[RESOLVED] Letting the user install the hardware

[rb_electronics]

This is one of my favorites and it happend just last week...

Customer buys a cd-rom and I ask if he would like me to install it for $10.00 he said no any idiot can do that in 10 minuets so I proceed to show him the jumpers and where pin 1 is on the ide and send him on his way...3 hours later... ring ring.. I can't get the old drive out I removed "both" screws and it won't budge.. told him to look on the other side oh my 2 more screws... 4 hours later ring ring, I plugged it in but the machine wont boot, possibly bad cd-rom ?? I asked nicely if pin one was correct on the cable, "sure it is I know that" but after looking he put it upside down.. than while on the phone we booted the machine it said Primary HDD controller error... again asking the dumb question, did you set the jumper just like the old drive ?? well "NO" I thought since it was a new drive it would automaticaly set the jumper for me... DUH the computer fairy can't move jumpers.. So now I vow to try to have people not install there own hardware even if I have to do it for free http://www.windrivers.com/cgi-bin/forum/smile.gif

------------------
Wadda you mean I lost all my information !! It has been making that noise for 2 months and working fine..

[ReBoot]

I like to let people install their own stuff, it makes for more income.
After innumerable burnt parts, I get the labor to install it.
I have a scorched AMD K6-2 on the wall, with a sign that says, "Sure you can install it yourself!" You'd be amazed how many people see that, and get me to install their stuff.
I install, full warranty, they install, curb warranty. (Once they get to the curb outside the shop, no more warranty).

------------------
Who needs a life, I have Internet!
Jim & Sue's Free Files (http://members.cnx.net/reboot) | Jim's Modems (http://members.cnx.net/reboot/modems.htm)

[Larommi]

Then there are the few that get lucky and think they now know enough to open a shop down the street from you.

------------------
You spend your whole life believing that you're on the right track,
only to discover that you're on the wrong train.

[Damned Angel]

I install...I support. You install....manufacturer supports. Don't bother calling saying it dosn't work cause I ain't gonna help you on the phone, bring it in and I will bill you.

[MAYHEM]

I NEVER tell a customer that installing anything is easy. For you and me? Yes, we've all done it a hundred times and know it all by heart. If a customer has done it before, he/she already knows if it's easy or not. If the customer asks, "Is it difficult to install?" Then odds are he/she has no business attempting it. No I will not install it for free, and i will not spend an hour on the phone talking them through it. If they want to do it themselves, fine. But, I'm not going to br their baby sitter.

------------------
Who the hell is General Protection and why is he messing with my comuter?

[protechpc]

With EVERY product that I sell over the counter, I include a printed notification to the customer. Basically "once opened, the product cannot be returned" "if you cannot install the product, we will install it for our normal installation charge". As far as giving a "tip" on installation as in the "red line on the IDE cable goes towards the power" Forget it!! The minute the customer starts asking questions on how to install, I simply reply that you need to bring your PC in the store to have a QUALIFIED technician perform the installation. Although, for us, a CDROM drive install is a simple concept, you run a serious risk of screwing up something else if not done correctly. For example "you mean I had to turn my computer off first?"

------------------
Don't take life too seriously -- It isn't permanent

www.protechpc.com

[AlienDyne]

Most of my customers know a little about hardware. Some of them, who are smart enough, want me to install their new hardware for them.
Some others think that building or upgrading a computer is just like making a sandwich for breakfast. You put everything inside, until it's full.
I had to replace lots of motherboards in the past, cause their owners wanted to install them theirselves. So they did; but they didn't know what those tiny plastic things are for, and they burned them cause they were mounted directly on the metal case!
Since then, every time a customer buys a new motherboard seperately, we use to bet if he'll come back the next day saying it's not working.
Of course all these is extra money for us, so I'm not complaining! http://www.windrivers.com/cgi-bin/forum/biggrin.gif


------------------
"Matter is passive. In spite of its power, it can't be controlled without the human mind." Sokrates

Photos Of My Work (http://www.geocities.com/alienhardware)

[FU_MAN]

I give very limited support for the do-it-yourselfers. Such as the website for the part that they just bought, how to send the part back when they wreck it.
We used to give more but there was a guy that would build machines for people out of parts that he bought from us, then would call constantly for help. We told him that we would not do this for him anymore. Then the jerk would have his wife call and we cut her off too. He asked us why we do not back up what we sell, and I told him that we do if we do all the installing. Now he has his "customers/buddies" trying to get replacement parts out of us because we generally warranty the parts that we sell for a short period of time. I guess it is time to cut that policy too.

