Irony

Mark Hunt

You get a call from someone that has a problem with a heating system they inherited from the previous owner.

You find an internet rad system that will not heat the house.

You prescribe a solution and quote a price.

Owner questions the amount and then goes BACK to the internet for a material list and pricing.

Internet company gives a quote for half of the price I quoted, but leaves out all of the major components (Taco RMB, to mention just one) and gets the pumps wrong.

Owner has a system that doesn't work precisely because it was purchased via the net, yet goes back to the net for "viable" alternatives to my prescription???

I drew my line in the sand.

Mark H

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hr

Stupid is as stupid

does! Shake you head, enjoy the laugh, and move on
Bigger fish to fry!

hot rod

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David Sutton_5

Can't save the unsaveable, when he calls back again add a 10% stupidity charge to your frist price

S Ebels

How's the old saying go?

Fool me once..............


Walk Mark. Some are not worth the effort and never will be.

There's a local farmer here that is known far and wide for being tighter than bark on a tree. He called and said the furnace in his barn wasn't working and that he had always had problems with it. It was installed by "somebady" (not misspelled) in a dreadfully poor location. Tons of negative pressure in the room and I found 15ppm CO in the ambient air of the milking parlor due to reverse flow of flue gases. (Draft was -.08, backwards) I shut it off and told him his only correct remedy was to install a sealed combustion type furnace. To be succinct, he told me to, and I quote, "suck it". Not only is he tight, he is also ignorant and arrogant, a deadly combination. I left it turned off with the power wires and t-stat wired disconnected. A few days later he sent me a bill from the competition for turning the unit back on. I replied by certified mail that I would in no way shape or form be a party to making that furnace operational and the bill was between him and the other idiot.

As far as your guy is concerned, send him a reasonable invoice for design work. At least you'll have the ability to write it off your books if he doesn't pay.

Weezbo

)) That is like another Welcome to theclub )

now once it is put together , the guy has Your ph # and guess what? erh uhm we couldnt catch up to you so we got cousin louies second wife ex who came over and hooked it up for us..and we need some help with the wiring,,,seems it wont quit making heat :)its really working ok buh i think You might fine tune the burner for me.:)it rattels and booms alot

eleft_4

who's problem??

Why did you give the customer a prescription?? or parts list?? Did you make a diagram also??.

You look at the job, find the problem, design the cure and say

AH-HA!.. I will correct your problem for $XX... 50% in advance and $XX for the service call refundable upon excepting my bid and paying the deposit. Here's my card, I except cash for the service call. .... The appliance service co's do it all the time!!!

Customer pays for results, if they know how why call pro?

Be happy you don't have him/her looking over shoulder.

al

Dave Yates (PAH)

must be related

to the same folks who will take the word of a salesperson at the DIY big box retailer over that of the pro who's been licensed and working their craft for decades!

Everybody wants something for nothing & nothing is what they get. A fool & his money are soon parted. You can't help those who won't help themselves! You can lead a horse.....

If you think they're really worth another effort, I'd send them a brief letter pointing out that your design offered them a working system that would have offset the hoodwinking the previous owner saddled them with and that drinking friom the same well is likely to leave them with the same bad taste. You could offer to sell them your design and point out that it would have been "free" if they'd had you perform the installation. Then move on and forget about them to concentrate on those who value your expertice and need your services.

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Mark Hunt

I e-mailed him a letter


pointing out all of the things the i-net company left out and described what each component did.

At the end of the letter I told him that he could get as many opinions as he wanted, but I would not install something I knew would not work.

Oh well.

Mark H

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Dean_7

ignorance

Ignorance can sometimes be cured stupidity usually can't. Everyone these days seems to want something for as cheap as they can get it. What no one ever thinks about is WHY something is so much less elsewhere. Amazing isn't it.

Mark Hunt

Hi Al


I didn't give the customer a parts list other than what was mentioned in my proposal.

I went over my design while I was standing in the house pointing out what was wrong and how I would change it. Nothing on paper.

His material list from the i-net company was almost exactly what he already has installed. I pointed this out to him as well in my follow up e-mail.

Good to hear from you sir!

Mark H

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eleft_4

Hi Mark,


We are all guilty of showing are cards to early at times.

We want the customer to think we know our business and end up giving away the farm, so we need to analyze more and talk less.

Emotion is not a way to make a business decision. Our passion to help correct things let's our emotion take over, hence we expose our hand.

I know you are guilty of being passionate about the customers safety and trying to give them an efficient system, but you should not get into the details of your plans or the errors of the previous designer.

"Your know how is your stock and trade", don't give it away.

Will you be going to, Prime Hotel and Conference Center, March 7 or 8?

Proverbs 17:28

"Even the foolish man, when he keeps quiet, is taken to be wise: when his lips are shut he is credited with good sense"

You are a good Man Mark.

al