Knowable customers!!!

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McLintock

McLintock

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician
On a service call this morning customer said my light switches never worked since I bought it (cabin, so he is hardly there). So he decided to fix it himself. He got Lutron Maestro switch’s and they would not work.

So I showed up this morning and found 3 3 gang box’s in a rats nest with no switch’s in them. Found out he had all slave switches and no masters and the few spots he did have switch’s in he wired like the 3-way he took out. A mess but got all straightened out in a hour or so.


“ shoot low boys their riding shetland ponies”
 
Delivered a part to a customer.
The owner asks if I’m there to work.
Well, No, but what’s up.
She explains a switch in her living area isn’t working.
Ok, I don’t have much for tools but I’ll grab my tester and screwdriver. Notice first thing it’s a three way.
Where is the other switch? I had never been in her living quarters.
There isn’t one.
Yes, there is.
No, I’ve lived here twenty years and there has never been another
Took the cover off thinking someone had put in the wrong switch. Nope a three way that appears to be wired correctly and working.
There is no other switch!
Ok, I’ll send the help to investigate another day. Walked down the back stairs and on the way to my truck spotted the...switch. Flipped it a couple times. It needs replaced but all is good for now. Left word with her office help that I had ’fixed’ the problem.
Customer was laughing when she called and conceded a couple days later, wanting to know where the other switch was.
 
Coppersmith said:
Dr. House said "patients lie". I say "clients lie." It's best to ignore whatever the client says when troubleshooting.
Click to expand...

This guy is a doctor too! I ended up just taking the 4 switch box’s all apart and starting back at square one.


“ shoot low boys their riding shetland ponies”
 
McLintock said:
This guy is a doctor too! I ended up just taking the 4 switch box’s all apart and starting back at square one.


“ shoot low boys their riding shetland ponies”
Click to expand...
You have to remove the shrapnel before you can put the leg back together.
 
ptonsparky said:
Delivered a part to a customer.
The owner asks if I’m there to work.
Well, No, but what’s up.
She explains a switch in her living area isn’t working.
Ok, I don’t have much for tools but I’ll grab my tester and screwdriver. Notice first thing it’s a three way.
Where is the other switch? I had never been in her living quarters.
There isn’t one.
Yes, there is.
No, I’ve lived here twenty years and there has never been another
Took the cover off thinking someone had put in the wrong switch. Nope a three way that appears to be wired correctly and working.
There is no other switch!
Ok, I’ll send the help to investigate another day. Walked down the back stairs and on the way to my truck spotted the...switch. Flipped it a couple times. It needs replaced but all is good for now. Left word with her office help that I had ’fixed’ the problem.
Customer was laughing when she called and conceded a couple days later, wanting to know where the other switch was.
Click to expand...

Or you find that 3-way switch wired up correctly and looking for the other switch only to realize the 14/3 goes to the fan


“ shoot low boys their riding shetland ponies”
 
Never judge a book by its cover, some customers just get in the way but others can surprise you;
Back before the pandemic I was sent to a service call at a very old historic building on campus here.

The other guy I worked with at the time, while generally an excellent worker, found it difficult to concentrate at this job, so I get sent. I was expecting a hovering landlord or something...

One of the 12 sorority sisters started telling me she knew what the issue was, I am thinking ‘OK here we go’.
She had actually tracked down a open neutral in some old knob and tube in the attic with her fluke multi meter.

On top of that they had a fresh pot of coffee and had reserved a parking spot for my van (very hard to park there).
Turns out she was an engineering student.


Saved me tons of headache and time.
The landlord, whom was not there, was delighted at the one hour minimum charge.
 
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