Technical Support Queries

- Compaq is considering changing the command "Press any key" to "Press return key" because of the flood of calls asking where the "any" key is.
- AST technical support once had a caller complaining that "her mouse was so hard to control with the dust cover on". The cover turned out to be the plastic bag the mouse was packaged in.
- Another Compaq technician received a call from a man complaining that the system wouldn't read word processing files from his old diskettes. After trouble-shooting for magnets and heat failed to diagnose the problem, it was found that the customer labeled the diskettes and then rolled them into the typewriter to type his labels.
- An AST customer was asked to send a copy of her defective diskettes. A few days later a letter arrived from the customer along with Xeroxed copies of the floppies.
- A Dell customer called to say that he couldn't get his computer to fax anything. After 40 minutes of trouble-shooting, the technician discovered the man was trying to fax a piece of paper by holding it in front of the monitor screen and hitting the send key.
- another Dell customer called to complain that his keyboard no longer worked. He had cleaned it by filling up his tub with soap and water and soaking the keyboard for a day, then removing all the keys and washing them individually.
- An exasperated caller to Dell Computer Tech Support couldn't get her new Dell Computer to turn on. After ensuring the computer was plugged in, the technician asked her what happened when she pushed the power button. Her responce: "I pushed and pushed on this foot pedal and nothing happens." The foot pedal turned out to be the computer's mouse.
- Anothe customer called Compaq tech suppotr to say her new computer wouldn't work. She said she unpacked the unit, plugged it in and sat there for 20 minutes waiting for something to happen. When asked what happened when she pressed the power switch, she asked: "which power switch?"

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