Just when you think you've heard it all......

[PaysonHVAC]

Don't forget it COULD have been a 30x12.5 if it was a Trane. SO that makes FOUR possibilities.

What I would have done was sold him a 30MF run cap. Chances are the FAN side of the DUAL run cap would be a 5MF. But since he didn't LOOK I would have SUGGESTED that he buy a 5MF, 7.5MF, 10MF, and a 12.5MF. At $5 a piece for the smaller caps he would have been WAY AHEAD buying all four for them vs. driving to the job and back, or buying 4 different DUAL Run Caps!


But then, you'd have to spend 30 minutes instructing him how to wire TWO discrete run caps in place of a single DUAL run cap!

[The Penguin]

tough crowd counter flunky. this might be "well you had to be there to understand" situation



Many years ago I was the new guy fresh off the boat.

I walked into a havc/ref suppliers one morning for the first time - it was busy
I waited my turn and just as I started speaking to the counter flunky another tech walked in and right up to the guy I was talking to and he served the other guy first - telling me that he was in a hurry.
I might be new here but I ain't stupid I reconise the blow off the middle finger etc. I have since done my purchases at other suppliers and almost never ( only times were when I had no choice) went back to this chain of suppliers

this has been 20 yrs so far I have NOT spent money at this certain suppliers all beacuse a counter flunky blew me off - yes I do hold gurdges this long

Now the other supplier whom has great staff ( except for the old nutcase) has over 90% of my business cause they treated me nicely the first time I walked in there


remember this: we may or may not know what we are doing but we ain't stupid.

[TCreacy]

I have actually screwed up, by not writing down the information. When I get to the supply house I have CRS, I will look at the 2 or 3 options to see if one rings a bell. If not I just pick one or by all of them. If I am wrong, I can always leave both caps in the system, one for the comp and one for the fan. Then make it right when I am back on that side of town.

Now the Its R-22 part is funny though....

[smokin68]

I've gone to the supply house and not known what a certain part was called, and all I could do was describe it and it's function. I don't give a rat's a$$ if I don't know the proper name, and my counter guys have always treated me great and tried to help me. Sure the R-22 remark was off-base, but who knows if this wasn't a "tech" that was thrown to the wolves so to speak. Like technicians, there are good counter guys and bad, and the good ones try to help, not close accounts. It would be funny if this was a corporate auditor checking on counter help.....

[gruntly]

Me at the supplyhouse, "That draft inducer's I bought a couple of months ago vibrates badly. Can you order me another one?"
Counter person to me, "Oh. Hold on"
Counter person calls manufacturer, "He says the unit vibrates...Oh, okay" Counter person back to me, "Says he needs the model and date code"
Me, "Well, this is the original bill I bought it with. Can you order me another?"
Counter person, "Not without the date code."
Me, "Where's the date code?"
Counter person, "On the draft unit somewhere."

I drive to Alliston, 30 miles one way. Time, gas, lost pay. Can't find a date code for anything.

I call the counter person from the attic, "Where did you say this date code was?"
Counter person, "I'll call you back."
Counter person calls back, "They said some of them didn't have datecodes."
Me, "Now what?"
Counter person, "No big deal, I just ordered another one."



It works both ways, I'm afraid.

Add it up... That's almost 200 miles for one warranty draft inducer. 60 to diagnose, 60 to order, and 60 to install... Impressive eh? Oh and by the way..."No big deal!!!!"

[amickracing]

I'm quite thankful for the counter guys we have in our area

We have 4 or 5 supply houses we go to regularly (there are a couple more that do everything, electrical, plumbing, heating, they suck thought).

All of the counter guys are pretty darn good and will bend over backwards to help you... course I kinda like to think that it has something to do with the fact that I've done as much as I can to help them when I can too...

Give and take...

[desertdweller]

I have a couple of houses I use regularly and they let me rummage the shelves on my own cause I usually buy more than what I came in for, but when I was a greenhand my service manager took me there and introduced me properly. BTW I really do appreciate the guys behind the counter they help with everything from a joke and a cold drink to the part I came in for.

[counterflunky]

tough crowd counter flunky. this might be "well you had to be there to understand" situation.

Exactly. My partner offered the "tech" several options. He hemmed and hawed on each one and was not able to make a decision. I don't know if he was offered a TURBO 200 or not...I don't think he was, becaure I think if he had seen one, his head would probably have exploded. When he comes back...we'll do our best to take good care of him, but as someone posted upthread, it's always best to come into the supply house as best prepared as possible. You would be surprised how many times seasoned guys will come in looking for parts for equipment we dont carry, or OEM stuff and when we ask "Did you get the model number?" or "Who is the manufacturer?" They look as if we've asked them to perform open heart surgery. "I didn't think I would need that." Is the most common answer. Trust me....that stuff helps.

[vmc1161]

About thirty years ago I walk into a supply house with my helper. I have all the info, we get to the counter and there is a new guy there. I give him the info, he tries to look it up and finally says I'm not sure about this. He tells me to go into the office and see a certain guy. I know the guy he is talking about so I go in and he gets the part numbers for me. I go back out to the counter and make a big point of going back to the new guy. He saw that I have made a bee line to him and he asked "what did he say". I tell him he said see the A-hole at the counter...everybody there burst out laughing...as it turns out he was the owners son. He had a good sense of humor and we ended up getting along great...oh I got the right part too.


.

[model m-man]

Counterflunky;
We know it's a tough job having to deal with all us ornery rascals. (those of us that are married hear that pretty often. LOL) Sometimes we forget to write something down & we think we'll remember, but CRS kicks in. Sometimes we don't have (and can't get) all the information, but we depend on you to help us figure it out. Sometimes we think { It doesn't really matter for this part} & it doesn't if we get the right counterman. We ask about things we know you don't carry because we know you'll find it for us one way or another. The bottom line is we depend on you & most of us are very loyal to those countermen that are willing to help us out even on those day's when we are a PITA. Believe me, there are day's when you are the PITA too, but we bear with you just as you do with us. Respect is a two way street.

I didn't think much about the (its an R-22 system). Half the time when I go into the supply house I am buying parts for more than one system and if I forget to write everything down (happens sometimes) I end up talking to myself trying to remember what it is that I'm forgetting. If I'd said (it's an R-22 system) I might be thinking, do I need a drier?, pressure switch?, guage?, refrigerant?, oil?, etc. My comment may have nothing to do with what I just bought. That's how I took it, but I have been wrong before. LOL