Showerthought: That time a customer's comment about a 'dead' laptop battery changed my approach

A guy brought in a laptop that wouldn't turn on, insisting the battery was shot. He said, 'It's totally dead, I left it plugged in for a week straight.' I checked it, and the battery was fine, but the DC-in board was fried from a bad charger. He was so focused on the battery he missed the real issue. Now I always check power delivery first, even when the customer is sure it's something else. Anyone else have customers who diagnose their own gear before they bring it in?

3 comments

3 Comments

finleyk875d ago

Wait, didn't you mix up the stories? The silent ringtone one was about the power button, not the volume rocker.

robinson.holly17d ago

My buddy who fixes phones had a lady swear her screen was broken... she was pressing the power button over and over. Turns out she'd just turned the volume all the way down and her ringtone was silent. She was so sure it was a hardware problem she never even checked the settings.

robinson.holly17d ago

Wait, she was pressing the POWER button to try and fix a silent ringtone? That makes no sense! How did she even connect those two things in her head? I'm shocked she went straight to a repair shop without trying the volume rocker first. It's like trying to start a car by honking the horn when you just need to turn the key. Some people just panic and their brain short circuits completely.