Who else hates this?

[deedeeb]

OK, I just got off the phone with the copier repair hotline (I won't even begin to vent about how NOBODY else but me is apparently capable of calling a repair in) and, as usual, they asked me a bunch of questions about ways I may have tried to fix the copier - things like "Did you put a folded piece of paper through it?"  "Did you turn it off and leave it off a while, then turn it back on?"  etc., etc.  Is anyone in the copier business who can explain this to me?  It is obvious they are trying to eliminate unnecessary service calls, which makes sense, but come on--next they'll be telling me to go do a little dance around it and then call back if it still isn't working!  I feel like I'm being told to "take two aspirins and call me in the morning".  My point is, if the fix is simple and obvious, I'll try to clear a jam, etc., but I'm not the repair person and don't want to be!  Just send somebody to fix it!!!  

(whew, I needed that!)

[bethalize]

Ah, well, having done a lot of support for various things, you have to ask the simple things first - because that is what the majority of problems are. I always sneered at people who would claim their computers weren't working when they hadn't plugged them in and switched the power on at the mains - but I did it myself once with a cable box (that taught me!).

 

[countrigal]

I've also gotten burned about those "silly" questions, but then I turn around and do it myself to other employees so I've learned not to let it bother me.  I mean, how many times do you have a co-worker come to you and say "I can't open that document you sent me." or something equally simple (aka, computer not coming on, can't access disk in A drive)?  I get these all the time, to the point before getting up I ask them:  did you double click on it?  did you save it to your hard drive and go to that location and try opening it from there?  did you plug it in?  is the disk in the drive?  Without these simple questions being answered, requiring them to do some of the leg work, I'd spend most of my day hopping to and from their desks -- and they'd never learn the simple solutions to their simple problems!  Sometimes I wonder if we, as admins, are the only ones gifted with "common sense".  

[dragonladybug]

I, too, hate this!  I have little checklists I made up - one for the copier, one for the fax, one for my pc; the lists cover all those simple things just in case I have a senior moment and forget to check the electrical plug.  



Then, when I call the hotlines, I just start naming off all the things I tried before calling.  After a few calls to the same hotline, the service reps seem to all know my name and reputation - but even though they hate to "see me coming", they do appreciate that I only call for real problems.  Our IT person just comes over as soon as she can make it because she knows it's a real problem if I call her.  

[goldenearring]

Your organizational skills send shivers up and down my spine.  Yours is a logical response to something a lot of us know to expect.  Congratulations on your common sense!