In this second and concluding part of yesterday’s newsletter, I feature the FULL video interview (with the verbatim text transcript). I recorded it with Thompson Obuseh, a Lagos based Poultry Farm CEO, after I’d resolved a major part of the “Compile Error” problem he’d been having, for 4 days with my Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager on his 64-bit laptop computer.
Preamble/Background
On Sunday 26th February 2017, between 10:45 a.m. and 3p.m, I spent time with a young Poultry Farm CEO named Thomas Obuseh. It was the first time we were meeting face to face, in the flesh, since he first made contact with me on phone back in August 2016.
I’d made him an offer then which he’d not taken up. Then on Tuesday 20th February 2017 he’d called in at about 8a.m and 24 hours later, he’d made payment to take up a new offer I made to him.
However, over the next 4 days after I emailed him a personalized copy of the software, he had NOT once succeeded in making use of it, due to a nagging “Compile error” message it kept throwing on his Laptop.
I tried to support him remotely, to no avail. He was understandably disturbed – & even expressed doubts that the app worked!
To resolve the problem, I invited him to meet me in Ikeja, made upfront payment to his bank account to cover to/fro fueling of his car from his Victoria island based, so I could solve the problem – and prove that my app worked!
By the time we were done, I got him to take a photo with me and also recorded THE testimonial video you’re about to watch, of him sharing his feelings and observations about what had been done, and the experience he’d had using the app, in the few hours he’d used it.
Read Issue PII 055 of my Performance Improvement Ideas newsletter published yesterday Monday 27th February 2017, for details of how I identified the code module declarations (for Windows API calls I used in my app) that new requirements needed me to adding the PtrSafe attribute highlighted in the error message to.
1. Read this video’s text transcript below, and the full story about what happened here
2. Watch 16 step-by-step User Guide Video Demos at www.tinyurl.com/15pfmVideos
3. You can contact me using the form at www.tayosolagbade.com/contact.htm
The PFM has been proven to work in Excel 2007 up to 2016 without ANY problems – and this is captured in video demonstrations.
The problem Thompson had is more of a rare exception, than the norm. Thompson himself estimated there will probably be only 1 in 50 buyers I would encounter with his kind of peculiar situation, in which his laptop is always plugged into the corporate network where daily automatic updates happen to its Windows and Office installations.
An Excel-VB app like mine, meant for private use by the owner, when run on such a laptop would be encounter restrictions designed to prevent unauthorized apps with potentially malicious code from running without limitations on it, since it could infect other PCs on the network if it was a virus.
In case you’re not aware, Excel-VB code has been successfully used to create harmful virus applications that have caused major damage in the past.
This is the reason why Thompson’s 64 bit laptop settings were stricter than those on other 64 bit computers I’d seen my app run on before meeting him.
Read Issue PII 055 of my Performance Improvement Ideas newsletter published yesterday Monday 27th February 2017, for details of how I discovered I needed to make changes in the code module declarations (for Windows API calls I used in my app) by adding the PtrSafe attribute highlighted in the error message.
Below: Verbatim Text Transcript of the Video Testimonial Interview with Thompson Obuseh which I recorded with him, AFTER we were done
Tayo: Right. So I’m speaking with Mr. Thomas. How do you pronounce your surname again?
Thompson Obuseh: It’s not Thomas actually. It’s Thompson Obuseh.
Tayo: Okay Thompson – sorry! Apologies for that. Okay, I know when we met this morning, I could see smoke coming (from your ears)
[Both laugh]
Tayo: So, so…maybe I should show my face [Camera turns to briefly show Tayo’s “mug” :-)]
Tayo: This is me O, guys Ehn! [Camera returns focus to Thompson]
Tayo: Now, it’s been a long time since I did a video, but I want to do this because this relationship has happened and I’m happy about the way we ended it. So ehm Thompson, we’ve had a session – about 2 hours right…probably more than that?
Thompson Obuseh: More like 2 hours
Tayo: More like 2 hours. Okay and ehm Thompson came (driving) all the way down from Ajah
Thompson Obuseh: Yes. It’s even beyond Ajah sef. Abijo – that’s where I stay.
