Bonestorm's inaugural Bonehead Client of the Week Award goes to...

A lady who called me up from a hotel in Sydney, where she's staying at the moment. She couldn't turn her laptop on. Now we've all heard the stories of dumb end users calling up because they don't have their computer plugged into the power etc, but this one actually happened and I can verify it personally.

Award recipient: Nothing is coming up on the screen.
Bonestorm: So it doesn't boot into Windows? Is the power plugged into the wall?
Award recipient: Yes.
Five more minutes of this conversation continues
Bonestorm: Are there any beeps or noises when you turn it on?
Award recipient: How do I turn it on?
Crickets chirping.
...
...
Bonestorm: You don't know how to turn the laptop on? Is it your laptop?
Award recipient: Yes it's mine. Where is the On button?

I eventually talk her through turning the machine on, all the while wondering how she turns it on every other day... or wondering if her admin assistant does it for her. Conversation ends, I close the job.

Five minutes later the phone rings and I can see it's her mobile number again. This is going to be good.

Award recipient: Hello I've got the laptop started now.
Bonestorm: Very good.
Award recipient: But now I can't access the internet.
Bonestorm: Oh really? How are you connected to the internet?
Award recipient: Through the hotel's broadband system. The hotel told me that their broadband system is down and that technicians are working on it. Is that why the internet isn't coming up?
Crickets chirping. Lots and lots of crickets.
...
...
...
Bonestorm: I'd say that's the reason, yes.

I can only be thankful I didn't have to talk her through connecting via modem as she decided to wait for the hotel to fix it's connection. A worthy recipient of this prestigious award, I must say.

Posted by Bonestorm on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 at 4:30 PM | Permalink