But I NEEEEEEEEEEEED my Internetz to work NOOOOWWWW!!!

[pacman]

So, I have just started my two week vacation and am about to turn my work phone off not to receive any calls from work when it happens. A customer calls. I've given orders to everybody at work including the switchboard not to give out my phone number to customers but somehow this "lady" has gotten it. I had fixed her computer in the past at least 2 times of which the second was free because of my morale - if I fix something and it doesn't work correctly I won't take a fee of "re-fixing" it. Oh well, the second was just instructing the lady how to use the machine.

She called me. To my "personal" phone that is paid by the company. I've got another number that is to be given to customers so it really is private of sorts. This is about how the call went:

CMW: Computer moron woman
Me:


Me: Hello, this is pacman.
CMW: *sob* Hello, this is <CMW>. *sob* I NEED you to help me!!
Me: So what's the problem now?
CMW: *sob* This computer is not working and I'm CRYING here of frustration!!11 I need you to come over and help me!
Me: (oh fine, I never have done and never will do any on-site repairings, customers need to bring the thing to me to get fixed) Oh, I'm sorry, I just yesterday left for a two-week vacation, I'm very sorry but I can't help you now with it. I can rec...
CMW: *interrupts* Oh fuck, I knew you couldn't be trusted! You just take easy money out of our wallets and then disappear. What will I do now?? I'm LOST with this hell-machine! *sob*
Me: (rrriiiggghhhttt... Don't you ever interrupt me again) I could recommend you to go to this place (proceed to give directions and phone number to another computer repair shop)
CMW: And what will they do there? Just give it some sunlight treatment and give it back to me?? I don't trust you, young lady. Mind you, I'm not pleased with you. *click*

And I was left to sit on my chair in astonishment. That woman had somehow gotten hold of my personal phone number, called me, berated me on being off duty, complained about my work that had been perfect when the computer left my hands.

[Apathy]

I'm sure she needed the internet for some life-altering purpose. She might not be able to buy all that stuff on eBay that she wants! You're a horrible person for not going to help her. How dare you offer reasonable advice instead!

[tropicsgoddess]

I wouldn't have answered it...sorry, but when I'm on vacation I'm on vacation. Anything work related, including customers can take a hike.

[Imprl59]

Once again proving that "No good deed goes unpunished".

I can especially feel for you right now as I just cancelled my favorite trip of the year becuase a customer just had to have her computer installed on Friday afternoon and I had to leave Thursday afternoon if I was going on the trip. Oh well.... Hope the rest of your vacation goes well! As hard as it will be put her out of your mind and enjoy yourself.

Steve B.

[pacman]

Yes, she needs it for very important reasons... Probably. It's her first computer ever, and it's a crappy laptop with wcdma wireless internet, and that was the reason that she brought the machine to me the first time.

Don't worry, it happened two weeks ago... And on monday I'm going to work I love to play with computers at work but I don't like the clueless idiots owning those. It's going to be an interesting week there... Wish me luck.

[PepperElf]

yeah... the "i dont know what i'm doing and broke the computer and how dare you have a vacation" issue....

can i be evil and demand that she gives up her vacation too?

[pacman]

Otherwise yeah, but I think she's retired... So it's not going to work.

I've had lots of those "this doesn't work" customers that have broken it themselves and don't want to admit it. And when they hear there's going to be a fee for me to repair the thing they go all "but it has warranty" -rants.

And more for the "you just take the easy money" -thing: I work in a company of roughly 3,500 employees... So it'd be nearly impossible for me to pocket anything.

[Blade_Raver]

I would have called her back and said "Look, if you are that desperate for tech support. I'll go there and fix your machine for a price that'll make me forget that I'm wasting my vacation, gas, and patience on you. $100/hr, minimum 2 hours, in cash up front or I don't even step in your door. At this point, I'm not on the clock, so you're paying me independently as a consultant."

[smileyeagle1021]

sounds a bit like managers who will call desperate for someone to come in... and it's like, hello, I told you over 2 weeks ago I wanted vacation time, you approved it, and guess what I'm taking it... I'm in another state now bugger off... never had to deal with SCs doing that though, you have my sympathy that they can get your phone number

[been_there]

Here's to hoping that the CW who, against express orders, gave out your number is plagued by SCs equal-or-greater than yours for their treachery.

[Fungus]

I would have just hung up and pretended I never got the call. You are on vacation and she was not reasonable. To hell with her.

[pacman]

Update.

She came here today. She was furious. She told me that her nephew had come all the way 200km (like 130-150 miles or something, I'm not familiar with the imperial measurements) from Helsinki up here to fix her computer and she also told me that if I don't get the computer now to work she will contact BBB and raise a fuss so big that I indeed will know I've caused problems to her. She said, "You better get it fixed or else...!!!" I told her I can't guarantee it to work at her home, I only can test it here and if it works here there's little I can do for her.

The problem: the modem had been reset to factory defaults, so now the WLAN is unsecured, the computer contained multiple antivirus programs so it was very slow, and it wanted her to make recovery dvd: s. She also accused me of not telling her she made a 24month contract at the time of purchase... Guess what? I don't even try to sell anything with a contract without mentioning it.

The computer is now on my desk and I'm creating those friggin' recovery disks for her. I also removed the multiple antivirus softwares and installed a fresh new nice one to her. And the icing: I don't take money for it this time.

Please help me, I'm not going to tolerate her for long.

[MoxisPilot]

The way that call would have gone had it been me (because I'm pretty rude, actually...)

Her: I neeeeeeeed you to fix -
Me: Lady, this is my private number, I'm on vacation, and even if I wasn't, I don't make house calls. Have a nice day. *click*


Yes, I would have talked right over her. I'm not a very nice person when someone interrupts "Me" time.

[Akasa]

I'd charge her for being such a pain in the ass she got my private number and then gave me a hard time for dareing to have a vacation. Interrupt me time, then intterupt me talking? Then be a bitch about my taking my vacation? Wait 2 weeks for me to get back just so you can bitch at me personally?
You're gonna pay.

[protege]

Ugh. I get to deal with that crap from co-irkers....

J, in particular. As soon as our 'net connection dropped, he'd start ranting about how he was losing "so much money" how he was "the most important person here" etc. (Keep in mind that the boss was usually away when he'd act like that...) Meanwhile, I'm on the phone with not only our 3rd party tech, but my contact at the ISP, and trying to figure out what's going on. J literally came into the server room *every* 5 minutes to bitch about how the repairs were "taking too long." Right about that time, he called me an idiot, and started to ramble on about how I shouldn't be there. Let me get this straight--you don't know *jack shit* about computers, bitch about how long it's taking, not realizing that *you* are the problem and *I'm* the idiot? Needless to say, as soon as he went back upstairs, I sat in my chair, kicked my feet up, and let him "lose money" a bit longer It's not like there was much he could do--he wasn't my boss (even though he thought he was), and even if he did complain to my boss...all I had to say that I was on the phone. I did have it to my ear...