Thankfully, No One Here Has A Short Fuse

Customer: “I bought a [sound system] from you and it’s just been delivered. I connected it all together and plugged it in and pushed the on-off button like it says in the instruction manual, and I must have broken it because it doesn’t work.”

Me: “Can you make sure you connected it correctly?”

Customer: “I followed what it says in the instruction manual. There are four things you have to plug in and they’re all different plugs and they only go in one way round so it’s difficult to get it wrong.

Me: *Laughing* “You’d be surprised!”

Customer: “Oh. Okay, then. I must have done it wrong, then. But I followed what it says in the manual and I can’t work out what I’ve done wrong.”

Me: “Okay, so tell me what happens. You plugged it in and switched it on and nothing happened?”

Customer: “Yeah. It says in the manual that the lights should light up and the screen should show something, but nothing happens.”

Me: “It might just be the fuse. Have you checked the fuse?”

Customer: “My wife says I’m not allowed to open it because it will invalidate the warranty, and she doesn’t want me to do that.”

Me: “Don’t worry about that. Can you check the fuse in the plug?”

Customer: “Hang on. Let me get a screwdriver so I can lever off the fuse cover.” *Tinkers about* “There’s one in there, so that’s all right. I don’t know how I can check it.”

Me: “Have you got another fuse you can put in? Take out the old one and put the new one in its place.”

Customer: “Hang on, I have one in my toolbox. Half a minute.” *Clatters about for a bit* “Got one, three amps, isn’t it. So, I took out the old one and put the new one in and…” *Rattles around a bit more* “I plugged it in and it came on automatically; I didn’t have to push the on-off button.”

Me: “So it’s all working now?”

Customer: “I think so. I’ve got to go through the instruction manual to find out what else I’ve got to do to set it up. My wife will be cross with me, though, because I broke the fuse.”

Me: *Laughs* “Just don’t tell her.”

Customer: “She’s watching me. She’s already cross. Thank you for your help, and sorry for breaking it.”

Me: “Not at all.”