Back in the early ’80s, this Canadian pilot fish was selling a vertical market software product to the self-storage industry in the U.S. Fish was in London, Ont., when he received a call from a new installation in southern California.
“The customer had problems printing,” fish explains. “Nothing was coming out.”
Fish went through all the correct procedures, asking the customer if he had installed the drivers, and whether the printer was plugged in and turned on. “(The customer) explained that the store where he bought the computer had demonstrated printing on his computer in the store,” so it obviously couldn’t be the printer.
The client insisted it was the software fish had sold him, and demanded that fish fly down immediately to fix the problem. Fish agreed, but made sure the customer committed to paying for first-class airfare and 12 hours of labour if it was not the software. The customer agreed and fish left immediately, arriving at the client’s office in Orange County when it opened the next day.
It didn’t take fish long to figure out the source of the trouble. “I took one look at his printer and knew the problem was a simple fix — he had no printer cable.” Turns out the computer store had forgotten to give him one, says fish.
“He swore they never used one when they demonstrated the computer but he paid my bill of over US$1,400.”
Just change it
This government-regulated online casino is working on a new version of its software, which will require an OK from the regulators.
Pilot fish realizes that he can cut paperwork by making sure the new version conforms to the already approved procedures document. So he does — but he catches flak for it.
“I am told that if I do not make some changes and resubmit the procedures document, it will look like my section was overlooked,” fish says.
“So I had one of my staff change the images around and resubmit it as new.
Surprise, surprise — no problems.”
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