Just had this one.
Yesterday woman brings back a laptop she bought from us a few months ago because it has a virus infection. Also says it's getting hot sometimes.
The reason it's getting hot? She sits it on her bed so it gets no circulation to dissipate hot air. We explain that to her. Fine.
We usually charge a couple of hours labor (over $100) to wipe out and reload Windows. They want to know to know why they have to pay money for that. Because viruses are user error. We cut her a break and tell her it will be ready in a day or two.
Cue ten minutes ago. The woman's aunt (I think - wasn't paying close attention to the relationship) comes in to pick up the laptop. I explain to her that I said yesterday it wouldn't be ready for a day or two and we'll call her when it's done.
Then the aunt starts asking why they have to pay money to get it fixed. Despite having previously explained it to both her and the niece yesterday, I reiterate that viruses/spyware are considered user error, just like spilling a cup of coffee on a keyboard. I briefly go over some ways to avoid it happening again, but tell her that ultimately I could do a 4-hour seminar on ways to avoid infecting a computer. She seems to accept this and leaves.
I was ready to use the metaphor on how, if you buy a car, the salesman doesn't teach you to drive the thing.* You take classes. Seemed it wasn't necessary, but I keep that on the back burner for people who think we'll hold their hand and teach them everything there is to know about computer use and web surfing.
The niece seems a little nicer, at least, but I'll bet the aunt comes in to pick up. Regardless of who picks it up, I'll still go into our schpiel about how viruses aren't covered under our warranty. Because SC's need that information drilled into their heads like a railroad spike.
*My car salesman taught me how to drive stick as I had only had automatics before that, but she didn't need to know that.
Yesterday woman brings back a laptop she bought from us a few months ago because it has a virus infection. Also says it's getting hot sometimes.
The reason it's getting hot? She sits it on her bed so it gets no circulation to dissipate hot air. We explain that to her. Fine.
We usually charge a couple of hours labor (over $100) to wipe out and reload Windows. They want to know to know why they have to pay money for that. Because viruses are user error. We cut her a break and tell her it will be ready in a day or two.
Cue ten minutes ago. The woman's aunt (I think - wasn't paying close attention to the relationship) comes in to pick up the laptop. I explain to her that I said yesterday it wouldn't be ready for a day or two and we'll call her when it's done.
Then the aunt starts asking why they have to pay money to get it fixed. Despite having previously explained it to both her and the niece yesterday, I reiterate that viruses/spyware are considered user error, just like spilling a cup of coffee on a keyboard. I briefly go over some ways to avoid it happening again, but tell her that ultimately I could do a 4-hour seminar on ways to avoid infecting a computer. She seems to accept this and leaves.
I was ready to use the metaphor on how, if you buy a car, the salesman doesn't teach you to drive the thing.* You take classes. Seemed it wasn't necessary, but I keep that on the back burner for people who think we'll hold their hand and teach them everything there is to know about computer use and web surfing.
The niece seems a little nicer, at least, but I'll bet the aunt comes in to pick up. Regardless of who picks it up, I'll still go into our schpiel about how viruses aren't covered under our warranty. Because SC's need that information drilled into their heads like a railroad spike.
*My car salesman taught me how to drive stick as I had only had automatics before that, but she didn't need to know that.
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