Counting For Customers (A Beginners Guide)

[captain_slinky]

ME: So you have a router... how many computers do you have hooked-up?
HER: Just the one.
ME: Just one computer?
HER: Yup.
ME: No other laptop computers or anything else connecting wirelessly?
HER: Nope.
ME: No XBox or other Game Systems that you use to get on the internet?
HER: Nah, just the one computer
ME: Okay, great! I need you to shut-down your computer, please.
HER: Which one?

...

ME: The... computer?
HER: So you want me to shut them ALL down?
ME: I'm sorry, I thought you said there was just the one compu-
HER: Right, just one computer.
ME: ...
HER: You want me to have my Husband turn off HIS computer, too?

Comments

[freydis.livejournal.com]

your job might cause me to maim small animals. I commend your self control.

[schizoauthoress.livejournal.com]

I...I...

What??

[bjorker.livejournal.com]

Working in the retail world for 7 years has left me very skeptical about mankind in general. And frankly rather depressed about the state of our society.

This takes the cake. I am thoroughly confused about what could have possibly been going through that person's brain. Apparently not a whole lot.

[greenpear.livejournal.com]

I'd like to think you were just fooling us but I know you're right.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

*I* would like to think i was just fooling you, too :(

[supernovame.livejournal.com]

i think i figured it out. You asked "how many computers do you have hooked up", and she heard, "how many computers do *YOU* (you personally, not your husband or anyone else) have hooked up." But somehow when you said to shut down "your computer", (are you sure you didn't say to shut down 'the' computer?) then manybe she heard "`your`(or anyone's really) computer". I have dealt with that before when someone is thinking way too literally, and needs to be talked to like they are a computer themselves and don't understand anything except extremely literal and specific details. There is supposedly some sort of activity you can do, where you have one persn describe how to make a PB and J sandwhich, and the other pretend they are not from this planet or something, and do as worst a job as they can at doing exactly what the person says, without actually making a PB and J. Like if you say, put peanut butter on the bread, the drop the jar on the loaf. so you have to say open jar, and then they could smash it open, so you have to say twist off the top, then you say spread some of the contents on the bread and they stick a finger in and smear some around, then you tell them about using a knife and they spread all the pb in the jar on the bread, etc. you get the picture. That is what some customers are like.