Learned Something New Today ..... Lol

[Mike S]

My Acer W500 has been acting up lately .... the touch screen has not been responding to say the least so with my warranty about to expire in Dec. I took it in last week to have them check it out ...... the guy SEEMED knowledgeable and we talked and he disappeared into the back room ..... he came back in a few and said it would be several hours before it was fixed .... so I elected to come back the next day ....

Any way the next day my asawa had some errands to run so she said she would pick it up .... no big deal .... that was Fri. she told me the guy said he formatted the hard drive and the problem was fixed ..... I was p*ssed to say the least ..... I told her that there was no way to fix a hardware problem with a software fix ..... but I would check it out .... tried it AFTER I reloaded all my deleted programs ...... you guessed it ... still no touch screen ....

Thought about it all week-end long and by the time today got here I was not a happy camper ... so back we go today .... I held my cool and fired the computer up and said to the guy .... "here you try it" ...... nothing along the top of the screen would work with touch .... he says to me "OK I see it must be a mechanical problem we will change the screen" ..... I said I but why didn't you do that first ..... he said "but sir we have to do the format first" ..... I said OK I understand that .... but why didn't you check it before having us pick it up .......

YUP ..... I GOT THE BLANK STARE ....... :hystery: :hystery: ...... another of those things that make you say HUMMMMMMM ....... :thumbsup: ........ :cheersty:

[FlyAway]

Format and Reload. Seems to be the Number 1 thing techs do in Philippines.

Edited October 22, 2012 by FlyAway

[Jake]

YUP ..... I GOT THE BLANK STARE ....... :hystery: :hystery: ...... another of those things that make you say HUMMMMMMM ....... :thumbsup: ........ :cheersty:

It's usually a blank stare with mouth slightly open -- meaning huh, I understand your English but I don't understand your English.....he, he.

Regarding your digitizer (touch screen) needing replacement, here is a YouTube video on DIY for Acer W500:

.

At timestamp 4 minutes into the video, there is a small narrow board with a flat wire harness connected to it. That's the touch screen controller board. Usually a new TS comes with a new board. After replacement, the technician should perform a TS calibration. It's a simple procedure where you feed a video into your computer which consists of dots in a grid matrix. You simply touch the dots and the computer and the TS controller board remembers the positions.

If all else fails, I still have my crescent-hammer to really fix your computer.....he, he.

Edited October 22, 2012 by Jake

[sjp52]

that video is for the Acer A 500 not the W500. A 500 is the android version

[Jake]

that video is for the Acer A 500 not the W500. A 500 is the android version

Ooops, sorry Scott but my crescent-hammer is still available.....he, he.

[i am bob]

As far as I can tell, the A500 and W500 are almost the same machine. Different OS means a different processor and memory and a better camera on the W500 along with a few minor connectivity changes but the basics are the same parts. Of course Jake's hammer is still Jake's hammer and works very well on any electronic component!

:mocking:

[MikeeW]

There i a simple rule which seems to work here. Works quite well. Rule 1. "A problem is solved if it is not there."

How it works is really simple. If you come and present a problem to a person dealing with the public...a customer in this case (could be a client, patient, whatever). The problem can be as simple as asking if a product is available. More complex problems include asking if something can be fixed.

The company person (sales or technical) now has the problem to solve. One of the most effective is to simply say "we are out of stock" or "that can't be fixed". The problem is now half solved. If you walk away, problem is fully solved.

Of course many of the problems include misunderstandings. Since the store/business representative is expected to understand the customer there is a problem if they cannot. For example, if you explain what is wrong, it is entirely possible that all that was understood is "this doesn't work". I am certain many of the difficult times I had were because the question or concern I had was not understood. My fault, perhaps, especially when I don't know why the problem exists. Thus, I can't explain what to do. I assume they know what to do.

Now the guy who takes your device and suggests you leave, he is well on his way to solving his problem. The best sign for him is that you walked away.

Of course, when you come back, the NEW problem is to get the device, now "fixed" in your hands and get you gone. Problem solved.

These silly details about not fixing the device are just that, details. They did SOMETHING. So, the only problem is to get you gone.

When you got the blank stare, that was the same blank stare a three year old gives when they understood the words, but not the meaning.

The second rule is "You bought it, it is your problem now"

[Mike S]

M

Now the guy who takes your device and suggests you leave, he is well on his way to solving his problem. The best sign for him is that you walked away. Of course, when you come back, the NEW problem is to get the device, now "fixed" in your hands and get you gone. Problem solved. These silly details about not fixing the device are just that, details. They did SOMETHING. So, the only problem is to get you gone. When you got the blank stare, that was the same blank stare a three year old gives when they understood the words, but not the meaning. The second rule is "You bought it, it is your problem now"

MikeeW ...... that is the best explanation I have ever heard on "A problem is solved if it is not there." and I am going to remember that .... I think I now understand fully the logic behind how the service employee thinks ..... THANK YOU FOR THAT ..... I guess it just never crossed my pea brain to think along those lines ...... bravo ..... :AddEmoticons04230:

Mr. Jake ....... thank you for that vid ..... I found some others on you-tube also dealing with the W-500 and it does look to be the same as far as opening the case and removing the screen .... also found one on replacing the battery which the Acer guy told me would be about p3000 when it goes bad .... so it looks like after warranty ...... with the help of those videos ..... I'll be doing my own repair .... :mocking:

[MikeeW]

Mike S

I am also relieved to have discovered these "rules" affecting customer service. I can tell story after story of just how many times I've witnessed this, not only for myself. Just observed it while out and about.

Unfortunately for me, I have a background and cultural habit of asking questions. This does NOT serve me well here. One example. I went to renew my ACR (five year) a while back. I brought all of the documents required and more specifically, all those I was told to bring. I even brought more than I had been asked to bring (I've been a bureaucrat in another life). Of course, the first thing I was told I had not brought enough 2x2 photos. Can never have too many of those.

Problem solved right away with a nearby photoshop.

Next problem was one of my own making. I asked a question.

I was told to bring all of my receipts from each year of the annual registration. I did so. I also brought copies and that is what I gave to the clerk. She politely asked me for the originals which I had. My question was why did it need to be the originals I gave too them. I had been told by them to NEVER lose the originals and keep them. Here I was giving them up. Seemed odd, since the receipts were of their own making and they had records of the payments. As well, it is all listed clearly in the computerized record of my ACR.

I made no fuss, just asked to be sure. Whoops.

The clerk went. And spoke to her boss. I could tell from the expressions and body language something was getting lost in the translation. I didn't know what, since they were out of range to listen.

The boss walked over, gave me all the documents assembled thus far and said "you'll have to take care of this in Manila". I was doing this in a province. Whoops. Seemed she didn't want her authority questioned. That was not my intention.

[Mike S]

How dare you question the O-I-C ...... (One In Charge) ..... don't you know who they are ...... no one challenges the O-I-C ...... after all you might prove them wrong or that they don't know their job ...... :mocking: :hystery: :hystery: ....... :cheersty: