4 ms·

Can you imagine how crazy you'd think the customer was if you were giving technical support and they insisted they had to do this?

by ck2 13y ago

lawtguy 13y ago
I don't think it's as crazy as telling them to pick their computer up and drop it on the desk: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_III#Design_flaws http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_III#Design_flaws
- cases 13y ago
  Or baking your laser printer in the oven: http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Other-Printing-Questions/Has-HP-solved-the-P2015-formatter-problem/td-p/124711 http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Other-Printing-Questions/Has-HP...
  - TeMPOraL 13y ago
    Reflowing stuff in an baking oven seems to be an increasingly common method of fixing electronics. Hell, my friend reflowed an RF dongle for TI Chronos watch with a heat gun the other day.
    - BlackDeath3 13y ago
      Xbox 360 towel trick, anybody?
aplummer 13y ago
Anecdotally, I find customers are fine with (enjoy?) any physical / mechanical solution to a computer problem. It's in usually putting them back in their comfort zone. Wiggling the mouse is easier to explain than control panel anyway...
sebastianconcpt 13y ago
The customer? didn't you mean the developer? The dumbest customer will guess that a "solution" like that from support can only come from a design that sucks. If it were a refrigerator instead of a spreadsheet it would be like support telling you that you have to keep petting the door of your refrigerator to keep it cooling. Who is the crazy there?
- invisible 13y ago
  I agree - but the simile is a bit exaggerated. It's more like having to tap the lever a bunch for a couple of seconds on a toaster to make it make toast when it should work the first time you interact. Annoying but also short-lived and not really worth replacing the device.
  - cdcarter 13y ago
    Or having to jiggle the toilet handle after flushing, a common problem that many live with.
    - aaronem 13y ago
      That's a simple fix, though; you just shorten the chain between the flush handle and the flapper by a link or so.
nknighthb 13y ago
Despite never being a Windows developer, I ended up reading Raymond Chen's "The Old New Thing" blog from start to finish while lying in bed with a nasty flu and wanting to die a couple years ago. After that, I don't think anything somebody reports as a Windows application bug could make me think they're crazy.
- taspeotis 13y ago
  The book's worth reading too - even if you've read the blog.

Can you imagine how crazy you'd think the customer was if you were giving technical support and they insisted they had to do this?

by ck2 13y ago

Can you imagine how crazy you'd think the customer was if you were giving technical support and they insisted they had to do this?

lawtguy 13y ago

I don't think it's as crazy as telling them to pick their computer up and drop it on the desk: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_III#Design_flaws http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_III#Design_flaws

cases 13y ago
Or baking your laser printer in the oven: http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Other-Printing-Questions/Has-HP-solved-the-P2015-formatter-problem/td-p/124711 http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Other-Printing-Questions/Has-HP...
- TeMPOraL 13y ago
  Reflowing stuff in an baking oven seems to be an increasingly common method of fixing electronics. Hell, my friend reflowed an RF dongle for TI Chronos watch with a heat gun the other day.
  - BlackDeath3 13y ago
    Xbox 360 towel trick, anybody?

aplummer 13y ago

Anecdotally, I find customers are fine with (enjoy?) any physical / mechanical solution to a computer problem. It's in usually putting them back in their comfort zone. Wiggling the mouse is easier to explain than control panel anyway...

sebastianconcpt 13y ago

The customer? didn't you mean the developer? The dumbest customer will guess that a "solution" like that from support can only come from a design that sucks. If it were a refrigerator instead of a spreadsheet it would be like support telling you that you have to keep petting the door of your refrigerator to keep it cooling. Who is the crazy there?

invisible 13y ago
I agree - but the simile is a bit exaggerated. It's more like having to tap the lever a bunch for a couple of seconds on a toaster to make it make toast when it should work the first time you interact. Annoying but also short-lived and not really worth replacing the device.
- cdcarter 13y ago
  Or having to jiggle the toilet handle after flushing, a common problem that many live with.
  - aaronem 13y ago
    That's a simple fix, though; you just shorten the chain between the flush handle and the flapper by a link or so.

nknighthb 13y ago

Despite never being a Windows developer, I ended up reading Raymond Chen's "The Old New Thing" blog from start to finish while lying in bed with a nasty flu and wanting to die a couple years ago. After that, I don't think anything somebody reports as a Windows application bug could make me think they're crazy.

taspeotis 13y ago
The book's worth reading too - even if you've read the blog.