Problems I can't solve

Usually unhappy guests are very clear about what they want me to do to solve their problem. Sometimes, however, I am at a loss. Take the phone call I received tonight:

Guest: Yes, I'm trying to charge my cell phone.
Me: Is there a problem?
Guest: The charger doesn't seem to be working with the outlets.
Me: Are you having trouble getting the plug to fit?
Guest: No, it fits. But the green light on the charger goes on and then turns off right away. The phone isn't charging.
Me: *puzzled silence* What does he expect me to do about this?
Guest: I thought maybe you had a control on the outlets.
Me: No. One of the outlets is controlled by a switch, but if your bedside lamp is on, the outlet is working.
Guest: No. The outlets are all working. They just don't work with the charger.
Me: Well, I'm not sure what I can do if the outlets are working.
Guest: Well, my charger works! I might have to change hotels because of this.
Me: You could bring your phone down to the lobby and try using one of the outlets here . . .
Guest: Maybe I'll try that. *click*

He called back in a few moments, sounding somewhat sheepish, and said, "The problem has been fixed."

I'm mildly curious about what he did to solve the problem. I'm much more curious about what he wanted me to do to solve it. He admitted that the outlets were working. Does he really think I have a switch that could prevent his cell phone from charging even with power going to the outlet? Or does he think our power isn't of a high enough quality to operate his charger?

And he's here for four nights. Lovely.