Why is it when you sell a person a $10 mouse they think it entitles them to hours of free computer advice and support? I have never bought spark plugs from an auto parts store then called back and EXPECTED to be walked through an engine rebuild. Ahh the nerve of some.... I feel so used!

Ok, I will quit ranting now!

------------------
I do not wish to have a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.

[This message has been edited by FU_MAN (edited September 20, 2000).]

[Revenant]

some of my favorite quotes in this genre:
These just plug in, right? I can do it myself.

I mean c'mon, it's plug and play, how hard can it be?

I just open the hard drive and plug this in right?

So do I have to take the old sound card out to put the new one in?
(You mean remove the fried one? yeesss...)

I'd like to add some more MHz to my hard drive, how much is, like, 100MB? (These are always the people that want to do it themselves...)

Or my all time favorite:
Customer: I want to install a modem for my ____ (insert relative/friend here)
Tech: Ok do you need a PCI or ISA modem?
c: What's that?
T: That's the type of slot they plug into.
C: Oh, I work for IBM/AOL/HP and I've done this sort of thing 1000 times before. I'm not up on the current "lingo" so just give me the one I need.
T: Certainly, do you need ISA or PCI?
C: I don't know
T: Are your empty slots black/brown or white?
C: I don't know
T: You opened the computer and checked for free slots right?
C: Of course.
T: But you don't remember the color/shape/whereabouts of the empty slots?
C: Well, it has room on the back.
T: Bring your computer in before I kill you as a service to all Computer Techs. BTW are you the "friend" of all these people who come in with a "friend" who knows all about computers b/c you work w/ MS Excel all day? (insert sound of b**ch slap.)

------------------
What's this button d--

[This message has been edited by Revenant (edited September 20, 2000).]

[shawnMt]

This is tue - 99% of the time someone buys a mainboard and says "how much to install it" and you tell them standard labor rates and they then say "oh, well I can do it" you WILL, I repeat WILL get a call from them. If not the same day the next day. And they will expect you to walk them through finding out why their modem, sound, nic don't work (if they get it to POST.) Also why does my video look crappy?

I had a guy pick up a K62 400 and board and said he could install it. This guy actually talked a pretty good game and had me thinking maybe he could do it. Next day he comes in with his machine. This one was good because I figured maybe just 1 or 2 of his devices didn't work. Not even close - it wouldn't post.

BTW - I told him I could set the board up for the chip but he said not to worry about it he knew how. I was also slammed that week and actually believed him.

voltage wrong
ide1 plugged in backwards
floppy power not plugged in
clock speed wrong
single DIMM in slot 3
video not seated properly

Uh - this did come with a MANUAL you know...

I only charged him 2 hrs to find/correct everything and get the hardware working in 98. I was compensated more by telling him what was wrong while his wife/gf standing there (he had an attitude.)

------------------
GENERAL FAILURE READING DRIVE A:
(A)bort, (R)etry, (G)et a beer?

Paint your old laptop! (http://www.auwebdesign.com/shawnpages)

[This message has been edited by shawnMt (edited September 20, 2000).]

[thirdfey]

Questions I get once a month

I get about every question possible about installing new hardware/software in 8088's/286's/386's.......a friend of a friend just gave me this computer and I want to put "winders" on it(i live in the south). I ask what they were donated, its always a piece a crap 286.

selling IDE devices always guarentees a call about not finding their cdrom or something else cause nothing is jumpered.

