From goodwin@micron.net Mon Oct 28 14:44:29 1996 Path: stc06.ctd.ornl.gov!fnnews.fnal.gov!uwm.edu!cs.utexas.edu!www.nntp.primenet.com!nntp.primenet.com!feed1.news.erols.com!howland.erols.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!apollo.hp.com!lf.hp.com!news.dtc.hp.com!col.hp.com!cello.hpl.hp.com!hplntx!hplabs!hp-pcd!hpbs2500.boi.hp.com!news From: "David Goodwin" Newsgroups: comp.periphs.printers,comp.sys.hp.hardware Subject: Re: Funny Printer Support Story Date: 25 Oct 1996 17:11:58 GMT Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co. Lines: 35 Message-ID: <01bbc298$1849ae00$8261270f@hpbs8612> References: <54m5r8$691@fujitsui.fujitsu.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: hpbs8612.boi.hp.com X-Newsreader: Microsoft Internet News 4.70.1155 Xref: stc06.ctd.ornl.gov comp.periphs.printers:54694 comp.sys.hp.hardware:22069 I, too, started in technical support. I worked for a printer company. I was once asked to take over a call that had frustrated our front-line support team... it went something like this... the customer was VERY upset. Customer: I want to buy a 220 volt unit (Laser Printer) but I live in New York. Where can I get one. Me: Well, that could be rather difficult since we do not sell 220 volt units in the US. You have to purchase them from a European dealer. Customer: Tell me how to convert a 110 unit to 220. Me: That would be difficult and very expensive, you would have to have a service tech replace the power supply and the fuser. (the customer was so angry at this point that his voice was cracking) Do you mind if I ask why you want a 220 volt unit in the US? (We sometimes have international companies who try and move the printers back and forth between Europe and the US.) Customer: I want the fastest printer I can get... I went to great lengths to have our new building fitted with 220 volt outlets in the printer room and my boss wants those printers installed NOW. Me: What does speed have to do with voltage? Customer: I want to talk to your manager. You obviously don't know anything about printers. A 220 volt printer has to be faster than a 110 volt unit. Yes, this, too, was a real call that I took in 1994. It took me quite a while to decide if this was a practical joke. Obviously, printers cannot print faster because of their voltage... the power supply transforms all voltage anyway, except to the fuser which certainly can't speed up printing.