Customers Staring Over Shoulder

Backpacker

Do any technicians here have any specific techniques they use to deal with obnoxius cutomers who try to stare over your shoulder while you are working then attempt to decipher what you are doing.   It drives me up the wall.  What techniques can be used to deal with them?

Tim McElwain

Make a thermostat

operator out of them!!!

Jamie Hall

Ask them

politely to leave, or at least shut up.  I happen to like to watch a tech. at work -- quietly -- as I always learn something.  However, before I hang around to do so, I always ask, and if the chap says he'd rather I didn't stay, I leave.



However, I should add this: if that is the response I get, I double check everything he did or should have done after he leaves, item by item, and make darned sure that all is as it should be (and, I might add, it's not always -- I have had techs mess with steam pressures, for instance).  I don't have to do that if I can stay and watch.



I may not be a typical customer -- I am the building superintendent for a good sized museum, and am just a little bit finicky (some would put it more strongly) about my mechanicals -- since I'm the one on the spot when something goes west at 3 AM and 20 below.

Unknown

It never really bothers me,,,,

UNLESS they start telling me what to do, then there`s a prob JH would drive me NUTS!.



For all his "assumed knowledge"  what am I even doing there?



He likely has his own test equipment anyway,,, so what am I going to argue against?

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

Most of the time

I like the company, but if I don't like the person for some reason or if I need to concentrate, I tell the person (nicely) that I start making mistakes if I'm not alone.



I notice that it's usually my female customers that hang around.  They seems more curious and less apt to be embarrassed about watching me.  I try to engage them in conversation; people love talking about their kids, favorite restaurants, travel, favorite meals to prepare, etc.

bob_46

Flatulence

Flatulence usually works. If working on a large power burner you can open the air adjustment until the burner pulsates,sometimes you can get the whole boiler to shake.

On little atmospheric burners you can sneak your little finger in the air shutter and cover the orifice until that burner goes out then slide your finger off and usually the burner will re-light with a puff.

hot_rod

as long as

they are not obnoxious or distracting. I've met some interesting people and heard some great stories.

Great fodder for seminars



hr

Gordy

Sometimes

 It can be a life, and property saver.  I myself being a tradesman in a different field do not mind if others look on as long as like HR says they are not distracting or obnoxious. It at the very least proves to the customer self confidence in what you are doing.



 I did have a little boiler repiping done by an area company. I hung out talking to the tech. about things watching him work, and letting him do his work.

 

 When the work was done he hit the breaker to the boiler. As the combustion system was going through its proving before lighting. He was undoing the head on his nap gas torch. The valve on the cylinder stuck open spewing nap gas all over the basement. In disbelief he was taping the bottle on the floor in front of the burner of the boiler forgetting it was getting ready to light any second. After deciding the valve was not going to un stick he ran outside with it in the mean time I hit the breaker for the boiler to shut it down before it lite. This all happend in seconds.



 Not to say it would have been bad.....A little eyebrow pencil for a couple weeks maybe for both of us. But sometimes the on lookers can come in handy.



 It was an inocent unforeen event, experience was gained for both of us.



Gordy

Jamie Hall

Dave --

sorry I upset you.  I do not have my own test equipment for combustion devices, nor do I presume to work on them -- nor would I ever tell someone else how to, since I know very little about them.  I do have master plumbers, master electrician, and master steamfitter licenses, however, and I've been in those trades for some 47 years now.  Even so, I will not tell a tech. whom I have hired what to do or how to do it.  That's their job.



As I noted, if you ask me politely to leave, I will.  I will also check your work.  If it's good work, I can absolutely guarantee you that you will be asked to return for more, and paid promptly.  If not, you'll still get paid -- but you will not be asked back.



And I presume that if by "here" you mean here on the wall, and why are you here, I would hope that it's for the same reason I am: to learn from folks who have more experience and different experience from my own, and to help folks who have less, or have questions.

Paul Fredricks_3

Customer service!

I welcome the customer to hang around if they want. If they suggest I do things differently I will discuss it with them and tell them why I'm doing what I'm doing. And I too have met some very interesting people.



Being able to develop a temporary relationship with a customer is HUGE! We have guys here who are very good, technically. But they are terrible with the customers. and guess who has to smooth things over. We have other guys here who are still fairly new to the trade, but will take the time to make the customer feel confident in the work being done.



Recently on of our newer techs went to a house for a PC. I gave him the heads up that these folks will be all over him and watch his ever move. His way of dealing with it? He explained to the customer every move he made: "Now I'm loosening the nozzle line and removing the thumb nut, now I'm removing the nozzle assembly...etc". These folks called the office and raved about this tech. These are happy customers.



Alan, the woman just hang out cause you're a hunk, right?



Jamie, do the displays really come to life at night, like in the movies?

Mark Eatherton

Well said Jamie...

I for one appreciate your input. I am sure there are others that do too.



Dave, is just Dave. His input is good too, but he questions authority. Which CAN be good at times :-)



As for people looking over my shoulder, I am an instructor. I EXPECT people to be looking over my shoulder. So long as they don't get in the way or start slowing me down, they can stay. If they become a hinderance, I remind them what I am costing them per minute, and they usually disappear.



It does go towards building good will (schmoozing) but there are limits...





ME

DanHolohan

Jamie,

you can tell me what to do. I learn from everyone I meet. 

Ron Jr._3

I don't mind

customer's watching us work around the boiler area .  

But when they watch us moving a boiler though the house , for some reason it becomes tougher . I guess cause I'm thinking they're waiting for something bad to happen . Like banging into a wall ...........  

And don't get me started as to why alot of people want to stare at us while we put drops cloths down on the floor ................

Jamie Hall

It's really amazing

what goes on in a museum at night after we kick the visitors out!

Paul Fredricks_3

OH boy!

Party with the buffaloes. Wooop, wooop!