I hate helping IT "professionals" cause they buy it, screw it up, tell their boss its our "faulty" hardware, their boss screams at me, i end up fixing it, get screamed at by the boss again and watch the IT guy take the credit, people with computer degrees with no computer experience suck, a 4 year degree is 4 years old

soundcards always get a call from the customer cause the soundcard is broken when they have the speakers plugged in wrong or not plugged in or not turned on

modems installers call us because there dialup connection is still looking for the old modem

people in my area are too cheap, when i lft my old job we were at the point of installing for free if they bring their computer in and NO PACKARD BELLS!!!

now i'm an "IT professional" or whatever that means, I sit in a cushy office and fix computers in our office or test stuff out, now i only get crap from the boss instead of customers. I can handle a boss that misunderstands computers over hundreds of customers

[CobraTekMax]

A dude called the other week and said he was trying to help his friend find the reset switch on his computer, and he was pretty sure he found it, but once he flipped it, the machine wouldn't POST. I asked him to descibe the switch he pressed, and he said "No, I didn't really push it. It was a little red toggle switch on the back, right next to where the power plugs in." I put him on hold so I could have a good laugh, then picked it back up and told him that what he hit was the voltage switch, and if he did it while the computer was on, then it was pretty much a given that the power supply was fried at the very least, and god knows what else it took with it. The whole machine could be nothing but a smoldering hunk of metal and plastic. "Oh, great. So how much does a power supply cost?" I told him it would be 45 for the part, and 40 to install. "No, I don't need it installed, I'm pretty sure I can do it myself". I don't know what came over me, but I went off the guy. I asked him if he was sure this was his FRIEND'S computer, because I'd be damned if I'd stay friends with an idiot who just fried my computer because he thought he knew more than he did. And I said that I flat out REFUSED to let him buy a power supply, and I was leaving the sales staff with instructions not to sell a power supply to ANYBODY while I was out. To my suprise, the dude actually started CRYING on the phone about how I was being a d*ck, and that he was just trying to help his friend, blah blah blah. "Sorry, sir, you've helped your "friend" enough. If you want it fixed, bring it in to the shop, and let ME or one of my guys do it. But if you want to do it yourself, you're going to have to buy the part someplace else." *CLICK*

So, anyway, that call really opened up my eyes. The new rule at our shop is if they ask if it's hard to install something, then they have no business doing it, and therefore they don't get the part.

[Danrak]

Some of the best stuff I've seen is a customer buying a motherboard then mounting it to the chasis with the gold posts and plastic posts on the wrong side.
I've also had people call up and ask why their motherboard they just bought from us will only read XXXmhz. Turns out they didn't know they needed to change jumpers, then wanted me to walk them through it.

------------------
.·°Danrak°·.
The box said "Requires Windows 95 or better" so I installed Linux

[NeuromancerIV]

I make it point to tell my customers we do not provide phone tech support for individual components(unless the system is one of ours). If they would like, we will gladly install and test components for our regular fee. Some of them obviously feel I'm joking when I tell them this. (Of course if its a minor issue I dont have problem) But this has saved us untold aggravation.
----------------
"first static
then silence
this $4000 dollar flat screen dies so beautifully."

[ShadowWynd]

We had a guy come into the shop, buy a CDRW, and refused to have us install the thing for $25.

A week later, he is in, trying to bum advice from us. We tell him things like make sure it is powered, jumpered, cabled correctly and send him on his way.

A week later, he is back in, whining that it still doesn't work.

At the end of a month, he finally had us cable the thing correctly ($35 bench fee).

The fifth week, he came in griping that he couldn't get his Adaptec software to work.

We gave him some tips, then sent him out again. He refused to have us install the software.

The guy has not been abe to use his brand-new, $200 piece of equipment in close to two months because he did not want to pay $25.

[underfunded]

Wow.. I made the switch from Customer Service / Tech / Sales / Ordering. To an 'IT Professional' and wish I could go back (for the money I'm making now.. much better). My boss drives me crazy!!!!!


Originally posted by thirdfey:

now i'm an "IT professional" or whatever that means, I sit in a cushy office and fix computers in our office or test stuff out, now i only get crap from the boss instead of customers. I can handle a boss that misunderstands computers over hundreds of customers

[3fingersalute]

Originally posted by CobraTekMax:
To my suprise, the dude actually started CRYING on the phone about how I was being a d*ck, and that he was just trying to help his friend, blah blah blah. "Sorry, sir, you've helped your "friend" enough.


I bet that'll really help your word-of-mouth advertising !!!!


