Parts Changers say the dumbest things.

[fixthecopier]

. In my thread about bad paper, I alluded to dissing a tech who blames it on the paper without proving it. I should have been more specific. I do not dis techs, just part changers. Not one of my customers has heard me say anything negative about a tech who works for the competition. I don't know them or work behind them and besides it is unprofessional.

I consider most of the people that participate in these threads on a regular basis to be techs.

A part changer is a different story. We have all worked with or behind one. The part changer is the guy always annoying the tech, the one you have to keep reminding that it is probably in the manual. The part changer is , by his mere presence, always making the boss glad he has at least one real tech.

A part changer has a lot to say in meetings
A tech wishes the meeting were over because he has stuff to fix.

A part changer will ask someone which part to change and if it doesn't work he will ask what to do next.
A tech changes what he thinks will fix the problem and if it does not he goes back to troubleshooting.

A part changer only works on what he has been trained on.
A tech looks at something he has never seen before and says "What the hell, how do you open this thing. Besides, I bet I know a guy who has a manual for it."

A part changer is looking for a better job doing something else.
A tech knows that this is what he is, and will be fixing something somewhere til he dies.

A part changer looks for the easy solution.
A tech feel uncomfortable if the solution is too easy.

A part changer goes home as clean as he shows up for work.
A tech leaves a trail of toner everywhere he goes.

A part changer screws up and everybody knows.
A tech screws up and knows how to cover his ass.


Part changer stories...

For several years when we had a second contract on base, my shop hired a part changer to "work" the extra calls. This boy was dumb as a box of rocks.
Once a month he would collect meters for a week and I had to do his calls. I heard customers say that he said he was going to order parts and never came back. I went to one call and there was a note on the doc feeder that said "Do not use". I ask if the other tech was going to get a part and come back. "Nope" they said. "He just said don't use it. It has been like that for months."

One day when I had very little to do I was given a toner delivery in a print shop about an hour away. As I am standing and waiting for the manager, I notice a bizhub 420 in pieces. The boards and hopper and motors are all piled on top. I look all over the front to see a sticker that would identify who has done this. I am relieved to see that my company sticker is not on it so I stand quietly and don't look at the mess. A moment later this lady walks up and ask "Do you know Calvin?" [one of ours] seems he had been there for something else, they mentioned the 420 having a code, and he took it apart and said he would be back with a part. When I ask at the shop, there was not an open ticket

[nmfaxman]

No offence, but we all replace parts.
The person you are describing is a shotgunner.

A good tech finds the problem, repairs it by replacing parts and checks the rest of the machine while you are there and reschedules supplies and parts. Both on the ticket and with dispatch.

Running my own show.
I always put on paper and log it on my phone/ Tricorder with reminders.


I used to work with a tech where everything was a bad board, usually main board.
Used hot glue guns or duct tape to repair noises or covers.

Most of the times the machine was an f'n pig.
His shirt was never stained with toner, nor were his hand ever dirty.

This slacker needs to go into sales with another company. (It seems like the only way the company you work for will make any money from his "Efforts".)

Just my $0.03 worth.

[JR2ALTA]

I guess I'm a parts changer.

My boss looks at the numbers, not some antiquated notion of a "real tech"

Scene 1

Boss: "Why'd you take 3 hours on the last call?"

Me: "I've never seen the machine, I had to figure out of the covers come off"

Boss: "Why didn't you tell dispatch that? We have 2 techs that are factory trained on that model, don't ever do that again"

Scene 2

Boss: "Why'd the hell you take 3 hours on the last call?"

Me: "Odd issue, I was just determined to figure it out. Sometimes you gotta fight to solve it!"

Boss: "No, sometimes you gotta log a ticket with Konica and move your ass to the next call"

[fixthecopier]

I guess I'm a parts changer.

My boss looks at the numbers, not some antiquated notion of a "real tech"

Scene 1

Boss: "Why'd you take 3 hours on the last call?"

Me: "I've never seen the machine, I had to figure out of the covers come off"

Boss: "Why didn't you tell dispatch that? We have 2 techs that are factory trained on that model, don't ever do that again"

Scene 2

Boss: "Why'd the hell you take 3 hours on the last call?"

Me: "Odd issue, I was just determined to figure it out. Sometimes you gotta fight to solve it!"

Boss: "No, sometimes you gotta log a ticket with Konica and move your ass to the next call"

I didn't take into account bosses who are assholes and don't respect a tech. Working for a small business they do not clock my calls. They are greatful that they do not have to send somebody else. That "somebody else" spends most of his time with a part changer we employ. I spent a good chunk of yesterday with my bad paper problem and that was at least my third visit. Since none of my other customers were calling the shop looking for me, nothing will be said.

As far as logging a call with Konica goes, that just means someone at Konica tech support is more confused than you, because he can't see what you are looking at.