Laptop Smack Down

[Cornerstone Technologies]

I hate to sound like a jerk, but most, if not all of these incidents could have been prevented. Being in a rush often leads to preventable mistakes. I find it astonishing that you dropped the laptop in front of the client. If I were to have something like that happen, I would fully expect to be sacked and held accountable for the repair/replacement costs.

The breaking of stuff in-shop is sometimes unavoidable, but I usually attribute most breakages that I have done to being in a rush and not caring as much as I should have. The same thing applies to techs that I have had work with me. Typically, when they break something, they usually don't care because the business owner will cover it.

[300DDR]

Ok, my turn

About 2-3 years ago when the new iMac 27" came out: one was dropped off for a simple hard drive upgrade. The hard drive was upgraded and I was putting everything back together. The last thing to "put back" is the glass which magnetically sticks on to the imac over the lcd display. I clumsily allowed a metal tab on this glass panel to barely touch the lcd. It caused about a 1" scratch in the bottom right corner and was barely noticeable. But, I had to tell the client.

He went back and forth trying to decide if it was acceptable to him (he felt my pain), finally taking the computer back home after examining it here for a hour! Well, a few hours later got a call saying he can just can't stand the scratch it and needs it to be fixed.

I understood, but was KICKING myself… a 20 minutes hard drive upgrade (maybe $100 profit to me) just turned into a new 27" iMac LCD replacement at my cost ($1000+). Since this computer was so new, the only way to get a replacement was to buy a whole new iMac.

I ended up buying a refurb on apple's site, swapping displays, returned "new" one to happy client, and then sold refurb one for exact same price as I bought it for to a person that didn't care about the scratch one bit (again, it was barely visible and in the top right corner). In total, lost the cost of hard drive, and lesson learned (watch those metal tabs!).

[LosAngelesTech]

Here's another one...

A few years ago I was doing some work for a local chiropractor whose computer had died and I connected it to my USB adapter to retrieve the data and move it to a new PC. Well, I connected the power adapter to the drive before the USB adapter and nothing came up. Nothing!

Come to find out, that was an issue with that device. You MUST connect the USB adapter first, then the power supply. The first time I thought it was a fluke. The second time (when it happened to my own drive) I realized where I went wrong.

Never heard from that client again. And I don't wonder why.

Live and learn. Die and forget it all.

[YOCS]

Thanks guys, accidents happen...@Cornerstone of course I'm going to pay for the laptop. I have built relationships with all my clients they're not going to can me for one mistake...actually the guy that left it on the counter felt bad that he didn't zip the bag. Ultimately out was my responsibility to check. Like most have you have said live and learn.

[Rosco]

Originally Posted by Cornerstone Technologies

I hate to sound like a jerk, but most, if not all of these incidents could have been prevented. Being in a rush often leads to preventable mistakes. I find it astonishing that you dropped the laptop in front of the client. If I were to have something like that happen, I would fully expect to be sacked and held accountable for the repair/replacement costs.

The breaking of stuff in-shop is sometimes unavoidable, but I usually attribute most breakages that I have done to being in a rush and not caring as much as I should have. The same thing applies to techs that I have had work with me. Typically, when they break something, they usually don't care because the business owner will cover it.

i agree but no one is perfect. If i dropped something in front of a client i would be embarrassed but hopefully the client would understand if i paid for it(which i would). they they might be preventable but no one is perfect. i broke a power button ribbon cable on dell laptop six months back. I learned not to work on laptop when that tired. i rushed and i cost me 40 bucks with shipping!

[SprinterTech-WI]

Latest one was I was taking apart a droid 2 global,,,, I missed one screw and CRACK! the bezel broke, took me almost a week to find a replacement! cost me $40 too oh well could be much worse!


Otherwise I honestly haven't had many crazy things happen......... I work pretty hard to make sure everything is done right and I haven't ever dropped anything important lol.

[TheITMan]

I was onsite in a school where a HP4 laser printer had malfunctioned & had to be returned to the workshop. This was at the time the top of the range printer and was the pride & joy of the school headmaster. At the top of the stairs I tripped & dropped said printer. I swear it hit every single step, in SLOW motion!!!!! All I could say was "oops"..... We were insured & the client recieved a new printer, but i learned a hard lesson that day!!!!

[altrenda]

Originally Posted by Cornerstone Technologies

........ I find it astonishing that you dropped the laptop in front of the client.

I find it astonishing that you find it astonishing. Is it because he dropped it or because he didn't have the sense to drop it when the customer wasn't looking?
Accidents happen. It's why they put erasers on pencils and invented insurance.