ducking sunday morning service calls

[K_Neil]

Got a call early sunday about a squealing fridge. Everything still working but no fan motor in stock. Tried everything to put it off till monday, nothing worked and my tee time was coming up. Finally got mad and told him it's double time on sunday. Instant reply " Oh it can wait till tomorrow." CLICK

[theycallmethefireman]

That gets em everytime

[ACworks]

Got a call early sunday about a squealing fridge.

I wish they would learn. Emergency service hours are for.....

Drum roll please....

Emergencies!

[HeyBob]

Amazing how it can go from an emergency to a regular service call once you talk about money!

[cehs]

I first tell them that I ONLY run calls that cause fire, shocking, flooding, or health related problems as emergencies.
Then I tell them that I charge extra on saturdays, sundays, and holidays.
They usualy ask how much extra, then I usualy hear that it can wait.

Chris

[Toolboy]

I have always responded to anything from drips to disasters (although we charge extra) as my boss would surely die of starvation if I were to ever miss an after hours call. One day, while answering an unusually high volume of calls, I had an angry customer that could not understand why I could not respond immediately to his lack of comfort cooling. "It says in the phone book that you have 24 HR. emergency service" he said, "Why do I have to wait?" My response was; "Sir, for real emergencies dial 911, other wise I'll be there as soon as I can."
Consequently, my boss had to take call one weekend. When I came in on Monday, he handed me a list of people that had called in over the weekend that he told to wait until Monday.?????????????????????????????????

[habs]

How come when they call at 8 am and are told they have to wait until the afternoon it is ok but when they call at 1 am they can't wait until 8 am?

[HVAC9900]

One tech I knew would always tell them its a 4 hour minimum charge at OT rate(which was not true), do you want me to come out?
He rarely had to go.

[chiselwac]

Hmmmm.... Guess I'm weird.. I run every call I can get.. Just like the OT!

[yellowirenut]

depends who what when...If its a regular retail store i talk them into letting me come in the morning. A restaurant, i ask when closing time is. If its still several hours away i go on the call because they are losing business, if its within 2 hours i tell them i will be their in the morning. Server rooms and smell of gas i am putting on my boots before i even hang the phone up.

[K_Neil]

This was a domestic call and the fridge was still cooling just with a noisy fan motor that I didn"t have and couldn't even order till monday. With over night bus freight the only alternative.
Major grocery store or other business customers are definately too important to leave unattended.

[woodsman]

Had a co-worker who would tell them for him to come out in the middle of the night someone better need CPR.

[Swabby]

Reminds of a time when I was still working for someone else.............I was on call and a call came in at about 9:30 pm on a Friday night. A guy, who's furnace wasn't working and it was a cold night, called and wanted me to come out, but after explaining the overtime rates he said, "Screw that! I'll wait till Monday!" and then hung up. I said to my wife that after he explains it to his wife they'll be calling back. About twenty minutes later......sure enough..... the wife called back. LOL!