Tuesday, June 7, 2011

A little advice about frustration, FotoDialer problems, and batteries.

I hate being frustrated!  I suppose I get frustrated about the thought of even becoming frustrated.  I can think of a couple dozen emotions I would rather have than being frustrated.  And I think I can say with some confidence that no one else likes to be frustrated either. Frustration makes it so you can't think clearly and impedes everyday activity. 

Every now and then, we get a call about a problem with someones FotoDialer.  The customer is rightfully frustrated with their unit not working correctly.  And we are frustrated on our end that there is a problem with the unit at all.  Haven't we all been there?  Usually, after a few minutes, the problem is discovered and found to be a non-issue or easy fix and everyone is happy.  The solution is usually VERY simple.

Nine times out of ten, the problem is because of a low battery.  "Really?" you may think.  Yup, sometimes it is just that simple if your unit is misdialing, etc. 

Too often, we see batteries that are just laying around and we use them on our electronics.  We look at the side label and see that the battery doesn't expire till November of 2016.  Wow!  We can really use them for five more years!?  Nope, you can't!  The reality is that you probably cannot consistently use any battery for that long.  The expiration date means they are somewhat usable if they have never been in use and aren't too corroded. 

So, here is the helpful hint of the day to avoid some frustration:
When you get your FotoDialer, or may have problems with dialing please check the batteries.  Do not assume your batteries are 100%.  If a battery is not 100%, it will interfere with the ability of your unit to work properly.  To be safe, get alkaline (not rechargeable) batteries that are fresh from the store and still in their packaging.  The FotoDialer units almost never have problems with their ability to work properly.  In fact, I can only recall one or two times where a unit was legitimately not working correctly and needed repair.  The solution is probably low batteries.  Try this out first and then you can save yourself from some frustration.  Now, you can go back to clear thinking and great everyday activities free of stress and frustration.