------------------
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO TODAY?......Not that it matters, because Micrsoft will crash on the way there!!!

[Frostbitte]

Originally posted by reboot:
I like to let people install their own stuff, it makes for more income.
After innumerable burnt parts, I get the labor to install it.
I have a scorched AMD K6-2 on the wall, with a sign that says, "Sure you can install it yourself!" You'd be amazed how many people see that, and get me to install their stuff.
I install, full warranty, they install, curb warranty. (Once they get to the curb outside the shop, no more warranty).



Here, here. Unfortunately, we can't post signs like that. But it would be nice. Most people try to call us to walk them through their installs. I refuse to do that for two simple reasons. Time is money. I have 30 units to work on here that customers PAID for. Second, I have only one phone and we're basically a repair depot. We FIX THEM IN SHOP. Which means you should only be calling if you have your unit HERE. Heheh. Besides, we have a 1-800 number where real phone support folks can help you. Oh well...I love my job still.

Frostbite.

[AFJuvat]

I am one of the IT guys for a US Government agency down here in FL. An interesting twist to the "User installed hardware" is the "User who purchased hardware without running the purchase through the IT office and then wants the IT guys to install it."

They take their Gov't Visa cards and hit all the mail order sites, ordering SCSI DLT drives for their 486's, 800mhz RAM for their P-II 266, $20,000 "ruggedized" laptops (P-III, 256MB RAM, mini plasma monitor etc., which are about the size of a mid-tower CPU, and supposedly can withstand the EMP pulse from a nuclear detonation) because they travel.....

Worried about job security?, I'm not, the only two constants are the universe expanding and stupidity.

AFJuvat

File Not Found, Should I Fake It? (Y/n)

[RLD]

A lot of customer installed hardware would work if they didn't let their kids play with the hardware. What mainboard would work after it has been thrown on the ground repeatedly and used as a basketball.

[msn_tech]

Beta Win95 was refered to as Pack n Wreck instead of Plug n Play. Seeing what has happened when someone, who doesn't know what their doing openning a case, usually makes the computer graveyard. I upgraded a 2 year old home made machine, which was no longer running, and found the foam packing material still intact between the motherboard and the case. The nylon posts were stuck through the foam into the MB mounting holes. After 2 years of operation, the foam was fused to the MB from heat. The upgrade is still alive and well after 3 years.

------------------
Favorite Customer Quote: I need help, my thingy doesn't work!

[This message has been edited by msn_tech (edited September 26, 2000).]

[techs]

If you bought brake pads from our auto mechanic would you expect him to walk you thru the install over the phone?
If you bought a pacemaker would you expect the doctor to walk you thru the install over the phone?
If you bought scissors from your barber would you expect him to walk you thru a haircut over the phone?
If you said yes i know your lying cause you should be either crippled, dead or bald and you aren't.

[Keyser]

I have experienced all of these mentioned problems with customers attempting to install their own hardware, it is so good to hear that im not the only one that deals with this kind of $%#@, but I always try my best to remember that the customers are the reason why I have a job, even though they can make the job suck sometimes. But as hard as it may be to sometimes believe, there are worse jobs around.

------------------
Never argue with an idiot, they will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience

[clascomp]

c Originally posted by 3fingersalute:
I bet that'll really help your word-of-mouth advertising !!!!




My day TODAY was so full of BRAIN SUCK from do it your self idiots (some of whom didn't even buy the hardware from me), that it prevented me from finishing several PAYING service jobs.

What good is word of mouth if we don't have time to make a living?

[Gabriel]

I have no problem to install it for free
or
Teaching them over the phone...
After all this is my destiny in life...
I have no personal life, i am not eating/sleeping or even have sex.
I am a computer technician and it is my vow to let everybody have a wonderfull, well equiped computer. a little pray:

Oh god of hell and hardware - bow down and hear our cry.
Our interrupts are faulty, our screen may flick and die.
Thy Intel Process rules, Amd Overkill.
Please god, Make me install and work.
For thy given food i ask is only for feeding my work...

Kill 'em all!

