Any Funny Stories from working on Copiers

**Baphomet** · 12-21-2008, 04:43 AM

There was this finisher that would make a bad noise then pop a service code. This particular finisher has two bins and each bin has its own lift motor. I determined the problem was a bad bin motor in the lower bin so I ordered one.

When the new motor arrives I carry the box with the new motor and my tools into the account and go to work. In order to remove the lower bin to replace the motor requires a bit of work, so I was very careful to not miss any screws or leave any connectors unpluged. After getting everything put back together, I turned on the machine and it gave the exact same noise and the exact same error code!!!

I am totally at a loss at this point. Then I looked around the room and saw the box with the new motor still in it!! I had put the bad motor right back in the freaking machine!! I was mad at first, then realized how funny the screw-up actually was.

**fixthecopier** · 12-21-2008, 03:03 PM

I love to tell this tale because it is an example of what I have to deal with where I work. Once again I was in trouble at work, probably for pointing out how someone was doing "below par work", but of course I was the bad guy and I was pissed about something.
So I am standing on the 6th floor of a building I have 53 copiers in and as I look out the window down to the front of the building and see my company delivery truck pulled up in front. I notice the two monkeys we employed as delivery men , wrestling a Di 650 to the front of the building. I know that someone with a machine that the other tech on base could not fix is getting the machine replaced. I also know that the two monkeys that work the warehouse did a sorry job of testing the machine, as usual. It would be odd if they could put it in place and make it work without calling me, and my truck is parked out front, so they know I am in the building. I hang around for about 15 minutes and head for the elevator and as I am about to get on my phone rings: guess who? I laugh out loud as I get on the elevator and push the ignore button on the phone and leave.
Now some background. When this contract started, one of the customers had a pair of machines that would stay on the call list, mainly because they were getting poor service from the techs working the area, so they hated their machines. After a couple of years ,I was able to get one of the machines replaced because it had been let go for so long and the customer was unhappy. It is about 3 weeks after that swap and the other machine is getting replaced. Problem is, it will not work and I will not answer the phone. Customer is really pissed about getting a non working machine. So they have to call the shop and get the owners brother out there. By the time he gets there, the main person getting the copier has come back from lunch.
This di650 is sitting in an office across from her desk with just enough space to walk between the two. She comes back from lunch, sits down and looks at the I.D. sticker on the machine, and sees that it is the same copier that she worked for years to get rid of, and looses her mind. Yes, those dumb asses I work with brought her back her old machine. This lady spent over 20 years in the army, she is mean, and she handed those boys their ass on a platter. The last thing she said to them was " I want that Goddamn piece of shit machine out of my fucking office when I come back on Monday and another one in its place or I will take and stick it up your ass!" On Monday she had a 5510 in front of her desk.
She and I get along real well and we have a good time talking about it every time I see her. Glad I did not answer the phone that day.

**Star** · 12-22-2008, 12:15 AM

fixthecopier, just curious:

#1- If you have an issue with sub par work, I am looking to hire someone like you. Possibly Service Manager, if you have decent, current Ricoh experience.

#2- Why does your company have warehouse monkeys testing machines??? We have warehouse monkeys (we call them delivery drivers), but they are trained ONLY to pick up and deliver machines. Then they go about their business of delivery. After that, a tech, and the saleperson are on site for setup and key- op instruction.

