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Just when you thought you heard it all...... Bubba 06-16-2007
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Posted by on June 18, 2007, 8:03 pm

>
>>Bubba wrote:
>>
>>>> Take a walk through WalMart and see the plethora of crap you can buy for
>>>> 30 percent of what it should cost. It's a giant International Flea
>>>> Market for the masses.
>>>>
>>> Ive been in Wal-Mart. I even read the book "The Wal-Mart effect". Very
>>> interesting reading.
>>
>>Yep... it is interesting. I read it, too. I'm not certain the
>>organization resembles anything close to what Sam thought it would...
>>
>>>
>>>> ... as so is your business, Bubba.... and mine. Get used to it and USE
>>>> your great AMERICAN entrepreneurial mind to HELP your customers... not
>>>> belittle them.
>>>
>>> Sorry, but you know as well as I that some customers are just plain
>>> tight ass pain in the butts that nothing makes them happy.
>>> Fortunately, I have a lot of customers that are a joy to work with.
>>>> It works, my friend. We topped $60M last year... with a 8% AT margin...
>>>> doing just that.
>>
>>Yep.. I agree. I might have been a little to hard-case in my first reply
>>(-;.
>>
>>I have a policy I call "F*** You Money"...when it comes to folks like
>>that. If I'm gonna have to deal with them... then they pay a premium or
>>find someone else.
>>
>>There can be a lot of trade-offs in our respective businesses.. as
>>relates to quality and what makes the ultimate best sense. Some
>>customers are not gifted with good sense, however... so we do what
>>they'd like so long as it doesn't compromise safety or our own standards
>>of workmanship...
>>
>>>>
>>>> You do the math.
>>>
>>> Sometimes .... 1 + 1 will never equal 3. :-)
>>>> Jake
>>
>>Ha.... Sometimes 1 + 1 doesn't even equal 2, does it (-;....
>>
>>>
>>> Bubba
>
>Interesting though.....
>I drove by Sunday evening. 90 degrees+ still and humidity to match.
>His windows were all still open.
>Then I got a call for an older couple that evening about 2 mins from
>them. No A/C. Turns out, it is his mother and father in law. I got
>there this Mon AM and had them up and running before they got back
>from their morning walk. Inexpensive repair, I shut their windows and
>it was starting to cool. They were happy as pigs in mud. All the
>while..........the Son-in-law is still trying to figure out if he can
>use a piece of rubber and a clamp to contain the leak! ( I swear he
>asked me that). Im goina guess he went another route so I'll send him
>my bill tomorrow. :-)
>Bubba

Bubba, why dontcha try some of that SuperSeal?

Me, I'd offer the customer SuperSeal @ $350-$450 installed &
re-charged & no warranty on whether it worked or not. If it didnt
work, I'd offer a $350.00 credit toward a new condenser / matching
indoor coil, conditional you do the work.

If ya do use it, buy SuperSeal 3 phase. The 3 phase variety contains
a little bit more fluid than the regular variety.

Posted by Bubba on June 18, 2007, 8:08 pm
On Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:03:59 GMT, gofish@gonefishin.net wrote:

>
>>
>>>Bubba wrote:
>>>
>>>>> Take a walk through WalMart and see the plethora of crap you can buy for
>>>>> 30 percent of what it should cost. It's a giant International Flea
>>>>> Market for the masses.
>>>>>
>>>> Ive been in Wal-Mart. I even read the book "The Wal-Mart effect". Very
>>>> interesting reading.
>>>
>>>Yep... it is interesting. I read it, too. I'm not certain the
>>>organization resembles anything close to what Sam thought it would...
>>>
>>>>
>>>>> ... as so is your business, Bubba.... and mine. Get used to it and USE
>>>>> your great AMERICAN entrepreneurial mind to HELP your customers... not
>>>>> belittle them.
>>>>
>>>> Sorry, but you know as well as I that some customers are just plain
>>>> tight ass pain in the butts that nothing makes them happy.
>>>> Fortunately, I have a lot of customers that are a joy to work with.
>>>>> It works, my friend. We topped $60M last year... with a 8% AT margin...
>>>>> doing just that.
>>>
>>>Yep.. I agree. I might have been a little to hard-case in my first reply
>>>(-;.
>>>
>>>I have a policy I call "F*** You Money"...when it comes to folks like
>>>that. If I'm gonna have to deal with them... then they pay a premium or
>>>find someone else.
>>>
>>>There can be a lot of trade-offs in our respective businesses.. as
>>>relates to quality and what makes the ultimate best sense. Some
>>>customers are not gifted with good sense, however... so we do what
>>>they'd like so long as it doesn't compromise safety or our own standards
>>>of workmanship...
>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> You do the math.
>>>>
>>>> Sometimes .... 1 + 1 will never equal 3. :-)
>>>>> Jake
>>>
>>>Ha.... Sometimes 1 + 1 doesn't even equal 2, does it (-;....
>>>
>>>>
>>>> Bubba
>>
>>Interesting though.....
>>I drove by Sunday evening. 90 degrees+ still and humidity to match.
>>His windows were all still open.
>>Then I got a call for an older couple that evening about 2 mins from
>>them. No A/C. Turns out, it is his mother and father in law. I got
>>there this Mon AM and had them up and running before they got back
>>from their morning walk. Inexpensive repair, I shut their windows and
>>it was starting to cool. They were happy as pigs in mud. All the
>>while..........the Son-in-law is still trying to figure out if he can
>>use a piece of rubber and a clamp to contain the leak! ( I swear he
>>asked me that). Im goina guess he went another route so I'll send him
>>my bill tomorrow. :-)
>>Bubba
>
>Bubba, why dontcha try some of that SuperSeal?
>
>Me, I'd offer the customer SuperSeal @ $350-$450 installed &
>re-charged & no warranty on whether it worked or not. If it didnt
>work, I'd offer a $350.00 credit toward a new condenser / matching
>indoor coil, conditional you do the work.
>
>If ya do use it, buy SuperSeal 3 phase. The 3 phase variety contains
>a little bit more fluid than the regular variety.

