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  1. #11
    Ghoulscout 500+ Posts Kidaver's Avatar
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    Re: Diary of a Mad Copy Repairman

    Having spent my time in the US Army this sounds about par for the course....the poor guys at the bottom of the totem poll have no effin clue what's goin on because the guys at the top of the totem pole have no effin clue what's goin on but rolled with the bad idea anyways...which brings up two common saying in the US Army...Shit rolls down hill and embrace the suck....oh and I guess a third saying as well when they need support on these Lexmarks....hurry up and wait...
    "In a cruel and evil world, being cynical can allow you to get some entertainment out of it."

  2. #12
    Senior Tech 250+ Posts
    Diary of a Mad Copy Repairman

    KapeKopyTek's Avatar
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    Re: Diary of a Mad Copy Repairman

    Quote Originally Posted by blackcat4866 View Post
    Sorry fix. It sucks to be you. And you're right, most likely you'll be servicing the Lexmarks, probably within three weeks or less. Don't you love it when IT takes things over, without a clue what's involved, then bitches that nothing works. =^..^=
    And govmint run IT make it all the better. We're in the best of hands.....

  3. #13
    Not a service manager 2,500+ Posts Iowatech's Avatar
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    Re: Diary of a Mad Copy Repairman

    The "Peace Dividend" strikes again! Or at least it sounds a lot like that, based on when I probably got to experience the wonder of BRAC back in the nineties.
    Oh, well, if you have the guts to hang in there, it will get better eventually. It always does.

  4. #14
    ALIEN OVERLORD 2,500+ Posts fixthecopier's Avatar
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    Re: Diary of a Mad Copy Repairman

    Day 3....

    Didn't post after work, too stressed. Wound up at Camp MacKoll, the SF training area. Disabled the whole camp with cadets coming in from the field today. I added 2,000 copies to one of the meters so they could finish their work. I added 3,000 to another, because one of the guys was a buddy i have known for 15 years. They tipped me with a case of MRE's and a pound of premium coffee. Felt bad about killing them with that. Was heading back through the woods of the main base and pulled off at this church that is locked and fenced in. It was built in 1854 and is on the historic register. It pops up in the middle of woods miles from anything. I was destressing looking over the fence at 100 year old grave stones when my manager calls about some third party call i have been ditching since this started. Then she starts bitching that i am not doing things the way she would. We are yelling at each other, my head is going to explode. I am wondering why Valiums can't be bought from a vending machine.



    Day 4


    Have talk with owner. He thinks BOA is going to show up and yank the boxes, we may not get any of them. I tell him I am not going to pull plugs on machines where people still need them, in an effort to help my buddies, and make us look good throughout this. He agrees.

    The Command Section of Special Operations has always had a color box from us, they own it, I service. The current box is a c552. It got dropped off maintenance Nov 30. Last week i charged them $1000 for a cyan IU change. I then made fun of the new Lexmark. The chief of staff said "See, I told you" to his staff, then ask if we would pick the bizhub back under contract. I said yes and he signed the paper today. I overheard there was a big battle over it. Chief of staff always wins.

    Went to building i consider my best customer last. All but one of my machines are in the hallway unplugged. 3 bizhub 600s, 1 500, 1 250. Replaced by 3 lexmarks. Pathetic. One is missing, my most critical machine, and contract secret. The secret was against the contract and rules, I have had this hooked as a printer over 3 contracts, on a stand alone network. I walk in, and am pretty sure the machine is still there because when Brad came to get it they told him to fuck off. I walk in and the look of horror on their faces is priceless. Fear not, i just want a meter, and I don't care if you use this. They are the other ones who are going to break contract and I am giving them a quote for an e754. Tomorrow is a military training holiday, few will be there, I plan to fuck off most of the day.
    The greatest enemy of knowledge isn't ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. Stephen Hawking

  5. #15
    Master Of The Obvious 10,000+ Posts
    Diary of a Mad Copy Repairman

    blackcat4866's Avatar
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    Re: Diary of a Mad Copy Repairman

    Keep it coming. I want to hear how this resolves. =^..^=
    If you'd like a serious answer to your request:
    1) demonstrate that you've read the manual
    2) demonstrate that you made some attempt to fix it.
    3) if you're going to ask about jams include the jam code.
    4) if you're going to ask about an error code include the error code.
    5) You are the person onsite. Only you can make observations.

    blackcat: Master Of The Obvious =^..^=

  6. #16
    ALIEN OVERLORD 2,500+ Posts fixthecopier's Avatar
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    Re: Diary of a Mad Copy Repairman

    Update...

