Issue 8.12
One of my customers suggested the topic for this article and I always try to listen to my customers. They asked me to tell them some of the strangest, most interesting or funniest service calls I have experienced.
The first one that came to mind wasn’t even a service call, it was a class I was asked to teach. The contact asked me to come out to Sun River (I thought) to teach a class on basic computer security. I arrived at the clubhouse and they didn’t know what I was talking about and said there were no classes scheduled for that day. I called the number of the person that had asked me to come and they explained that they were from Sun City (in Mesquite, Nevada), not Sun River – even though they had a Utah phone number. Luckily, Nevada is on Pacific Standard Time so I had almost an hour to get to their clubhouse and teach the class. All went well, but I was almost very embarrassed by a simple error.
Almost every technician I know has had a few calls where they went out to check a computer that just “won’t start up” only to find that the power plug is unplugged or the plug bar switch is turned off. It’s a simple mistake and many times it happens when the cord or power bar gets stepped on or run over by the vacuum. It is a little embarrassing to have to explain that it is something so simple – both for the customer and the technician. One tech told me, when that happens, he fiddles around with things for a few minutes and then tells the customer he found a loose connection and fixed it – thus avoiding the embarrassment. I guess I have too overactive a conscience because I have to tell the truth, but I make sure they know that I have done the same thing (and I have), so they shouldn’t feel too bad.
Another interesting experience was when I was showing a customer how to do something on my smart-phone and they noticed an application I use to get discounts and freebies when I shop. It’s a membership thing and I just showed them the basics for fun, but they insisted I tell them more about it. They actually signed up and started signing up their friends and made a bunch of money on something I didn’t even know much about. Guess I should have charged them more for the call. I am kidding of course, but sometimes we don’t even know the capabilities of our own programs.
A few years back, I made the choice to close my store-front and just work at the homes and businesses of my clients or at my home in a small office where I can do repairs. By working this way, I have found that almost all the customers I visit with are interesting and good people with great stories to tell and common experiences we can share and laugh about. I enjoy getting to know them while working on their computers. It is a lot more personal than having them just drop off a computer and then pick it up a couple of days later.
I appreciate and enjoy the people I meet each day and hope to visit with many more of my readers when time and circumstances make it possible for me to be of service. We live in a good place with many good people. As always, remember to back up anything important to you.
Shaun McCausland has worked in the computer industry for over 30 years, 20 years of it locally with Bits ‘N’ Bytes and Musicomp and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions you can reach him at 435-668-7118 or through his website at www.bitsnbytescomputers.com.