Darn Customers!

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A-1Sparky

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Got a call from a guy who had a small fire in his house supposedly caused by a faulty surge protector. The 15 amp breaker for the circuit never tripped and he wanted to know why. I told him I could look at it for him and that it would involve some troubleshooting/testing to determine the exact problem/s. I gave him my mandatory service call fee and hourly fee and he agreed to have me come fix it for him. Lo and behold, my phone rings when I'm on my way to his house. He says that he has to cancel our appointment. Apparently, he talked to some friends who gave him some "pointers," and he's gonna fix this problem himself. I was kinda pissed, but just told him "good luck, buddy." The lack of consideration and ignorance of some people is amazing! Oh well. On to the next job. :wink:
 
A-1Sparky said:
Got a call from a guy who had a small fire in his house supposedly caused by a faulty surge protector. The 15 amp breaker for the circuit never tripped and he wanted to know why. I told him I could look at it for him and that it would involve some troubleshooting/testing to determine the exact problem/s. I gave him my mandatory service call fee and hourly fee and he agreed to have me come fix it for him. Lo and behold, my phone rings when I'm on my way to his house. He says that he has to cancel our appointment. Apparently, he talked to some friends who gave him some "pointers," and he's gonna fix this problem himself. I was kinda pissed, but just told him "good luck, buddy." The lack of consideration and ignorance of some people is amazing! Oh well. On to the next job. :wink:
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Same thing happeded to me last week. I left another job early to help this guy and he cancelled on my way there. He said he fixed it. Oh well
 
Unfortunately this is similar to giving "free" estimates, it comes with the territory and is part of the job.
 
ItsHot said:
Them "damn" customers, sometimes help pay those "damn" bills!:D:D
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Well put. My favorite line when I am super busy putting out fires, is;

"If it weren't for all these damned customers, I could really get some serious work done here!"

You'd be surprised how many people fail to see the irony and sarcasm in that statement and begin to lecture me on the importance of customer service etc.
 
We provide 24/7 cover. It's available to all our customers who pay the up-front fee.
That way we don't get stiffed for aborted calls.
 
Yeah, I realize that they're the ones who pay my bills, however, a little bit of notice for a cancellation is just common courtesy. I have no problem with the cancellation, it's the way that it was done that burns me. And I do change my own brakes, but brakes and breakers are two very different things. :D
 
A-1Sparky said:
Yeah, I realize that they're the ones who pay my bills, however, a little bit of notice for a cancellation is just common courtesy. I have no problem with the cancellation, it's the way that it was done that burns me. And I do change my own brakes, but brakes and breakers are two very different things. :D
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Hi
What Is the difference? A brake failure could cause more deaths than a bad breaker.

Charlie
 
neutral said:
Was that caused by a bad breaker? I seen the movie, but don't remember what started the fire.

Charlie.
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Electrical.

Architect Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) arrives from a vacation for the dedication of the newly completed Glass Tower in San Francisco. Upon his arrival, facts concerning the deviation from his design specifications come to light after a power surge from a routine check blows out a circuit breaker. The power surge also sparks a fire in a storage room, which because of problems with the building's security system, goes undetected. In Roberts' absence, chief electrical engineer Roger Simmons (Richard Chamberlain), the son-in-law of building financier Jim Duncan (William Holden), has cut corners to complete construction under-budget. Simmons insists the building is up to minimum code standards but nowhere near what Roberts called for in his design.
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neutral said:
Was that caused by a bad breaker? I seen the movie, but don't remember what started the fire.

Charlie.
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The fire started when a disconnect switch door opened and a 4ft long arcing conductor fell out. Extremely plausible.:rolleyes:

I like the Irwin Allen explanation better:smile:
 
I just meant that you're comparing apples and oranges. Changing rotors, calipers, and pads is completely different from troubleshooting causes of electrical fires.
 
A-1Sparky said:
I just meant that you're comparing apples and oranges. Changing rotors, calipers, and pads is completely different from troubleshooting causes of electrical fires.
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You DID repack and inspect your bearings on that last brake job you did yourself didnt you?? Ever seen a bearing let go on a front tire in rush hour traffic? The guy who did all his own brake jobs strikes again.
 
A-1Sparky said:
I just meant that you're comparing apples and oranges. Changing rotors, calipers, and pads is completely different from troubleshooting causes of electrical fires.
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I agree and I also believe there?s more to doing a brake job than replacing the parts. All jobs have a certain skill level to perform the task properly.
 
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