[theBeast]

My personal favourite.
Customer 1 (a computer tech at another company) buys a modem from us and installs it in Customer 2's machine.
4 months pass...
Customer 2 calls up and says that "I never got the modem to work, and it's not releasing the phoneline. I want it fixed RIGHT NOW!"
I say, "Bring it in, and I'll take a look at it."
Fine, the customer brings it in, but wants it fixed on the spot...the modem was a special order, so we tell him that since it was a special order, we can't fix it right away, but we will work on it as soon as we get the chance (also, keep in mind that there had been a lot of lightning, and I had 10 computers before waiting all with modems that had been fried...so, I suspected that this was also lightning damage...also, the computer wasn't one of ours, nor had it ever been in our store for anything prior).
So, I swapped the modem out, put in one that worked, tested it, set up the internet settings (as per a normal install), and charged our regular $30 for modem installation.
The customer called up all pi$$ed off about the $30 fee screaming "Don't you stand behind your products?"
I told him that since we didn't do the inital installation, we don't warranty the labour done to it, but we do honour the hardware warranty.
Still he screamed, "YOU KNEW IT WAS THE HARDWARE AT FAULT, AND NOT THE INSTALLATION!"
I said, "We didn't install it...Had you originally bought the modem, we would have charged the standard $30 fee, then if any work needed to be done, we wouldn't have charged labour."
Still he screamed, "WHAT? AM I SUPPOSED TO PAY SOMEONE ELSE TO REMOVE IT?"
I said, "Well, you should talk to the person who originally installed it. He is responsible for the labour, we are only responsible for the hardware."
Again, he went back to the argument, "YOU KNEW THE HARDWARE WAS BAD!"
And again, I said, "Since we didn't install it, we handle the hardware, and not the labour."
He went on to talk to someone else, who eventually broke down and undermined my entire efforts and said, "Well, since we did just put in the same type of modem, we'll credit your account."

------------------
***the Beast
- Fate drove me here...then told me to get out of the car...

[Sckott]

To be honest, there are two types of people..
1. People who are techs or are able to be confident in installing things themselves, (a minority to be sure)... OR
2. complete idiots with no life or regard for sensitive merchendise. They insult themselves AND a tech for taking thier money and spending it on things they will ultimately screw up.

Another fact is, when people bring stuff back that they've either fried or is "Broke" (HA) it costs someone money, and ultimately it raises the price of the technology. Return policies have let idiots tramp over perfectly good IT technology, and I see it constantly. It DOES feel like a crime to me. I'm glad I'm not working for a pet store taking back beaten puppy dogs or kitty cats with broken legs with the customer saying "He's defective - I couldn't get the pet to sit!"

Sounds extreme, but it all deserves a second thought.
too bad their can't be a national standard of return policy. There's a lot of people out there just "renting" things, breaking them, and returning them. Sad.

-Sckott

[jbar1]

Originally posted by techs:
If you bought brake pads from our auto mechanic would you expect him to walk you thru the install over the phone?
If you bought a pacemaker would you expect the doctor to walk you thru the install over the phone?
If you bought scissors from your barber would you expect him to walk you thru a haircut over the phone?
If you said yes i know your lying cause you should be either crippled, dead or bald and you aren't.

Techs, You are just too much! You have summed up a serious matter with both wisdom and humor. Keep making us smile

------------------
If life is a bitch then what is death? I believe I will take the bitch!

[Prime]

Every few months we get someone who gets plug-crazy. In other words, they opened their case for some reason and assumed that every connector should be plugged somewhere. Today I was sorting through abandoned computers (not picked up after 6+ months) and found this one... so I took a picture. What's not right here?

<A HREF=http://www.belfastcomputers.com/odd/asyn2.jpg>asyn2.jpg</A>

[Dogmeat]

Never, ever underestimate the stupidity of the customer. (that's a good rule)

Anyway, B4 I actually worked as a tech, I had a buddy who wanted some RAM for his P90. To put a long story short, I let him put it in, and paid for it by spending 2 hrs. trying to straighten pins in the $!@#$ Ram bank. He slaved for 8 hrs moving me from Apt to APt the next day...

------------------
.. and evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.