Shit! Now you remind me. Actually Ive still got a can of that on the
truck (the regular, not the 3phase. I dunno. I hate that hocus pocus
stuff but It seems it "MAY" have a use in an instance like this?????
I may have to make that decision.
Thanks,
Bubba

Posted by daytona° on June 17, 2007, 7:10 am
Bubba
Condensor coil has a 10-year warranty

JB

> Friday I had a customer call..........
> We installed his 90% American Standard furnace, uncased coil and 10
> SEER A/C in 1999. I think we've been there 3 times since. Always for
> problems...never for maintenance. He says its not cooling, suction
> line frosting. I find the unit low on refrigerant. I search for the
> longest time at the outdoor unit. I see the oil spot but bubbles just
> are picking it up but the electronic is going nuts. Finally I find it
> about a 1/4" from the where the aluminum is covered with spiney fins.
> About 1" the other way is where the aluminum changes to copper. Right
> on the aluminum tube is a little black spot (several actually) and
> that is where the pinhole is. I tell the owner it needs a new
> condenser coil, or new unit with matching coil. I give him all the
> options and prices. As I button it all back up he comes out and asks
> to see the leak. I am happy to show it. Take the door off, spray it
> with bubbles and show him the leak. This is where the fun begins.
> He keeps going back and forth as to what to do but keeps repeating the
> number I gave him for a new A/C system. Then he tells me that is as
> much as his cruise will be with his wife for his 30 anniversary this
> year. (Oh, that breaks my heart..........NOT!) Then he tells me he
> just has to ask. "How much of that price is profit?" Again Im amazed
> but never shocked. I toss a number out of my as and tell him Im making
> $1000 on this install. (Its not an actual number but I thought it was
> my turn to shock HIM). He looks at me and asks, " Do you really need
> to make that much?". I told him, "Yes, I sure do!" This business isnt
> inexpensive to run and it costs what it costs. Then he asks me to
> lower my price by $400 and he will do the replacement although he wont
> be thrilled. I told him, "Nope, I cant do it". He tells me he has to
> think about it and to get back with him if I can do a discount and/or
> when I can do it. I call him back an hour later and he tells me he has
> an engineer friend that can patch aluminum but he doesnt feel
> comfortable doing it unless he can get the condensing unit to his shop
> where he can control the conditions. I told him, "Thats fine but here
> is my price to come out, leak check it, recover the refrigerant,
> disconnect the refrigerant lines, line voltage and low voltage. Then
> the cost to put it all back in running order after his buddy "patches
> it" and all with absolutely no leak guarantee from me. Needless to
> say, he is thinking it over for the weekend.
> Im sure he will find someone cheaper even though its 90 and humid
> here. It couldnt make me happier. :-)
> Bubba



Posted by Bubba on June 17, 2007, 8:53 am
You missed the part where I said it was a 99 model. They were 5 yr
condenser coil warrantys then.
....and Im sure he still wouldnt like the price Id charge him to put
in a "warranty" coil.
Bubba

wrote:

