The main problems we had was when the F/E came on and started snagging things which were well known to the pilot comunity and accepted as normal. I can think especially of flights out of ATH in the summer when it was normal to get a #2 engine O/H. the pilots used to know about it, indeed expect it, it was no big deal & we just had to reset the pointer and write it up in the tech Log as such but the F/E used to try and make a big thing of it.
tristar 500
Yup, sounds familiar.
The smart F/E simply trimmed the thrust accordingly, just as he was supposed to do.
The 'un-smart' ones simply bit*hed and moaned.
They were ignored...and if it became intrusive...replaced.
No discrepancy went in the Tech Log without the Commanders specific approval at the companies where I have worked, and this instruction came directly from the respective fleet manager.
As it should be.