Customer Lingo

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J

jes25

Senior Member
Location
Midwest
Occupation
Electrician
I thought you some of you guys might get a kick out of this. Have you ever noticed that everything to the customer is a "box". They say things like "I need a new box" I say "The meter box, The panel box or a plug box". Then they say "you know the box". Everything is a box.

After a while you get pretty good at deciphering the customer lingo.
 
Re: Customer Lingo

The other day I was on a warranty call where the furnace filter was rendered difficult to remove by virtue of the flex routing.

When I was done, the homeowner mentioned that the tinner's goofed the thermostat wiring to the furnace, too. The condenser for the A/C would kick on when the thermostat was calling for heat.

"I happened to be outside when the furnace kicked on, and I heard the A/C unit running and it was 50? outside. So that kinda ticked me off. I shut off the three phase at the unit until they could come out to fix their mistake."

My "apprentice" was sitting in the back of the van about 30' away, overheard that and about fell out of the truck. :D
 
Re: Customer Lingo

Originally posted by georgestolz:
...When the furnace kicked on, and I heard the A/C unit running....
Click to expand...
5 will get you 10 they have a heat pump that's actually working just fine and their "furnace" is really just an air-handler.

I've actually found I have to dumb-down some of the stuff I say when I'm around homeowners. H/O's think that "outlet" is just a synonym for "receptacle" and more than once I've been talking to a co-worker about a lighting or appliance outlet and had an eaves-dropping H/O come running in saying: "No, no, no! I don't want any plugs right there!" :D :roll:

-John
 
Re: Customer Lingo

I got a call from a customer that wanted to change from 60 watts to 100 watts. I told him that it could create a fire hazard to replace a 60 watt lamp with a 100 watt lamp if the fixture wasn't rated for it. Then I found out he was talking about a service upgrade from 60amps to 100amps.
 
Re: Customer Lingo

i am constantly adding switches that are really receptacles and receptacles that are really switches if ya know what i mean....

when the homeowner describes something to me i am almost a master at guessing his profession. the computer guys always say program something etc...
 
Re: Customer Lingo

Originally posted by aline:
I got a call from a customer that wanted to change from 60 watts to 100 watts. I told him that it could create a fire hazard to replace a 60 watt lamp with a 100 watt lamp if the fixture wasn't rated for it. Then I found out he was talking about a service upgrade from 60amps to 100amps.
Click to expand...
Thats what I am talking about LMAO :D :D
 
Re: Customer Lingo

How about ELECTRICIANS who call receptacles "plugs" and plugs, well, I don't know. Don't think I ever heard one of those guys talk about the thing on the end of the cord.

Drives me nuts!

-Hal
 
Re: Customer Lingo

I see way too many panels with all the single pole breakers labeled as plugs and lights. Five will get you ten that they can't spell receptacle and are too lazy to include any locations in their labeling scheme.
 
Re: Customer Lingo

LOL!
I can't tell you how many times people have called a receptacle a switch.
...I need a switch here...Ok, what do you want it to control?...Huh? I want to plug in a TV...Oh, you mean you want a receptacle?...Yea, what ever.
:D
 
Re: Customer Lingo

Stars, I agree with the "not knowing how to spell" observation.

But to expand on including locations on the individual breakers identifications.

What burns me is, say I've got a job with 45-50 Lighting and Appliance Branch-Circuit Panelboards, as we do the job, we make the modifications on the E drawings panel legend sheets as record drawings.

Now at the end of the project, these sheets are sent into the office to be typed on to the panelboard schedule cards.

They are typed as the designer drew them with the exception of the modifications.

Now, when the design team finals (punch list) are performed there is always a punch list line item saying; "there is not enough description for the individual circuits, room numbers need to be included," redo. It seems kind of lazy on the designers part to expect us to do his work doesn't it.

However, I do agree that on a house or small field designed job, the electrician should provide proper circuit descriptions.

Roger
 
Re: Customer Lingo

How about pig or dispos all for garbage disposal.
Lites for lights.
Scones is a good one dave.
Pot lights.
Hi Hats.
Cans.
Jacuzzi (for anything with bubbling moving water in it.)
Coarse wiring.
Remax wire.

Some slang, some customer lingo and some bozo electrician lingo. :D
 
Re: Customer Lingo

Originally posted by hbiss:
] How about ELECTRICIANS who call receptacles "plugs" and plugs, well, I don't know. Don't think I ever heard one of those guys talk about the thing on the end of the cord
Click to expand...
Hal, I agree. If you notice in my orginal post I used the term "plug" for receptacle. I just give in when talking to customers and use there lingo. :D :D
 
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