Yep

True.

+1

I have a little five minute sales demo presentation that I use to qualify potential remote customers. What they don't realize at that point is that they have already had their instruction session.

With respect to zero instruction, we installed a multi-room remote system in a weekly shore rental. It's now into its fourth season and we have yet to receive a call about "how do we ... ."

I don't know how many times when I get ready to show a client how to use their remote, they grab a piece of paper to write instructions. When I hand them the remote and say " just press what you want to do". They are amazed and say "that's it?"

Paper is still blank when I leave

buzz and Mac, with your knowledgeable and concise answers to everything, what you wrote is exactly what I expect from you.

One time it didn't work out this way: I installed a system for a guy and programmed a Marantz RC5200 for him. The second time I showed it to him, he asked me to write out detailed instructions. I could not convince him that a glance at the screen would do it, even though he had just been using it that way.

One of my sons worked with me on that job, and the guy commented to him that I wasn't working fast enough, so I looked lazy and he gave me extra work to do. Neither my son, my wife, nor I could make any sense of that.

My son didn't care much either way that he had said it. I thought it was odd and counterproductive to give additional work to someone you think is slow or lazy. My wife instantly lost all respect for the guy for commenting that way on a person's parents.

It was Dr. Phil. This job IS an interesting ride. Oh, and no NDA was ever brought up.

While I would like to agree. Some people are so dumb you could hand them a remote that has one button that says tv on and they would be confused.
I had a guy ask me the other day why they have to paint the road with spray paints of different colors. I said they mark utility locations. He responds back why can't they paint in the grass? Because you dumb fukk, the utilities are not there.
Then you get the dumb lady that calls you for a network problem and you begin to trouble shoot. She runs in saying why does my ipad not work? Pronanly because I am working on your network.
A steering wheel and windshield is a user interface and many still cant figure it out.
But I get the remote interface. They can push watch tv, but then do not know what the other buttons do to the cable box.

In some circles there is a "Can't use technology" merit badge. They worked hard for that badge, they are proud of it, and they will flash it at every opportunity.

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Ernie, I have some big name customers too, but it is an unwritten agreement that I will never divulge what I found under the bed.

There shouldnt be a "tv on" or watch TV button. The button should be "watch cable tv" or simply "cable tv".

This is why i hate hard buttons for power. I dont want an "off". Off like what? Room off? All rooms off? Lights off? I dont like On buttons because the on commands should be part of the source macro.

A shredded good looking black dude is exactly how I pictured you in my head!

Complain I heard ONE time:

Why do I have to push two buttons?


The remote was set up to use the ON button to turn on everything in the system, and then you would push a button to select what you wanted to do.

Apparently that was just too much.


Changed the programming to one button turned the system on and selected a device, but the time delays required were now the problem, so I heard:

Why does it take so long?



You cannot win.

We are friends with a couple who are just like that!

I'm still shocked when people can't understand that they should hit "Watch TV" to watch TV.

The guys were telling me about a lady who was complaining that her alarm was not reporting. While complaining she had her Comcast modem/phone in her hand she had just removed. Trying to explain to her removing the modem is why the alarm was not reporting was futile.

This. Especially when we put icons on the touchscreen! They look at you puzzled like you have 2 heads.