Regards

**fixthecopier** · 12-22-2008, 02:59 AM

There are several things that I started to comment on, but I will say no more about people that have worked for my company. Lets just say that I have decided that other peoples faults, keep me on my toes and make me better at what I do. When I am given the wrong parts or supplies and I take them to a call, that is my fault, I should have checked them at the shop. If I know that a machine is being preped to go to my area and I do not go behind and check it myself, it is my fault if my customer gets a bad machine. I depend on myself and do the very best I can. I learned a long time ago if my company wanted my advice they would ask for it. They do not. We do not have meetings. Except for my truck, I am expected to provide everything else. I buy all my own tools, work shirts, supply my own phone, train on my own time, provide my own laptop and all other little things I need to do my job.
My owner took on a shredder franchise last year because ther are a large number of large high security shredders in my area. My training consisted of buying my own tools and the phone number of someone at the factory for tech support. I have done quite well and get lots of word of mouth business. My training on HP plotters was even less, as no one gives tech support on plotters. I rebuilt 5 last year.
I guess I am trying to say that work ethic is something you build into yourself and I see too many people take the easy way out, dump their problems on others and use the excuse that no one trained them, or no one showed them the right way. It is just a bunch of bullshit that people use because they are lazy and do not want to learn.
I come from a background in manufacturing, where the company spent a lot of money training me in things that made companies run great. I may be a little anal, but I think using checklist to ensure each task gets done the same way each time, no matter who does them, is a good idea. I think people should be held accountable for the quality of their work, and be given feedback so they may improve. I believe this and other things. If a used machine is delivered into my area tomorrow, with worn out feed rollers, a worn out fuser and a drum and developer 200,000 past life, and the customer called in a work order the next day, I would be expected to fix the machine and say nothing. ...And I do it... need I say more?
As for the offer of employment, I am sure it was in jest, we sell lanier, I have worked on a few and as stated above, if I have to I can fix anything.....But as an employee, I have this bad habit of saying what is on my mind and it gets me in trouble. If you can deal with that you would love me as an employee. My main job is to service the large contracts on base, and for the last 4 years I have brought in my yearly salary, again, by picking up printer and other repairs in my so called "spare time".

**Baphomet** · 12-22-2008, 04:11 AM

Speaking of warehouse monkeys, delivery drivers, or whatever you want to call them ... I remember when one of our delivery people was loading a 40 thousand dollar Risograph in the truck. He loaded it onto the lift, brought it up level with the bed of the truck and rolled it on. He had a couple more machines to load, so he lowered the lift and left the truck unattended. He did not realize the very slight incline and the Riso began to roll because he hadn't strapped it down yet. I saw the whole thing like in slow motion, but there was nothing I could do as the machine rolled out of the back of the truck and smashed with a sound like a car accident. The Riso was a total loss, and the dude eventually was fired because of his constant oversights.

Just as a side note, our machines are already inspected and wrapped in plastic by the time they are ready for delievery. The person who tested and prepped the machine are a matter of record which helps to reduce DOA machines. Be that as it may, this thread is for amusing anecdotes, I believe, and having said that I did see the humor in fixthecopier's orginal post. Not every company operates the same way ...

**Star** · 12-22-2008, 05:02 PM

Originally posted by fixthecopier

As for the offer of employment, I am sure it was in jest, we sell lanier, I have worked on a few and as stated above, if I have to I can fix anything.....But as an employee, I have this bad habit of saying what is on my mind and it gets me in trouble. If you can deal with that you would love me as an employee. My main job is to service the large contracts on base, and for the last 4 years I have brought in my yearly salary, again, by picking up printer and other repairs in my so called "spare time".

No jest. I like people who can fix things right, and who aren't afraid to speak the truth.

Regards

**fixthecopier** · 12-22-2008, 11:07 PM

Well then I am flattered by the offer. I was thinking of moving, it is kind of cold here, I think it got down to 36 degrees today. It isn't much cooler than that where you are at, is it? It was 66 yesterday.

Picture this. A Minolta Di620 has a waste toner collecting bottle that holds about 6 pounds when it is full. My ever frugal management would not waste the money to buy new bottles so I would have to empty them manually. I am on the third floor of the Army Special Operations Command Headquarters, in a copy room and I have just emptied one. I stand up, lift the trash bag, and watch in slow motion horror as the bottom seam of the bag opened itself from one end to the other and 6 pounds of waste toner poured like water down the front of my pants, across the floor, up the walls, all over the 3 copiers in the room and across the ceiling. My escort grabbed the door and shut it as he fled the room leaving me standing there dumbfounded and motionless as I watched unable to do a thing, engulfed in the black cloud. I was there for 3 hours with a trashcan full of water and a box of paper towels. That was 4 years ago and there are still stains in that room. I have double bagged every since.

**blackcat4866** · 12-23-2008, 03:20 AM

I'll say just one thing, fixthecopier:

For a long time I have felt like you do about quality-of-work. But I have come to realize that you cannot help someone that does not want your advice or help. And you cannot help them avoid pitfalls if they are not listening.

Many times I have suggested "That is not a good idea.....", but I will not press the issue. Everyone has a right to make thier own decisions, even bad ones.

