Respect

[intellitech]

I have been with my current employer for 2 years now and like any "new guy" it takes a while to earn some respect from some of the business owners we service.....where I work we are 100% light commercial refrigeration service and some installation. So as I go on a service call and some of our customers look at me as the new guy, or should I say they look at me and think "are you sure you can fix this?" Or "are you going to be okay?" I love these moments and laugh due to how unsure people can be of themselves, but not me. I had a call today at a very notable restaurant we service and after fixing several problems lately was greeted with open arms so to speak. I guess what I mean is that there comes a point when you convince the customer that you are competent and capable of doing this for a living. So today I got some respect from a customer who is worth gaining respect from....and let me tell ya, they have the best Philly cheese steak sandwich around!!!!! Oh, I must mention that it was a free lunch and much appreciated.

Yes I love commercial refrigeration.....even though it is the most impossible job at times. But hey, I ask myself would I be happy working in an office all day staring at a computer? No way brother, just give me that box that will not cool and that no one can fix right and it is on......:D:eek:

God bless us refrigeration techs.

[sarpanch2001]

good luck ,keep fix...:)

[jeep6275]

oh man that is my life right now. i get a kick out of the same things. i have been with this company for about 4 months and am starting to get customers to know my name and even ask for me.

i love it.


keep on keepin on brother

jeep

[K_Neil]

Another good one is when a long time valued customer sells the bussiness. The new people always have to try someone else after a polite trial period. (Where I am I have a bit of an advantage over the competition in emergency situations.)
Having them learn the hard way is the best advertising I can get. I'm not trying to be mean but dealing with young know it all's takes a lot of time that u won't be able bill out.
And when they do call back it's a lot easier for them to believe u actually know the equipment that u have already done the homework on.

[jpsmith1cm]

Congrats.

[Dowadudda]

I always have run into that with a customer who is not familiar with me. Its because the last ten guys were idiots. It's also because we most likely are one of their largest expenses that you can't budget for. Anything that goes wrong, has not been thought of money wise previously, so it's a disruption.

I hate it sometimes when customers get so anxious they cross the line with respecting you, cause their in such a panic about the fact their system is down and they have no clue what it's gonna cost. They go into a craziness and start barking at you. I do hate that.

Any good refrigeration service guy has developed a air of confidence if you will too and that always don't jive with the customer. Here we are, sure as $hit about the fact that the repair is no big deal (you figured it out), nothing doing, and were just happy go lucky about the whole matter and the customer is on his last dime. They are experiencing us not empathizing with them. They don't like that.

My old man taught me to act like you care about them. It does work. Can't say I do it all the time but it does calm them down when I do it.

[jpsmith1cm]

I like the customers who gripe, sometimes jokingly, about how long it's taking you. This is more common when looking for those nasty intermittent problems. I usually answer their questions with a few pointed questions of my own.

(C): Why is it taking you so long?

(M): I'm just padding my time. Ha. No, seriously, how many times has this machine broken before? How many guys have looked at it?

(C): A lot. On both.

(M): Now, I have found the problem. Any more questions?

I try to keep the tone light, like I'm joking, but they get the point.

Dow is right. Once you cross the line and figure out that you know what is needed to figure out any problems, that air of confidence will follow you.

[Poodle Head Mikey]

White or yellow?

[Pascone10]

please tell me you got your philly cheesesteak from philly lol. Do they request that you speak english when ordering? :D

[Poodle Head Mikey]

The only one is Tony Luke. And even Tony Luke's aren't up to Jersey standards.

The very best? Nick's Steakout Right in front of Lowes where Rt. 553 crosses Rt. 55 in Mantua.

[targetman]

You ate there after seeing the kitchen?

[jappell]

You ate there after seeing the kitchen?

OH shoot me with a grilled cuban................plenty of salt in the meat, as long as the veggies are cold! Seriously, though, it is the iceing on the cake when we truly are apreciated.

[intellitech]

OH shoot me with a grilled cuban................plenty of salt in the meat, as long as the veggies are cold! Seriously, though, it is the iceing on the cake when we truly are apreciated.

Most will agree that being appreciated is the icing on the cake. I have only worked for one manager in my life who appreciated his workers and this of all places was at a department store I worked at after graduating high school. We became good friends.....guys like him are few and far between.

If I am ever a supervisor or manager I will make sure a guy is appreciated....especially if he had to work without sleep as the market guys do :eek:

Not being appreciated is nothing more than being told "I really do not care about you just get the unit fixed"......then again the best techs get out of those situations as fast as possible if possible.

[wannafreeze]

When customers request you from your employer
that's when you know you can do business..

[intellitech]

When customers request you from your employer
that's when you know you can do business..


Funny you mention that....I was sent to look at an old H Model Manitowoc water cooled machine yesterday. When I got there I talked to the customer as I always do and the lady I spoke with, I could not remember her name as it has been quite some time since I have been at this pizza shop, remembered me as the "nice guy" who does not yell at them for not taking care of their ice machine. I laughed. So it goes to show that having a positive personality can go a long way and since she remembered me it goes to show what a solid reputation can do for a tech in his career.