>Bubba
>Condensor coil has a 10-year warranty
>
>JB
>
>> Friday I had a customer call..........
>> We installed his 90% American Standard furnace, uncased coil and 10
>> SEER A/C in 1999. I think we've been there 3 times since. Always for
>> problems...never for maintenance. He says its not cooling, suction
>> line frosting. I find the unit low on refrigerant. I search for the
>> longest time at the outdoor unit. I see the oil spot but bubbles just
>> are picking it up but the electronic is going nuts. Finally I find it
>> about a 1/4" from the where the aluminum is covered with spiney fins.
>> About 1" the other way is where the aluminum changes to copper. Right
>> on the aluminum tube is a little black spot (several actually) and
>> that is where the pinhole is. I tell the owner it needs a new
>> condenser coil, or new unit with matching coil. I give him all the
>> options and prices. As I button it all back up he comes out and asks
>> to see the leak. I am happy to show it. Take the door off, spray it
>> with bubbles and show him the leak. This is where the fun begins.
>> He keeps going back and forth as to what to do but keeps repeating the
>> number I gave him for a new A/C system. Then he tells me that is as
>> much as his cruise will be with his wife for his 30 anniversary this
>> year. (Oh, that breaks my heart..........NOT!) Then he tells me he
>> just has to ask. "How much of that price is profit?" Again Im amazed
>> but never shocked. I toss a number out of my as and tell him Im making
>> $1000 on this install. (Its not an actual number but I thought it was
>> my turn to shock HIM). He looks at me and asks, " Do you really need
>> to make that much?". I told him, "Yes, I sure do!" This business isnt
>> inexpensive to run and it costs what it costs. Then he asks me to
>> lower my price by $400 and he will do the replacement although he wont
>> be thrilled. I told him, "Nope, I cant do it". He tells me he has to
>> think about it and to get back with him if I can do a discount and/or
>> when I can do it. I call him back an hour later and he tells me he has
>> an engineer friend that can patch aluminum but he doesnt feel
>> comfortable doing it unless he can get the condensing unit to his shop
>> where he can control the conditions. I told him, "Thats fine but here
>> is my price to come out, leak check it, recover the refrigerant,
>> disconnect the refrigerant lines, line voltage and low voltage. Then
>> the cost to put it all back in running order after his buddy "patches
>> it" and all with absolutely no leak guarantee from me. Needless to
>> say, he is thinking it over for the weekend.
>> Im sure he will find someone cheaper even though its 90 and humid
>> here. It couldnt make me happier. :-)
>> Bubba
>

Posted by Noon-Air on June 17, 2007, 12:10 pm

> Friday I had a customer call..........
> We installed his 90% American Standard furnace, uncased coil and 10
> SEER A/C in 1999. I think we've been there 3 times since. Always for
> problems...never for maintenance. He says its not cooling, suction
> line frosting. I find the unit low on refrigerant. I search for the
> longest time at the outdoor unit. I see the oil spot but bubbles just
> are picking it up but the electronic is going nuts. Finally I find it
> about a 1/4" from the where the aluminum is covered with spiney fins.
> About 1" the other way is where the aluminum changes to copper. Right
> on the aluminum tube is a little black spot (several actually) and
> that is where the pinhole is. I tell the owner it needs a new
> condenser coil, or new unit with matching coil. I give him all the
> options and prices. As I button it all back up he comes out and asks
> to see the leak. I am happy to show it. Take the door off, spray it
> with bubbles and show him the leak. This is where the fun begins.
> He keeps going back and forth as to what to do but keeps repeating the
> number I gave him for a new A/C system. Then he tells me that is as
> much as his cruise will be with his wife for his 30 anniversary this
> year. (Oh, that breaks my heart..........NOT!) Then he tells me he
> just has to ask. "How much of that price is profit?"

This is where I tell him that there is no "profit", that whatever is
leftover from the equipment, parts, tools, company overhead, insurances,
advertising, etc is my salary. Then I ask him "if our positions were
reversed, would he be willing to take a cut in pay to do the job??"

> Again Im amazed
> but never shocked. I toss a number out of my as and tell him Im making
> $1000 on this install. (Its not an actual number but I thought it was
> my turn to shock HIM). He looks at me and asks, " Do you really need
> to make that much?". I told him, "Yes, I sure do!"

Again the question.... "if our positions were reversed, would he be willing
to take a cut in pay to do the job??"

> This business isnt
> inexpensive to run and it costs what it costs. Then he asks me to
> lower my price by $400 and he will do the replacement although he wont
> be thrilled. I told him, "Nope, I cant do it". He tells me he has to
> think about it and to get back with him if I can do a discount and/or
> when I can do it. I call him back an hour later and he tells me he has
> an engineer friend that can patch aluminum but he doesnt feel
> comfortable doing it unless he can get the condensing unit to his shop
> where he can control the conditions. I told him, "Thats fine but here
> is my price to come out, leak check it, recover the refrigerant,
> disconnect the refrigerant lines, line voltage and low voltage. Then
> the cost to put it all back in running order after his buddy "patches
> it" and all with absolutely no leak guarantee from me. Needless to
> say, he is thinking it over for the weekend.

Sorry, I would have told him that I can do it right, or he can call somebody
else to get it done cheap.

> Im sure he will find someone cheaper even though its 90 and humid
> here. It couldnt make me happier. :-)

Yup

> Bubba



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