[QwertyBob]

I've had quite a few customers ranting and raving about their new modem has no lights and doesn't work at all. Then they proceed, usually in front of their partners or kids, to abuse us for selling crap or faulty parts.
It's at this stage we ask to have a look at the modem, and the power supply if they've thought to bring it along, and in front of the customers family/friends/etc turn the power switch for the modem on which surprise, surprise makes the modem work. Usually to the chortles of the people around him (it's usually a male).
Then some people start a whole new line of abuse as yo why the modems are so hard to use, we combat this by opening the manual of the modem and showing the picture that 6 billion people are supposed to understand that describes the turn on procedure.

That sort of event makes me re-evaluate the human race.

Regards,
QwertyBob

[gtiseb]

I had something happen to me a few eeks agoe that actually turned to be positive.

a lady in our office got one of our old p2 266's for free from our company which came with a cheap ISA modem which was bad. When she got it home it didn't work and called me. next day at the office i give her PCI hardware modem and the driver disk and told her i'd stop the day after and install it. She gets home andher husband decides it can't be too hard to install and tries himself. Phone call to me goes like this : "I took the old modem out and tried to put the other modem in the exact same place, it didn't want to fit so kept pushing tell it got in, when I turned the pc back on it made a wierd sound and it didn't work anymore" after i finished explaining the difference between a PCI and an ISA modem, she brought the pc back in and replaced the mobo and the modem. Now the positive thing is that his computer tech neighbour came over to take a look, saw what he did and told him the error. Nothing out of the ordinary except he told him this : "I won't touch anything in the pc because i'm not the tech who built the pc and I don't want you to return it with everything changed around, wait for the original tech (i.e. ME) to fix it." I think that's the general consensus with most tech I know. Anyone i know (family or friends) know that I won't touch a pc i didn't build unless i talk to the original tech and at least let him know what's going on if i can. I can't stand repairing some computer i built because "some wiz kid" tried to tweak it and proceeded to screw up things so I try to give respect to other techs and not be the same wiz kid who screwed something myself. I usually tell them that I wouldn't wokr on my wife teeth after her dentist fixed them, even if i was a dentist myself.

[PitaBred]

I'll actually work on pretty much any computer... it means money/beer/etc. no matter who built it. There's very little you can screw up in standard PC if you do things RIGHT. If they aren't right, I feel it's almost an obligation to the customer/friend/whoever to make it right. And yes, I am one of those 'wiz kids' who decided to put together his own computer, tweak it, etc. It's a PII450 (which I'm using right now) and is actually faster than most PII450's I've seen benchmarked. I'm rather impressed http://63.236.72.252/cgi-bin/forum/smile.gif It was a hell of a learning experience, too. And I'd rather mess up my own hardware than someone else's. But now I do support for most everyone I know with a PC (that needs it) and have become quite competent, I believe. Anyway, back to the relevant stories of morons... http://63.236.72.252/cgi-bin/forum/biggrin.gif

------------------
Quantum Mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of

[This message has been edited by PitaBred (edited September 28, 2000).]

[3fingersalute]

Originally posted by Prime:
Every few months we get someone who gets plug-crazy. In other words, they opened their case for some reason and assumed that every connector should be plugged somewhere. Today I was sorting through abandoned computers (not picked up after 6+ months) and found this one... so I took a picture. What's not right here?

<A HREF=http://www.belfastcomputers.com/odd/asyn2.jpg>asyn2.jpg</A>

If this was sitting on your shelf of computers that were not picked up, does that mean one of your techs did it ????



------------------
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO TODAY?......Not that it matters, because Micrsoft will crash on the way there!!!

[Prime]

Nah, in the beginning god created the land, sea, and this computer. Now it needs a clock battery which we didn't have and had no idea where to get. Customer never came to get it after many calls. I never noticed that connector until the other day when I was scavenging for parts before it became dumpster bait.

Originally posted by 3fingersalute:
If this was sitting on your shelf of computers that were not picked up, does that mean one of your techs did it ????

[pga]

This whole situation is obviously a problem for everyone.

We have 4 phone lines in our office and there were times last year that every tech was using every line to help the do-it yourself kinda people. (People would opt to install their own modems even though we were running a $15, yes a $15 installation special!!).

