In Need Of A Better Outlook

Customer: “I’m having issues with my Outlook.”

Me: “Show me the problem you’re having so I can see if I can fix it for you.”

(She has six passwords each over twenty characters long: Bios password, Windows password, Zone Alarm Password, Outlook Password, etc.)

Me: “You don’t need to have your passwords that long for security’s sake.”

Customer: “I read on the Internet that sniffers give up if the password is too long.”

Me: “I’m happy you did your research, but you don’t have to have it longer than fifteen characters long.”

Customer: “Well I’m afraid if someone steals my laptop, the programs that can recover passwords can’t detect past twenty letters.”

Me: “That’s true, but no one really does that anymore. In this business we have customers coming in all the time to have us remove the password for them because they forgot it. For instance, I can get into your laptop in less than two to three minutes without your help.”

Customer: “No way. I’ve made precautions.”

Me: “I will be more than happy to show you that I can. But I would have to charge you a half-hour fee and you would have to sign the work order giving me permission to.”

Customer: “And if you can’t? ”

Me: “Then I will be more than happy to refund you the money and you would have won this war.”

(Customer then pays the fee and signs the work order.)

Me: “Give me a moment.”

(A minute later.)

Me: “Here you go; I’m logged in to your Outlook.”

Customer: “Oh, my God! How did you do that?”

Me: “If you’re really worried about someone stealing your laptop, you shouldn’t have laminated your passwords to the laptop.”