Why we won't do telephone support

Rumor has it that years ago, one of the techs in a local store took a call from a customer who wanted to know how to install some ram in his computer. The tech walked him through it, but forgot one important detail..."Please make sure your computer is off and the power cord is unplugged from the wall."

The guy was working with the computer on...shocked himself, fried his mobo.

This wasn't the usual idiot who calls support, though. This guy was recording the call!

CHA-CHING!!! LAWSUIT!

After that, corporate decreed "No more telephone support at stores".

This is actually a really good thing for us in the computer department.

We now have a canned response we can use when people call wanting us to fix their bullshit problem over the phone...

"I'm sorry, we are not permitted to do telephone support. You can call 800-PAY-ALOT and they will help you, or you can bring your computer in to the store and see a tech."

Once again, here are the reasons we won't do telephone support:

1. You might screw up what we tell you and fry your computer = LAWSUIT
2. What you *think* is wrong, might not *really* be what is wrong = LAWSUIT
3. We have a whole building full of techs who do telephone support for a living, and charge for it = DON'T GIVE AWAY THINGS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO CHARGE FOR