User with board members present
    ME - Health Help desk.

    Setting the stage.

    SC is using a laptop that is shared within her department with multiple board

    members from out of town. The call starts with user a little freaked out.

    SC - The laptop screen is blank and I have restarted the computer twice
    ME - Okay can you remove the power adapter and the battery. (not being advised that she is in a board room which has an external projector or that there is a display just not on her laptop)
    SC - The laptop is plugged in.
    ME - Yes Please can you remove the power cord and the battery
    SC - Okay I restarted the computer and the screen is still blank. It displays on

    the external monitor
    ME - Okay can I have you right click on the display you can see.
    SC - There is no display
    ME - You just mentioned that you have a display on the external screen.
    SC - Oh for that I need to log in to do that.
    ME - Thank you. <rather half sarcastic and wanting to strangle user>

    We then get the user to the right setting and the shortcut key doesn't work on the computer.

    SC - Look can you just get someone to come up here we are wasting time. I have a lot of board members. You are just located in the building aren't you
    ME - No we are located at IBM I can get someone to come up.
    SC - Can they call me
    ME - I am not sure how busy they are I will advise them of the urgency.
    SC - Okay thanks.
    ME - I then call the local support and make sure that the laptops have not been modified that the shortcut keys FN - F7 are not set to set the display settings and I get advised that that is how it is done.

    The background to this SC is that she is the branch manager for her department and regularly has to be hand held on how to use the basic computer settings. I am amazed that the computer knowledge required for these users is "Can you move a mouse and click" YOu ask them to log off and they restart the computer. You ask them to remove the power cord and they ask you for verification that you want them to remove the power.
    Tags: id10t, pepcat
  • #2
    More of an Unsupportable post, but a doozy.

    Rapscallion

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    • #3
      Quoth trinnyg View Post
      I am amazed that the computer knowledge required for these users is "Can you move a mouse and click"
      Hey, at least your users know THAT much! Some of ours can't!
      I will not be pushed, stamped, filed, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered. My life is my own. --#6

      Comment

      • #4
        Hey don't mock the monitor switch function key in laptops! A friend of mine once got paid the 2 hours minimum support time to go to a place and hit that button....
        I pet animals, I rescue insects, I hug trees.

        "I picture the lead singer of Gwar screaming 'People of Japan, look at my balls! My swinging pendulous balls!!!'" -- Khyras

        Comment

        • #5
          Quoth Bliss View Post
          Hey don't mock the monitor switch function key in laptops! A friend of mine once got paid the 2 hours minimum support time to go to a place and hit that button....
          This is the second sadest thing I've read today and I'm not even surprised about it.
          http://www.deezer.com/#music/album/100130
          Melody Gardot

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          • #6
            About the only thing as sad is a client paying us $79 only for me to tell them to turn the wireless switch on.

            Comment

            • #7
              Oh, I know all about the wonder of FN-F7 on campus.

              "I keep pressing FN-F7 and it's not working!!!"
              "Er, what brand laptop are you using?"
              "Dell."
              "FN-F8."

              Repeat with different function keys for Compaq, HP, etc.

              Comment

              • #8
                Quoth Bliss View Post
                Hey don't mock the monitor switch function key in laptops! A friend of mine once got paid the 2 hours minimum support time to go to a place and hit that button....
                Quoth Panigg View Post
                This is the second sadest thing I've read today and I'm not even surprised about it.
                I agree, those simple items are a tech's bread and butter. I wonder, though, did the client expect the tech to teach them how to use the computer for the other 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 50 seconds?

                Quoth edicius View Post
                Oh, I know all about the wonder of FN-F7 on campus.

                "I keep pressing FN-F7 and it's not working!!!"
                "Er, what brand laptop are you using?"
                "Dell."
                "FN-F8."

                Repeat with different function keys for Compaq, HP, etc.
                Quote Dalesys:
                ... as in "Ifn thet dawg comes at me, Ima gonna shutz ma panz!"

                Comment

                • #9
                  Some of us read the little blue icons on the keys.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Quoth edicius View Post
                    Oh, I know all about the wonder of FN-F7 on campus.

                    "I keep pressing FN-F7 and it's not working!!!"
                    "Er, what brand laptop are you using?"
                    "Dell."
                    "FN-F8."

                    Repeat with different function keys for Compaq, HP, etc.
                    I've made a little label that goes on all of our checkout laptops to remind the staff of that, since they forget, and call the tech line.

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                    • #11
                      What's the saddest then?


                      and yes i've seen calls like this ... like "why isn't this computer sending the display to the big screen monitor?"

                      Because there's no video cable running to the monitor. There's also no power cord.

                      I could make a long list of silly things like this... but i dont want to threadjack

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Quoth Chromatix View Post
                        Some of us read the little blue icons on the keys.
                        I turned mine off. The display Toshiba does for them can actually crash games.
                        Those who are loudest about their qualifications, tend to have the least merit to their claims.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Quoth Arcade Man D View Post
                          I turned mine off. The display Toshiba does for them can actually crash games.
                          ???

                          I thought we were talking here about the ones actually printed on the keys. The only way to "turn them off" would be to scrape the printing with a blade.
                          I will not be pushed, stamped, filed, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered. My life is my own. --#6

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            I meant the Fn+ Function keys combo. Because they had a popup at the top you could activate with the mouse instead. (Yes, Fn still activates the numpad portion of my keyboard).
                            Those who are loudest about their qualifications, tend to have the least merit to their claims.

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