Living History

The Faulty TV

Today we are accustomed to our friends and a colleague having a reasonably comfortable rapport with what was considered a few decades ago very complex, high-tech equipment in the home.

Today, the complexity of the equipment pervading our domesticity is handled by old and young alike. Although perhaps in the former case with some difficulty, which has in fact always been the case. The older you get the harder it is to adapt to new technology

I am reminded of an incident three decades back when television first made its entrance into our homes. With unparalleled excitement, we all took to learning how to use the new medium.

At this time, I was a young television technician calling on customers around the suburbs of Melbourne.

I recall well the day that I called in response to a client's complaint. The service company
I worked for relayed the call: "TV is faulty. Just delivered and under warranty. The customer
is extremely irate".

When I entered the home of the client, I was confronted by an angry elderly lady waving a TV programme guide in her hand and pointing to the offending television set. "It doesn't work!" she said.

With a few reassuring words, I switched the set on and was surprised to see a clear picture and equally clear sound; all channels working perfectly.

I turned to the elderly lady, expecting her to be as surprised as me, but this was not the case. "There!" she exploded. "I told you it doesn't work." I hesitated, looked again at the offending TV and replied: "But it's working fine at the moment."

"Rubbish! What's wrong with you!" she retorted. "Look here at the paper." She held the TV programme guide under my nose. "Look here," she pointed. "It's not working. It says I Love Lucy is on now and look at the TV! It's not there!" Somewhat shocked by this unexpected reply, I looked at the set. She was right; the designated channel was definitely not showing I Love Lucy but Lassie instead.

I turned again to the lady, now wondering if the cuckoo clock calling in the background was telling me something, or was there something I had overlooked. "May I see your TV guide?" I asked. She handed it to me and I began to scan it carefully looking for an answer to this conundrum.
Eventually I looked at the date on the top of the page

"I have the answer," I said, regaining my confidence. "This is last week's paper and I Love Lucy is not on this week apparently." wondering what response I might get from this confused lady.

With a gruff rebuff my client examined the programme guide with great skepticism, and eventually replied "well, we'll see won't we. You can go now and, if it's not right, you will be in trouble."

I gladly made my retreat. I never did hear from that lady again. I presume she checked the TV guides for currency from that time on but for me it was an experience I never forget and remember with a chuckle. You never know what to expect next when you're dealing with the public and the new fangled!

Tom, Frankston, Victoria

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