It Can’t Be Fixed Faster
I was elbows deep in an AT&T Unix machine that should’ve been replaced a decade before, parts strewn all over a desk, when the client came in to see what was taking me so long.
Me: You’ve got three dead fans, one of the power supplies has failed, there’s a bad CMOS battery and the video card is glitchy and refusing to allow the machine to POST sometimes.
Client: So how long is that going to take? Fifteen minutes?
Me, laughing: I can patch things up in a couple hours, but I’m going to have to come back in a few days with new parts.
Client: If you can’t fix it in the next half hour you’re fired. I’ll find someone that knows what they’re doing.
I stood up, grabbed my tools, and started walking.
Client: Where are you going?
Me: I told’ya how long it would take, and that’s longer than a half hour, so I guess I’m fired.
My firing lasted about three more steps towards the door.
Reddit user: technos