The great instruction manual escapade...

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

So my phone rings at work yesterday and I get talking to this lady...

Me: Thank you for calling <games store, CC speaking, how may I help you?
SC: I bought a used Wii from you a few days ago and this thing didn't come with a manual, how can you sell a product without a manual?
Me: Well our used products don't typically come with manuals.
SC: That's ridiculous, how am I supposed to figure this thing out without a manual??
(um, maybe fiddle around with the buttons and see what does what? Just a thought).
Me: We don't keep any extra manuals around, I'm not sure what to do for you.
SC: This is unbelievable, I worked retail for 20 years selling appliances and I know you should NEVER sell something without a manual, it's unconscionable! I spent over $200 on this and you need to accommodate me here.
Me: Like I said, we don't have any extra manuals.
SC: Well then what you should do is break a manual out and go down to Kinko's or whatever and make copies so you can give them out to every customer who buys one of these things.
Me: I'm the only one on duty right now, I can't leave the store. However you could call one of our other stores in the area and see if they have a manual.
SC: No, that's ridiculous. I'm the one who is inconvenienced here by not having a manual, it should not be MY job to call other stores to track one down. YOU should call other stores and locate one for me. You know I don't understand how you treat your customers this way, it's just so ridiculous to sell something without a manual. I worked in retail for 20 years and I would never think of selling something without a manual. You just don't do that.
Me: I suppose I can make a few calls and see if I can find one for you.
SC: Thank you, but I'm still rather upset that I have to go such lengths to get something that should have been included with my purchase. You should tell your manager to get copies of those manuals made ASAP so this doesn't happen to other customers. It should be common courtesy to include the manual with the purchase.
Me: As I said earlier ma'am, we don't typically include manuals with used consoles unless we happen to have an extra handy.
SC: That's really not a customer friendly policy. Be sure to take this up with your manager.
Me: Will do ma'am, I will call you to let you know if I find a manual for you.
SC: Thank you. *click*

It took me 5 calls, but I finally located an extra manual and arranged to have it brought to our store. I've been a gamer for a long time and I've become accustomed to the fact that some things inevitable will not have manuals. If this lady had worked retail for as long as she claimed, she should have known the same thing. It's a Wii, not some fancy super computer.

[Jay 2K Winger]

There are probably sites out there with instruction manuals available for viewing/download for this kind of thing, too.

[Camry178]

SC: This is unbelievable, I worked retail for 20 years selling appliances and I know you should NEVER sell something without a manual, it's unconscionable!

I hate, hate, HATE when SC's use this freakin' line!

Her lazy a$$ should've gone online and printed out a copy.

[Ironclad Alibi]

SC: This is unbelievable, I worked retail for 20 years selling appliances and I know you should NEVER sell something without a manual, it's unconscionable! I spent over $200 on this and you need to accommodate me here.

So why did she buy one without a manual? She's not too smart.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

There are probably sites out there with instruction manuals available for viewing/download for this kind of thing, too.

There are. Jackass could have also went online to the Ninetendo website and probably had found one to download if he'd used his brain.

But then that's assuming he has a brain to begin with.

[joe hx]

SC: Well then what you should do is break a manual out and go down to Kinko's or whatever and make copies so you can give them out to every customer who buys one of these things.

Nintendo probably wouldn't like that. Back in 1987:

Nintendo of America, Inc. v. Blockbuster Entertainment lawsuit: Nintendo sues Blockbuster for photocopying complete NES manuals for its rental games. Nintendo wins the suit, and Blockbuster includes original manuals with its rentals.

[jerkface11]

It's just a Wii. You plug it into the wall and the TV put bateries in the remote and a game in the console. There that's an instruction manual for it.

[Racket_Man]

when I lost the manuals to some power tools I had just bought (do not ask me how I lost them I still have no idea). first thing I did was get on the interwebby thingie and brought up the manufacturers web site, poked around for like 2 minutes, found the class of tool then found the model number and

PRESTO

manuals in PDF format.

had to do this with several peices of equipment at work too. I was trying to figure out how to take some parts off of the dishwasher. same thing as above. found exploded views of ALL parts of the machine and I was good to go.

I love PDF files sometimes.

[Wembley]

I love PDF files sometimes.

In some ways, PDFs are better especially when you are servicing a piece of equipment -- you can get them dirty, wet, covered with notes etc... You can grab just the page you need when you're taking something apart and you can even take the diagram to the parts supplier with a piece circled and tell the counter guy "I need *this*"


That way your (sometimes very expensive) service manuals stay in good shape!!


--Wembley

[SarcasticJerk]

It's just a Wii. You plug it into the wall and the TV put bateries in the remote and a game in the console. There that's an instruction manual for it.

I've never seen a Wii manual, but I'd be willing to bet that it's 20 pages long - with what you said on one page. The other 19 are 'do not use in the shower', 'do not attempt to used D cells in the remotes', 'do not put the power cord in your butt', that sort of thing.

[EricKei]

...'Do not throw wiimote at TV'...

She could have just downloaded a manual from Ninty or had them mail her one >_<

When you buy something used, you can reasonably assume that either (a) there IS no manual, or (b) it looks like it's been thru hell. Anything more than that is pure luck.

Well, that, and going down to Kinko's to make a copy would be ILLEGAL because it's copyright infringement. Plus, you'd have to open a NEW Wii box to get it in the first place.

[JLRodgers]

The instruction manual (the online version has a setup/etc guide online) basically involves (and I'm not even really paraphrasing, just describing the pictures):

If you want it installed vertically, slide it into the stand. If you want it horizontal put it on a flat surface.
To connect to a tv, plug a cord into the only port on the back that's the same shape, and then match up the colors for the tv.
Put hand through wrist wrap so wrist wrap is around your wrist.

Then.... the only possible complicated part: press the remote sync button (which I'd almost bet they have built-in to the machine telling you anyway).

[dalesys]

...'do not put the power cord in your butt', that sort of thing.

But isn't that required to win in Guitar Hero?

[Mordecai]

SC: Thank you, but I'm still rather upset that I have to go such lengths to get something that should have been included with my purchase. You should tell your manager to get copies of those manuals made ASAP so this doesn't happen to other customers

So much suck here:

1. Asking for a manual from the store and chewing them out for not having any available when you can easily find a free one online on Nintendo's website.
2. Telling store employee that they need to commit a crime for the sake of customer's "convenience" despite themselves working in sales(well, allegedly) for 20 years.
3. Just being a bitch in general.

[rvdammit]

Even Lego put their manuals on line. Lost my Star Destroyer manual and needed to rebuild it.