Gut instinct

[Phrag]

Have you ever responded to a job where your gut told you it might be wise to take this part, based on the fault details, but decide that it couldn't be that, or you thought of something else more likely?

I had a call for a dirty background on a C280. I gave the customer a call, because I had a feeling a knew what it was.

The customer told me the background was dirty. I asked specifically, "Does the background have a yellowish tinge or a sepia tone to it?" "No," they replied. ( That was the gist of the conversation.

I thought 'It's probably a yellow drum putting lots of yellow spots on the page.' I ended up ignoring my own advice and took a black drum, and a black dev unit.

As it turns out, the copies were indeed dirty, with a nice pale yellow background.

[CompyTech]

Been there too man.

I had one once from a customer: "line on faxes and prints, copies ok" Didn't make sense to me, I asked if they cleaned the glass anyways, they said yes. So I took a drum and cleaning blade with me.. Turned out it was the dirty strip glass. Everytime I get a call for lines from this customer, my gut tells me its the glass and 9/10 I'm right..

[gwaddle]

Been there too man.

I had one once from a customer: "line on faxes and prints, copies ok" Didn't make sense to me, I asked if they cleaned the glass anyways, they said yes. So I took a drum and cleaning blade with me.. Turned out it was the dirty strip glass. Everytime I get a call for lines from this customer, my gut tells me its the glass and 9/10 I'm right..

I couldn't tell you how many times I've had that call. The worst was from a customer about 200 miles away. I knew from the description that it was a spot on the slit glass, but she swore she had cleaned it. Sure enough, got there scraped the spot with my fingernail, ran a test copy and left.

[DAG COPIERS & COMPUTERS]

I couldn't tell you how many times I've had that call. The worst was from a customer about 200 miles away. I knew from the description that it was a spot on the slit glass, but she swore she had cleaned it. Sure enough, got there scraped the spot with my fingernail, ran a test copy and left.

And you just 'left' like that without billing her? Surely 400 miles is too long a distance to cover, and just get nothing in return!

[mikadonovan]

I've learned to listen to my "spidey sense", even if dont fully understand it at the moment. Better to take a part you MIGHT use than not have it at all.

[gwaddle]

And you just 'left' like that without billing her? Surely 400 miles is too long a distance to cover, and just get nothing in return!

They were covered under a service contract.

[ZOOTECH]

They were covered under a service contract.

The first time is covered, but the next time would be billable if you had instructed the user on proper cleaning methods.

[gwaddle]

The first time is covered, but the next time would be billable if you had instructed the user on proper cleaning methods.

I instruct all of them every time. Billing isn't up to me.

[fixthecopier]

Mine works opposite. As I am putting a part in, my spider sense is telling me "Nope, this isn't going to fix it either!"

[KenB]

I've felt for a long time now that the main reason you replace most circuit boards is to prove that it isn't the problem.