I came to the conclusion that all I can do is the best work I know how to do, and perhaps influence anybody willing to listen. Most of the membership here has decided to ask for help, which is a big step in the right direction. =^..^=

**fixthecopier** · 12-23-2008, 05:02 AM

I did not mean for this thread to get off course of techspec's topic, but on the other hand what better subject to talk about than quality of work. Do not get me wrong, I am by no means a perfect tech, there are times I have done work that could have been better, but that is how I learned that you can not cut corners or you will just be back later doing a repeat. It never fails to amaze me when I go to a machine that someone else services and the customer says something like "you guys are always out here", and when you look at the machine, every thing is worn out, paper trays are broke, fuser is worn out....you know the rest. I may not always have the time to spit shine my machines, but I am not afraid to spend the bosses money and change the parts. Am I wrong or do the rest of you feel that if you parts in that you will have fewer calls. I have always told my contract customers that as long as they have a contract that everything on the machine should work allof the time, the only exception being if I can tell them the date we are bringing the new machine. I back up the quality of my work by doing something not a lot of techs do, which is give my cell number to my customers. If I do sub par work, I will get the call later saying that it is doing it again. I think every company of size has someone who needs improvement,and that is not just in this business. what we have to do is work to our own standard and not lower ourselves to someone elses. That is what I like about this site, looking for and exchanging information is a basic way to improve. Knowledge is Power.

**Baphomet** · 12-23-2008, 12:56 PM

Originally posted by fixthecopier

I back up the quality of my work by doing something not a lot of techs do, which is give my cell number to my customers.

I do not give all customers my cell number, but if the account warrants it for some reason I do. I have had a few customers simply get my cell number from their caller ID. It is no big deal. If I am too busy I let voice mail handle it anyway no matter who is calling. My voice mail's greeting gives the number of our dispatch in case the caller needs to place a service call. Actually, I get more email request from customers than phone calls.

I have gone behind neglectful techs, but on the same token I have had techs come up to me and tell me I should have done this or that on one of my machines they have worked on. I think we all can tell when a machine have been neglected out of laziness or expedience. I can understand being in a hurry to complete a call on occasion, but a lazy tech I have little patience with. This forum gets quite a few lazy techs posting on it. You can tell because the questions will be just a matter of looking up an error code or part number which anyone can simply Google and get an instant answer. Or they have a simple problem which basic troubleshooting will solve in a matter of seconds. I feel if a person is too lazy to give a complete description of their problem and what they have tried up to this point, then why should I spend my time trying to help someone to lazy to help themselves. (yet I find myself doing it anyway)

**claudioterrible** · 12-23-2008, 01:33 PM

work

wow men ! and you work in the usa! come and try to work here in south america! is akind of bizarre world ,come on and try!!!

**claudioterrible** · 12-23-2008, 01:35 PM

work 2

one little detail,we import ,re built and rent used machines that come from the usa,anything else?

**fixthecopier** · 12-23-2008, 02:42 PM

Originally posted by claudioterrible

one little detail,we import ,re built and rent used machines that come from the usa,anything else?

I know, I have a 600 machine contract ending next month and about 550 of them are headed your way. And they are not mine, they have been serviced by the other tech. Good Luck, Believe me I do not take for granted where I live and work, although some do. It is hard to believe how some techs goals are to get through the day as quick as possible and help to turn that nice new machine into the piece of junk we all talk about on forums.

Just because you own a screwdriver and your company sent you to training class, does not mean you are a tech. Being a tech is the curiosity to want to know how something works and how to fix it and make it work better. I was at Radio Shack the other day and I bought 2 small robot bugs on clearance for $5 each because I was fascinated with how they worked. I am dissecting one while watching the other work. My cheap thrill was finding that the bugs antenna works by coiling wire around a hot post so when it touches something and makes contact with the post, it switches one side of the bugs legs off for about 3 seconds to make the bug turn. It also reacts to loud noise. What is my point?? A regular person will see it and think it is cool, A tech will see it and have this instant desire to know what makes it work. Am I wrong??

**claudioterrible** · 12-23-2008, 04:01 PM

funny...

i m agreee with you fixthecopier,you began to be a tech ,when you are a little boy and begin to dissambly your toys ,only to see how its works

Any Funny Stories from working on Copiers

Any Funny Stories from working on Copiers

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