Proof in the printing
Today seemed to involve printers. The kind that attaches to your computer in one way or another, and that gives (un)satisfactory results.
Early today, the photocopier guy was in the office, to help resolve a problem with alignment on printed forms. We use a pair of high-end photocopiers, the “intelligent” kind, to handle large scale printing jobs. Thousands of pages, where needed, when needed. It all came down to his telling us that every company lied about their product, because it served their purpose. To move inventory. If your print job didn’t work out as hoped, just print it again. Somehow, I knew that already; why else put a counter and bill us according to volume, given that we supply the paper.
Later on, I had the opportunity to learn what “outsourcing” meant, after testing a faulty printer, placing a service call to the Canadian office, being passed along to India, which then called back to the United States where a database didn’t have my identity on file, and being asked to call the Canadian office. We have resolved the problem by calling a local repair depot. The people in India were very polite, and unable to offer me more advice than that contained in the back of the manual that was in the box at the time of purchase. When someone, inevitably, calls me to check on my satisfaction with the service received, I wonder who I can refer the call on to. We don’t have a branch office on another continent, as far as I know. Maybe I can make fake “on hold” sounds, with some loud baroque period music, and then simply ask them to call the Canadian office for more information. What did this all cost, I wonder?