    As I continued to go from customer to customer telling them of impending doom, most had still not been made aware of what was happening. Some of those who had a new Lexmark seemed happy, because it was new and shinny. Most were really pissed about it. They commented on how impressed they were with all the features, then i would comment that the machines they were using for the last 10 years had the same features, they were not allowed to use them. BOA, who owns the machines will not make contact with us about buying any, so on Wednesday morning of last week, we said fuck it, and just walked away. I was about half way through the list of customers. Still had a few calling my cell for toner and repairs. One called the shop, and when my daughter told her what was happening, her reply was "Well that's just great! THAT'S JUST FUCKING GREAT!!!" and slammed the phone down.

    When I was in the security and intel office for USASOC, one of the guys i have known forever ran up to me and ask, in reference to the Lexmarks, "Please tell me you don't have to write to the hard drives in those!" I laughed and then to make him feel worse, I pointed to the back of the machine where the hard drive resides and said "Six screws and it snaps out. Bet I can have it in my pocket in 2 minutes" He was not happy.

    I almost feel sorry for the crew who will have to pick the machines up. I never updated my contact list, because I already knew where everything was. These guys will be trying to find hidden places and access high security areas with names of POC's that nobody has heard of.

    Have had a few civilian calls with another tech being in training and some paid shredder calls on base. Still hard to get used to. I have been riding around like i am on vacation. I am not used to not being under pressure, having 10 to 15 open calls on my list. I feel lie I am fucking off all day.
    The greatest enemy of knowledge isn't ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. Stephen Hawking

  7. #17
    Senior Tech 250+ Posts
    Diary of a Mad Copy Repairman

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    Re: Diary of a Mad Copy Repairman

    Quote Originally Posted by Iowatech View Post
    The "Peace Dividend" strikes again! Or at least it sounds a lot like that, based on when I probably got to experience the wonder of BRAC back in the nineties.
    Oh, well, if you have the guts to hang in there, it will get better eventually. It always does.
    BRAC'd in 2008. Ain't it grand?

  8. #18
    Senior Tech 250+ Posts Phrag's Avatar
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    Re: Diary of a Mad Copy Repairman

    The only military training base where I am is the smallest compound I've ever seen. Similar sized property as a residential house.

    It has a bizhub 161f on Time and Materials. Most of the time the place is empty. My town isn't worth defending I guess.

  9. #19
    ALIEN OVERLORD 2,500+ Posts fixthecopier's Avatar
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    Re: Diary of a Mad Copy Repairman

    Quote Originally Posted by Phrag View Post
    The only military training base where I am is the smallest compound I've ever seen. Similar sized property as a residential house.

    It has a bizhub 161f on Time and Materials. Most of the time the place is empty. My town isn't worth defending I guess.

    Mine is a small city. We picked up 30,000 people with the BRAC realignment. The base has between 70 and 80 thousand personal. There is an unbelievable amount of construction that has been going on for the past 15 years. When you read about the military downsizing to pre WWII levels, that is for old style ground troops that are considered obsolete. The Special Ops side has been steadily expanding. And don't forget roads. Our city looks like it won the road construction lottery.

    Problem for a lot of local vendors is that the city of 80.000 workers buys most of it's supplies off the internet.

    So I was talking to a tech who works with my competitor who has the other base contract. His contract is maybe over in June. He said he has seen a few Lexmarks show up in his area. If his company looses to Lexmark, they will loose about 2,000 machines. Told my boss we need to got our shit together and become kings of Lexmark. If you can't beat them, join them!
    The greatest enemy of knowledge isn't ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. Stephen Hawking

  10. #20
    Service Manager 5,000+ Posts
    Diary of a Mad Copy Repairman

    SalesServiceGuy's Avatar
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    Re: Diary of a Mad Copy Repairman

    Thanks for all of that detail. It sounds like you are in a fairly small market and this military base makes up a big part of your companies cpc revenue. Just like your previous post said, you need to learn how to like Lexmark machines pronto or else you are going to be out in the cold for at least three years.

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