$389 from a customer in labor...for placing a semicolon!

As the woman bought a cheap scanner, a cheap printer, and apparently a cheap computer, it seems that money is an issue.

So, why did pay almost 400 bucks for a scanner install? Probably something to do with her female psychology. There's the human tendancy to want to see a problem through if you've already invested a lot into it (it doesn't matter what you've invested, it only matters if what you've still got to do is worth it). She's probably the type of person who would be polite and kind to the bank while it's forclosing on her house. She can't say "no."

She's also not the expert, the tech is. He needs to make her options clear so that she can make a good decision. And, he should have done this from the start. I don't for a second believe that this woman would have agreed to pay nearly 400 bucks if she knew this from the start.

After the woman had told him that other techs failed to fix it, he could have told her how to fix it herself for free - format and restore and load the scanner first.

Ah the old format/reinstall school of Windows repair.

That is not an answer for most people. They do not want to deal with all the little headaches that come from a F&R repair. I'm sorry but I don't feel that format and reinstall is the solution to all problems. Its overused and shows the tech doesn't really know a) how windows works or doesn't work as the case may be b) how to troubleshoot a problem c) most likely doesn't have the patience to walk through a problem to find the solution in the first place.

There is a time and a place for f&r, but a scanner shouldn't be it.

If the tech keeps the customer totaly informed about what is going on with a problem and that customer doesn't want to stop, then by all means continue. The customer, if well informed, can say thats enough at any time. This lady did this with two other companys I believe if the companys did not give up on their own.

I'm going to leave the "female psychology" remark alone. That is playing with fire or at least something warm and combustable. https://forums.windrivers.com/images.../2000/09/1.gifThank God for good judgement.

I'm not flaming anyone, nor trying to insite a riot, but posting my opinion on the subject. I beileve that mikesorensen did what the customer wanted. I believe that the customer in this case was happy with the service that she recieved. In my opinion, this was a job fairly well done.

[This message has been edited by Grider (edited August 29, 2000).]

Quote:

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$389 from customer in labor...for placing a semicolon

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That wouldn't be so bad, if the customer wasn't in labor...you should be ashamed of yourself, overcharging a pregnant woman like that!

Oh wait...l think you just forgot to place a comma in the title...That'll be $389, please! https://forums.windrivers.com/images.../2000/09/1.gif

EDIT: Since a comma is only half a semicolon, l'll only charge you $195. https://forums.windrivers.com/images.../2000/09/1.gif

=================
=Jon
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by BreakWindows (edited August 29, 2000).]

I had a small assignmenyt once.. Just to install a new printer on a PC. Piece of cake!! Not!!.

This was in the good old Win 3.11 days, where Dos was Dos and Windows something you tried to stay clear off.
This printer, a Canon something was a brand new printer directy from the Factory, so I said: "No prob, I'll install it in a minute".

After 3'n a half hour I still could not make it print anything, only the test-pages. I had cedcked the cables, drivers and everything else more than 3 times, even looked in the manual!!

Then as a final desperate measure I looked in the box it came in. It was empte, except for what I thought was a "Guarantee booklet". It was not..... It was a manual for an extra serial port installed in the printer... Hmmmm.. It shoyuld work anyway... Brrrr wrong, There was a small dip-switch that needed to be switched for the parallel port to work. After that, everything was OK..

I was at that time as a personal assistant to a low-level leader (handicapped) of this center (handicap-center), and therefore I didn't get paid for it more than I would have for just sitting around waiting for him..

/Wizax

[This message has been edited by Wizax (edited August 30, 2000).]

Sounds like a canon 200ex those had a bunch of little dip switchs on the the back. :-)

Yea, lets keep the post brief. I feel like I'm reading a...uhh.....what are those called.......USERS MANUAL!

Anyway, hey Mike. I am the tech that comes in after school that was mentioned. I will vouch for Mike that my/Mike's former supervisor isn't the nicest guy in the world, but as mentioned "time is money" especially in a small business.

Also Mike mentioned he installed a CD-RW Drive, so it wasn't $400 labor.

P.S. Hey Mike, I wonder if my supervisor has read the comments you've mentioned, hehe. But, I know you don't care anyway!

https://forums.windrivers.com/images.../2000/09/1.gif Sorry this is LONG https://forums.windrivers.com/images.../2000/09/1.gif https://forums.windrivers.com/images.../2000/09/1.gif

mikesorensen:

I'll play the devils ad. for you....

So all the techs out here (the flammers) never had to pay $XX amount for a specialist in any field to "fix" something for them????



I would like to see any of you go to a doctor with a serious problem and tell him that out of the 30 tests he ordered you are only going to pay for 1 of them. The one that led him diagnose your problem.....

Even though the problem could not be found with out elimonating others.....

Get real, sometimes it takes more knowledge than someone currently has..... And obtaining the knowledge required IS expensive..... ( In time and money).

I have seen companies spend $10,000 to fix industrial equipment instead of $9,000 to replace it. They "saved" money by not having downtime from RETRAING. (Conservative est from their own accounting dept of $$$ saved $152,500).

((The lady was familar with the scanner and wanted to use it --- someone else is willing to pay $500.00 for tires for a $200 dollar truck. It is all based on the "value" someone places on something....

((Use the brain for something besides generateing insults))

Let it be a kinder and gentler world (and put all the bleeding hart whiners together-- their own whining should be enough to wipe out 75% of them from using up all the air to whine!!!!!!!!):P

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Doobie:
[b]It's unconscionable to charge nearly 400 bucks to install a cheap scanner.

https://forums.windrivers.com/images.../2000/09/1.gif /me hoses down Doobie with FLAMEthrower for NOT reading anywhere NEAR the entire thread, or any of Mike's other posts, for that matter

https://forums.windrivers.com/images.../2000/03/1.gif