General Motors doesnt have a help line for people who dont know how to
drive, because people dont buy cars like they buy computers – but imagine if
they did…
Conversation #1
Helpline: General Motors Helpline, how can I help you?
Customer: I got in my car and closed the door, and nothing happened!
Helpline: Did you put the key in the ignition and turn it?
Customer: Whats an ignition?
Helpline: Its a starter motor that draws current from your battery and turns
over the engine.
Customer: Ignition? Motor? Battery? Engine? How come I have to know all of
these technical terms just to use my car?
Conversation #2
Helpline: General Motors Helpline, how can I help you?
Customer: My car ran fine for a week, and now it wont go anywhere!
Helpline: Is the gas tank empty?
Customer: Huh? How do I know?
Helpline: Theres a little gauge on the front panel, with a needle, and
markings from E to F. Where is the needle pointing?
Customer: I see an E but no F.
Helpline: You see the E and just to the right is the F.
Customer: No, just to the right of the first E is a V.
Helpline: A V?
Customer: Yeah, theres a C, an H, the first E, then a V,
followed by R, O, L …
Helpline: No, no, no sir! thats the front of the car. When you sit behind the
steering wheel, thats the panel Im talking about.
Customer: That steering wheel thingy – Is that the round thing that honks the
horn?
Helpline: Yes, among other things.
Customer: The needles pointing to E. What does that mean?
Helpline: It means that you have to visit a gasoline vendor and purchase some
more gasoline. You can install it yourself, or pay the vendor to install it for
you.
Customer: What? I paid $12,000 for this car! Now you tell me that I have to
keep buying more components? I want a car that comes with everything built in!
Conversation #3
Helpline: General Motors Helpline, how can I help you?
Customer: Your cars suck!
Helpline: Whats wrong?
Customer: It crashed, thats what went wrong!
Helpline: What were you doing?
Customer: I wanted to go faster, so I pushed the accelerator pedal all the way
to the floor. It worked for a while, and then it crashed – and now it wont
even start up!
Helpline: Im sorry, sir, but its your responsibility if you misuse the
product.
Customer: Misuse it? I was just following this stupid manual of yours. It said
to make the car go to put the transmission in D and press the accelerator
pedal. thats exactly what I did — now the dumb things crashed.
Helpline: Did you read the entire operators manual before operating the car
sir?
Customer: What? Of course I did! I told you I did everything the
manual said and it didnt work!
Helpline: Didnt you attempt to slow down so you wouldnt crash?
Customer: How do you do that?
Helpline: You said you read the entire manual, sir. its on page 14. The pedal
next to the accelerator.
Customer: Well, I dont have all day to sit around and read this manual you
know.
Helpline: Of course not. What do you expect us to do about it?
Customer: I want you to send me one of the latest versions that goes fast and
wont crash anymore!
Conversation #4
Helpline: General Motors Helpline, how can I help you?
Customer: Hi! I just bought my first car, and I chose your car because it has
automatic transmission, cruise control, power steering, power brakes, and power
door locks.
Helpline: Thanks for buying our car. How can I help you?
Customer: How do I work it?
Helpline: Do you know how to drive?
Customer: Do I know how to what?
Helpline: Do you know how to drive?
Customer: Im not a technical person! I just want to go places in my car!