I can't do anything for you. No, really.

[marty]

I haven't had many SCs come around my parts lately, which is why I haven't posted as of late. It's been quiet. But there's always going to be one eventually...or in this case, two.

Old lady calls about a replacement power cord for her older than friggin' sin CB radio. We don't carry them, as they are often proprietary parts.

Me: I'm sorry, we don't carry the particular cord you're looking for.
OL: What do you mean?
Me: We don't carry that kind of power cord.
OL: Well what am I supposed to do?
Me: I can see if I can get you a number for the manufacturer...(note here that I am beginning to go above and beyond. If you think this will be appreciated, you are sorely wrong)
OL: HUMPH! I guess.

So I looked, and there was NO phone number on their website. It was all done in email.

Me: I'm sorry, I can't seem to find a number on here. They do everything through the internet.
OL: I DON'T HAVE THE INTERNET!
Me: I'm sorry then, I can't really do much then.
OL: What do you mean?!
Me: There's...nothing I can do.
OL: What am I supposed to do!
Me: I'm not sure, ma'am.
OL: HUMPH! Bye then.

The last line was said in the poutiest damned voice I've ever heard. Seriously?


Next up was camera battery man.

Me: I'm sorry, we only carry that particular battery online, but I can order it for you? (700v (or something), 1500a battery for $xx.xx)
SC: Well what if I used two of the 700v 750a batteries (also for $xx.xx each)?
Me: I'm not sure that would work, you'd probably be feeding too much voltage...(I wasn't sure, but I sure as hell wasn't going to be responsible for his camera exploding)
SC: Well I'm going to try it. So I get half price, right?
Me: What?
SC: Well it's half the amps, so I get half price, right?
Me: No sir.
SC: But it's half the amps!
Me: I don't set the prices.
SC: Well THANKS FOR NOTHING!

Half the amps, twice the volts! Kiss my ass!

There was also a guy that talked to me on the phone for half an hour while I was trying to ring someone up and I couldn't understand a damn thing he was saying. After about ten minutes I stopped asking him to repeat himself and just said, "Yeah," when he paused until he decided he was done on the phone. And a guy that talked at me about his cell phone provider's satellites for thirty minutes...

[NateTheChops]

I couldn't understand a damn thing he was saying. After about ten minutes I stopped asking him to repeat himself and just said, "Yeah,"

One week later your boss approaches you.

"Marty, why did you agree to pay for two hundred pirate shirts with the company credit card?"

[South Texan]

Me: We don't carry that kind of power cord.
OL: Well what am I supposed to do?

I never will understand why people think that acting like it is the store's fault that it does not carry whatever part is needed is going to help them. Yes, it is frustrating as anything, but pouting and yelling at the employee is not going to make the situation better.

I also own "older than sin" things that still work fine long after their makers expected them to be in a landfill. I am the type that doesn't replace things until I have to. (My stereo still is a Kenwood KR6400 I bought in high school that works great.) When something minor like a power cord fray happens, I know first hand how tough and aggravating it can be to try to get a replacement part. I am lucky to have an independent repair shop near me that has an owner who enjoys creating stuff, so he has made parts for me.

[MoonChild2007]

I love how customers love to play dumb.

"What am I supposed to do?"
"What do you mean"

[BookstoreEscapee]

I love how customers love to play dumb.

"What am I supposed to do?"
"What do you mean"

Do you really want me to answer that, sir/ma'am?

Seriously, there are other businesses out there...try one of them.

[Bramblerose]

SC: Well it's half the amps, so I get half price, right?
Me: No sir.
SC: But it's half the amps!

And all of teh ohms.

[draco664]

SC: But it's half the amps!

I have a friend who takes calls like this all the time. His method of dealing with it is to burst into laughter. Generally the conversation goes like

"What are you laughing at?"
"You didn't mean to make that joke?"
"What joke?"
"Oh, sorry, I thought you were making a techie/maths/physics joke. It was a good one."

It tends to stump them. Normally the people he deals with aren't the sharpest swords in the armoury, so they try to work out what was so funny, which means that they aren't being sucky.

[Javarod]

SC: Well what if I used two of the 700v 750a batteries (also for $xx.xx each)?
Me: I'm not sure that would work, you'd probably be feeding too much voltage...(I wasn't sure, but I sure as hell wasn't going to be responsible for his camera exploding)

I'm trying to picture how you'd physically fit them in the camera, which is the only problem i can see here. Ifn my memory is right (anyone feel free to correct me), yes you can do that if you hook the batteries up in series (+ to + - to -), then you'd double the amperage, not the volts. If you hooked them up in series, then you'd double the voltage. If i remember correctly, its been so long, i just couldn't resist trying to dredge out the old info from my slowly dying brain.

[Crab]

I'm trying to picture how you'd physically fit them in the camera, which is the only problem i can see here. Ifn my memory is right (anyone feel free to correct me), yes you can do that if you hook the batteries up in series (+ to + - to -), then you'd double the amperage, not the volts. If you hooked them up in series, then you'd double the voltage. If i remember correctly, its been so long, i just couldn't resist trying to dredge out the old info from my slowly dying brain.

hook 'em up in series, you double the voltage. Hook 'em up in parallel, it lasts twice as long.

Electronic design taught me something.

[Hyndis]

There was also a guy that talked to me on the phone for half an hour while I was trying to ring someone up and I couldn't understand a damn thing he was saying. After about ten minutes I stopped asking him to repeat himself and just said, "Yeah," when he paused until he decided he was done on the phone. And a guy that talked at me about his cell phone provider's satellites for thirty minutes...

I get way too many of those people.

They ramble on endlessly and mumble, changing topic constantly such that I have no idea what their question is.

After about 10 minutes I also give up and just end up agreeing with them. Note that by this point I've stopped actually listening to them, so I end up just checking Google News or something until he finally gets tired of talking and decides to end the "conversation." Because I'm on the phone I can't really do all that much, as working on other support tickets does require some real concentration and research, so I'm stuck basically smiling and nodding until the guy runs out of steam.

If you're willing to get to the point and let me help you, I can solve your problem in about 2 minutes. But if you don't have a point to make or won't accept what I'm going to say, then the call will just be much, much longer without any results.

[Hyndis]

hook 'em up in series, you double the voltage. Hook 'em up in parallel, it lasts twice as long.

Electronic design taught me something.

Either way, its not going to physically fit inside the camera.

[Andara Bledin]

Half the amps, twice the volts!

And all of teh ohms.

But what about resistance? Are you saying resistance is useless?



^-.-^

[Calie]

But what about resistance? Are you saying resistance is useless?



^-.-^

no, no, resistance isn't useless. Resistance is Futile.

<note, I assume that was the quote you were going for, but my inner-trekkie-geekness cannot let that go uncorrected>

[Andara Bledin]

no, no, resistance isn't useless. Resistance is Futile.

<note, I assume that was the quote you were going for, but my inner-trekkie-geekness cannot let that go uncorrected>

Heh, good call on it being a geek reference, you just have the wrong geek progenitor.

For Trek, resistance is, indeed, futile, but if you're a Hitchhiker's Guide fan, then resistance is, as I said, useless.

It's better if you've seen the BBC miniseries as opposed to the movie.

^-.-^

[Calie]

Heh, good call on it being a geek reference, you just have the wrong geek progenitor.

For Trek, resistance is, indeed, futile, but if you're a Hitchhiker's Guide fan, then resistance is, as I said, useless.

It's better if you've seen the BBC miniseries as opposed to the movie.

^-.-^

Why yes, I have seen the miniseries...just not nearly as many times as I've seen Trek. Must go find again...I like the charm of the miniseries compared to the movie.