Attitude and YOUR perception

**Number One** · 19th December 2007, 14:35

This is a real story that happened between the customer of General Motors and its Customer-Care Executive. A complaint was received by the Pontiac Division of General Motors:

"This is the second time I have written to you, and I don't blame you for not answering me, because I sounded crazy, but it Is a fact that we have a radition in our family we have Ice-Cream for dessert after dinner each night. But the kind of ice cream varies so, every night, after we've eaten, the whole family votes on which kind of ice cream we should have and I drive down to the store to get it. It's also a fact that I recently purchased a new Pontiac and since then my trips to the store have created a problem.

You see,every time I buy a vanilla ice-cream, when I start back from the store my car won't start. If I get any other kind of ice cream, the car starts just fine. I want you to know I'm serious about this question, no matter how silly it sounds"

"What is there about a Pontiac that makes it not start when I get vanilla ice cream, and easy to start whenever I get any other kind?"

The Pontiac President was understandably skeptical about the letter, but sent an Engineer to check it out anyway. The latter was surprised to be greeted by a successful, obviously well educated man in a fine neighborhood. He had arranged to meet the man just after dinnertime, so the two hopped into the car and drove to the ice cream store. It was vanilla ice cream that night and, sure enough, after they came back to the car, it wouldn't start.

The Engineer returned for three more nights.

The first night, they got chocolate. The car started.
The second night, they got strawberry. The car started.

The third night he ordered vanilla. The car failed to start. Now the Engineer, being a logical man, refused to believe that this man's car was allergic to vanilla ice cream. He arranged, therefore, to continue his visits for as long as it took to solve the problem. And toward this end he began to take notes:

He jotted down all sorts of data: time of day, type of gas uses, time to drive back and forth etc.

In a short time, he had a clue: the man took less time to buy vanilla than any other flavor.

Why? The answer was in the layout of the store.Vanilla, being the most popular flavor, was in a separate case at the front of the store for quick pickup. All the other flavors were kept in the back of the store at a different counter where it took considerably longer to check out the flavor.

Now, the question for the Engineer was why the car wouldn't start when it took less time. Eureka - Time was now the problem - not the vanilla ice cream!

The engineer quickly came up with the answer: "vapour lock". It was happening every night; but the extra time taken to get the other flavors allowed the engine to cool down sufficiently to start. When the man got vanilla, the engine was still too hot for the vapour lock to dissipate.

Remember:
Even crazy looking problems are sometimes real and all problems seem to be simple only when we find the solution with cool thinking. What really matters is your attitude and your perception.

**Tank** · 19th December 2007, 14:41

and you thinks thats a real story?

Can you really imagine a company sending someone out because their car wont start when they buy vanilla icecream?

and spending several nights working on the problem?

Tui please.

**Number One** · 19th December 2007, 15:30

Originally Posted by Tank

and you thinks thats a real story?

Can you really imagine a company sending someone out because their car wont start when they buy vanilla icecream?

and spending several nights working on the problem?

Tui please.

Posted it as I received it Tank. AND the issue isn't really whether it's for real or not, see the moral that's the nugget.
"Even crazy looking problems are sometimes real and all problems seem to be simple only when we find the solution with cool thinking. What really matters is your attitude and your perception"

PS: if it is real they GM can be thankful they don't employ you in their Customer Care area!

**Subike** · 19th December 2007, 16:21

Facts are always stranger than fiction
Durning my apprentiship we had a Datsun 120Y come in on a warrenty claim for a rattle in the dash at 30MPH.
Elderly lady driver, good customer, so we had to find the rattle.
The rattle was very real, and came from inside the dash for sure at just on 30MPH.
Every mechanic in the workshop tried to find that rattle.
The entire dash was stripped out in the end, to ensure there was nothing loose, but the rattle persisted.
Two days was spent by different tradesmen finding this rattle. being under a new car warrenty, it had to be found at the dealers cost.
Now the car was owned, as I said, an elderly lady
Who just drove it to the shop, church and housey
So there should have been no rattle.
The Manager and the seniour saleman took the car for a test run.
There was the rattle.
It was thought there was a loose piece of welding slag, inside the frame of the dash, which was a sealed unit, That would explain the rattle.
So, under the managers orders, a new frame was fitted to eliminate this rattle under warranty.
The rattle was stil there.
eventually the rattle was found
She kept her housie chips in the ashtray!
Now being a private car, new, and a reputable firm,
Nobody ever touched anything that belonged to the owner inside the car.
So none of the mechanics ever thought to look in the ashtray at what it contained.
Even though ithe ash tray had been removed and replaced several times while the investigation for the rattle i the dash was carried out.
Nobody thought about the chip in the ash tray

**Ocean1** · 19th December 2007, 16:45

Reminded me of a wee story I read lately: http://management.silicon.com/itdire...9167966,00.htm

**Number One** · 20th December 2007, 15:02

"Belief systems are more powerful than truth and always lead to long-sustained ignorance and waste"

We humans can be terribly restricted and limited by our mental models can't we?!

I see this in 'academics' regularly....they perceive they know it all so they are not open to learning anything new or even just questionning things - especially when it comes to 'behaviour' (I can't be the problem, I'm smart! It's everyone else that has it wrong!)

In my experience the people who are 'considered less bright' are the ones that learn and adapt the fastest because they are open to accepting they don't already know all there is to know....which of course is a critical requirement for any learning. Go the street smarts!

**Ocean1** · 20th December 2007, 15:48

Originally Posted by Number One

"Belief systems are more powerful than truth and always lead to long-sustained ignorance and waste"

True that.

I'm taking a pounding elsewhere here for a blatently inaccurate generalisation.

Sometimes it's a game though, pointless wase of time for learning but it can be stimulating to just pick a side and debate it.

And then sometimes, (rarely, oh very rarely) one can be just wrong...

**Number One** · 20th December 2007, 16:05

Originally Posted by Ocean1

True that.

I'm taking a pounding elsewhere here for a blatently inaccurate generalisation.

Sometimes it's a game though, pointless wase of time for learning but it can be stimulating to just pick a side and debate it.

And then sometimes, (rarely, oh very rarely) one can be just wrong...

Yes I have fast learnt this isn't the place to take anything too seriously...and yeah it is fun to be beligerant or unpopular just cos ya can

**Skyryder** · 20th December 2007, 16:23

Originally Posted by Number One

"Belief systems are more powerful than truth and always lead to long-sustained ignorance and waste"

We humans can be terribly restricted and limited by our mental models can't we?!

I see this in 'academics' regularly....they perceive they know it all so they are not open to learning anything new or even just questionning things - especially when it comes to 'behaviour' (I can't be the problem, I'm smart! It's everyone else that has it wrong!)

In my experience the people who are 'considered less bright' are the ones that learn and adapt the fastest because they are open to accepting they don't already know all there is to know....which of course is a critical requirement for any learning. Go the street smarts!

Wise words indeed. The thing about truth is knowing it when you see it. Eveything else is an illusion.

Skyryder