Because no work was getting done and becuase modem installation only take 5 mintues in the shop but a friggin hour on the phone we now tell customers it will take to long to talk them through it, they'll have to bring it in. The best part is that our secretaries now nothing about hardware, so they CAN'T help and "the techs are busy right now" hehehe


I like the whole brake pad, pace maker, scissor thing... plus I'm now considering the burnt AMD on the wall idea

[corelogik]

all i have to say is

ROFLMFAO

'nuff said

Originally posted by Prime:
Every few months we get someone who gets plug-crazy. In other words, they opened their case for some reason and assumed that every connector should be plugged somewhere. Today I was sorting through abandoned computers (not picked up after 6+ months) and found this one... so I took a picture. What's not right here?

<A HREF=http://www.belfastcomputers.com/odd/asyn2.jpg>asyn2.jpg</A>



------------------
CoreLogik - "I Control Your MotherBoard"

[melmo]

this topic reminds me of a guy who came into a shop I used to work at ...
well he brings in this pc he built and sold to a "Friend" of his
it wouldn't boot anymore
not surprisingly the motherboard could be moved a good 3 or 4 mm by the simple method of reaching down and pushing it to the side.
he used the little copper screw stand and a few nylon standoffs but
HE DIDN'T USE ANY SCREWS IN THE COPPER SCREW STANDS !~!@!~!

BELIEVE IT OR NOT AFTER BEING TOLD WHAT HAD HAPPENED HE ASKED "So I can't charge them for a new motherboard can I?"


------------------
what do you mean you chrage more for laptops ??

[Macgyver_111]

I know how you feel. I can fix almost any problem but people with degrees cant figure out. A network admin i know made these errors

Mixed parity and non parity ram in a pentium.
Nic not seated right
miss comfugred drivers
shorting isa card that would reset when pulled out and computer would work again for a few days

[Cable Modem Tech]

kinda related..i install cable modems and do trouble shooting,,, well I had a trouble today drove 1/2 hour to get there...work order says replace nic.... ok no prob... grab a new kingston and head on inside
newer gateway...(joy) well i look at the modem and ??? where is the cat 5 cable... apparently while the woman was moving it from across the room she neglected to plug the cable back in.... askes her about it... she shrugged.... plugged it in... wola!!!

hey i still get paid for it.... I love my job..


------------------
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to use the net and he will not bother you for weeks.

[LORE]

I Stopped asking people if they need an ISA or PCI any more when they come in looking for modems or sound card to install themselves. I now ask is it white, or black??? When they don't know and say give me what i have now, i tell them it's hard to do since the computer isn't at the shop, they didn't think they would need it. Since my Accident, i no longer have my telepathic abilities. I guess i am justa bad tech. I have gotten to the point that when the phone rings, i cringe, because 9 out of 10 times it is some dingbat that read "plug and play" and figured it was as easy as 1,2 4?! I now tell them that we have a new insurance policy, and it prevents me from helping people over the phone due to liability and all that. That realy works 90% of the time. One more quickie, This kid called yesterday and said we installed a NIC in his machine and now his CD-rom doesn't work. I told him, well, it is possible that the IDE controller cable came loose in transport, or someone nugged it with there arm while doing the install. I said, bring it in with your reciept from the install, and i will fix it for you. I explained that we warrentied our labor for 90 day. Well, he wanted me to explain it over the phone. I wouldn't because i new no NICS were installed that day, or the day before, like he said. He bought it himself, installed it, screwed it up, and wanted a free fix. This is to common, we need to find way's to stop it!

------------------
We may be through with the past, but the past is not through with us.

[tmntman]

Originally posted by techs:
If you bought brake pads from our auto mechanic would you expect him to walk you thru the install over the phone?
If you bought a pacemaker would you expect the doctor to walk you thru the install over the phone?
If you bought scissors from your barber would you expect him to walk you thru a haircut over the phone?
If you said yes i know your lying cause you should be either crippled, dead or bald and you aren't.


The sad thing is that yes, these same people call mechanics and want to be told how to do their own repairs. I asked my roommate about this once as he had worked as a mechanic for many years, and sure enough, he said he would get people calling in each week wanting to know how to fix it themselves so they didn't have to pay for a repair.

The moral of this story, stupidity is universial