Tayo: Oh really?
Thompson Obuseh: Yes, I stay in Abijo. I just dey say Ajah because…
[Video cuts off due to run down of my workhorse Blackberry Smartphone’s battery]
Luckily, I’d gotten my 18 year old son to lend me his Gionee E3T Smartphone as a backup in case that happened (Experience having taught me well in the past!).
So, about 2 minutes later, we started the interview all over again – but only after I’d gotten Tom to teach me how to use the touch screen interface of the phone.
By way of interest, I am yet to embrace those kinds of devices due my bias for the key based use of mobiles. As a result, my kids use cooler looking and more expensive mobiles than I do! Why? Well, that’s a subject for another day.
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Tayo: Just a minute O. Okay. Alright, so ah, this is Mr. Thompson Obuseh. Ah I was just making a comment that when we first met, after I got directions to get him down to this place in Omole Phase 2, I’m serious, smoke was coming from his ears
[Both laugh]
Tayo: We had been on phone for 4 days or 5 days sef, and it was not funny. He was getting compile errors from the Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager, and me I could not understand where compile error was coming from.
Anyway, long story short, I had to direct him to meet with me. You know, we were all blowing grammar on the phone.
I said “Let’s just meet and sort this thing out once and for all!”
Ah, he’s going to speak now. We’ve finished…we’ll we’ve gotten some things started. At least we have sense of direction and I just want him to comment on how he feels NOW!
[Both laugh]
Thompson Obuseh: Well, I’m a lot (better) because I invested some amount of money and I was not getting results. Like every customer
Tayo: Naturally…
Thompson Obuseh: Yes. Naturally, like every customer if you don’t get service for what you have paid for…
Tayo: You start wondering…
Thompson Obuseh: Yes, you have to wonder. But now I think there’s a sense of direction. He’s been able to resolve let’s say 50% of the problem. I can now use it, but the others as they should come up, he promised to fix them.
Tayo: Yeah. Okay, good. And eh, what would you say in terms of, how do I put it now, the application itself. How easy it is to relate to? How to you find it?
Thompson Obuseh: Ah, from what I’ve seen, just like I saw online, I think it’s good…the interaction is perfect. You just need to have the basic knowledge of Excel just to use it. Yes. You can interact with it excellently.
Tayo: Right, so this is me speaking. Let me show myself [Laughter]
Thompson Obuseh: You can show yourself
Tayo: Yeah, you told me about how to do it, but you know, me and this thing, you guys are seeing us abi? [Laughter]
Tayo: Okay so, we’re making fun of ourselves now. It turns out that Thompson’s wife speaks French and teaches French. So, since I speak French, that’s another dimension to the whole thing. Anyway but it’s been a useful experience for us today, and ehm I’m sure we’re gonna sort this out to final point. And then I’ll be using Thompson’s version for any other person that comes with this wahala of compile error. I just carry am throway – “Take, no disturb me!” [Laughter]
Thompson Obuseh: (Jokingly) Well, it’s good. maybe you just have to give me some commission
Tayo: Yeah, no…we’re going to…what we’re even going to do is, this video, we’re going to say, without Thompson coming up with his compile error thing, I wouldn’t have had a need to come and look at it and actually meet…I cannot remember when last I met with anybody. Because I’ve been selling and people are just using it, and we talk, and they say I’m made entry, I had this…plotted this chart…
So when this happened…he rightly pointed it out, I don’t disagree, that having the opportunity to do this has created a new dimension in terms of level of users. Because there are some users who will have this problem he’s having and we’ll be able to have an answer for them.
Thompson Obuseh: Instant answer. Once he’s just…say don’t worry, this is what we’ll do.
Tayo: Yes, no need to asking questions. Just say “Oh, that’s the problem you’re having? here is the solution! We’ll call it “The Thompson Solution” {Laughter]
Tayo: Alright, cheers men
Thompson Obuseh: Alright, bye bye.