Date : Wed, 27 Jul 2011 07:38:58
From : robert@... (Rob)
Subject: [BeebSoc] Re: Dixons (Was: Risc PC (Was 'Minitel in France'))
On 27 July 2011 10:10, J.G.Harston <jgh@...> wrote:
> I have just now posted off a letter requesting written confirmation of
> the reasons for my termination. I am considering following it up with
> a Freedom of Information request for all information they have on me ;)
Wrong act - FoI specifically allows them to withhold personal details,
even if it's about yourself! Asking under the Data Protection act,
whatever it's current variant is, should work though :-)
>
> Other than a chap in his 50s I was the oldest person in the training
> group, all the others were your stereotypical early-20s young men
> making jokes about pulling birds and getting plastered and 12-hour
> gaming sessions, and thinking that because you can get to such a level
> in Crash! (or whatever, it went over my head) that means you can do
> IT customer support.
Supporting empathy with the callers ?
>
> It's the Dixon's KNOWHOW cult. They're not allowed to do genital
> multiation, so there has to be some other way of initiating you into
> the group ;)
ROFL.
> Each Friday we spent listening in to actual calls. Last Friday one of
> the calls was: "I want my NumLock to be turn on at startup" Oh, that's
> not possible, just press the NumLock key. "Yes, it is, I've always done
> this before on other computers" Sorry sir, it's not possible, just press
> the NumLock key. "Yes it is possible!" No it's not sire, just press the
> NumLock key. etc...
I'm sure I read somewhere that one of the techniques of being a good
manager was never to admit you are wrong, and always to be very
definite about what you are saying, even if you don't have a clue....
> Afterwards I went against instructions and interveened to tell my
> trainer that yes, you *can* configure a PC to start up with the NumLock
> turned on, and guided him through the virtual BIOS system on the
> online product database and pointed to "NumLock on startup: On/Off".
That probably got you a downmark ...
> Because I foolishly spent the last 20 years putting every last penny
> into a pension, I don't qualify for any benefits, because I have "assets".
> Yes, a pension. If I take money out of it now, it falls apart. "Oh no,
> it's assets, use that to live on, and once it's all gone, then we'll
> pay you something".
Tell me about it. "Oh, you've got another house, can't you sell it?"
"No, my ex is living in it and wouldn't allow me to." "Can't you make
her?" "Um, three years of long drawn out divorce proceedings ending in
a court order that says she stays in it for another three years rather
implies a 'No'." "Are you sure?" ... ! [And then it took a couple of
years on top to actually sell, by which time the market had crashed
and we got significantly less money each than we would have done had
she actually co-operated at any time previously..]
Rob