…..they go and do something like this… and totally redeem themselves!!

I am a true believer of the phrase “Customers are Idiots“, but sometimes they seem to go out of their way to prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that this phrase is true.

Recently one of our customers RedBack* ceased trading, and a load of their customers were emailed suggesting they move their hosting & emails over to the Insane Asylum. I was given the pleasure of helping a load across to us. Now some came across with little or no problems, where as others caused a variety of problems. And then there was Zoolander*.

So I copy their website and database from the RedBack server that’s shutting down over to one of ours, I change connection strings and paths accordingly and get it up and running. I recreate email accounts on our system and send them all the details with the instructions to change the nameservers over to ours and they will be up and running.

So a couple of weeks go past and I get a phone call from Zoolander that goes a bit like this.

Z: “We’ve changed the nameserver things like you said and now our email has stopped working!”

WO: “Yes, it will since you moved over to us. you need to use the new email details I previosly sent you.”

Z: “I don’t understand, its all technically, can’t you just do it for me?”

WO: “Well you need to change the setting in whatever email client you use on your computers, but if you need our guys can connect to your machine and do it for you.”

Z: “I dont do email on my computer, just my phone. I just go to the webpage and do mail.”

WO: “You only use webmail? Then you just need to use the webmail address I sent you and you’ll be fine”

Z: “what? so my webpages address will change? it wont be on www.zoolander.com* any more?”

WO: “NO. just the address of the webmail you used has changed.“

The following morning I get into the Asylum to find an email from one of the Zoolander’s Directors home gmail account, all urgent and shouty like. I could tell this as it was all written in CAPS! The basic gist of the email was that they had tried logging into the new webmail address i gave them, and their old username/passwords were not working. So I politely resend them the details I sent before the move with the NEW usernames/passwords and point out the NEW system required NEW details.

Two hours later the phone rings. And its Zoolander.

Z: “Hello, We’ve tried using the new details, only we can’t work out what goes where, so could ou talk us through it?”

WO: “no problems, what problem are you having?”

Z: “Well we need to know what to put in the box that says username, and what goes in the one called password?”

WO: “What did you have in the email I sent you?”

Z: “email address followed by my email address, then username followed by a username, then password followed by password. I just don’t know which ones I’m supposed to use.”

WO: “OK. where it asks for your username, type in your username. and put your password in the one asking for password.”

Z: “That seems to have worked. thanks”

WO: *Unplugs phone for rest of the day*

I know there is a stereotype belief that people in the fashion modelling industry are not known for playing with a full set of cards. But at least try people…..