Lack of Planning

I'm not the only one who walks. Me brother Phil affords himself regular constitutionals. Yet unlike me he tends to hike in the late afternoon or early evening. 

One Sunday afternoon a bit after 4, he went out. While getting his exercise he figured to check out the Shop, the old barn where we work, just to see it was secure. 

He was just a bit surprised to see a plumber waiting by the door. "Man, I'm glad to see you Cosgriff. I need my machine worked on."

"Well, you're really lucky to find me. We normally aren't here this time of the week," Phil explained.

The man said, "Oh, I know. I just hoped someone might come around eventually."

So you came late on a Sunday afternoon? Did you intend to wait outside my door until Monday? Still, me brother offered, "Well, since I'm here, let's open up and take a quick look at your snake."

The plumber stammered, "Uh, I don't have it with me."

So you came to the Shop at a time when you didn't think that anyone would be there, and you didn't bring your machine, thought Phil. And, you didn't see a flaw in that plan?

Yet he said, "We'll be here tomorrow morning at 8 then sir."

I don't think we ever actually saw him though. That may he just as well.

Sympathy Pangs

A gentleman came into the Shop yesterday, saying a phrase which I have come to hate. When I expressed my doubt that I could help him immediately he replied, "I know you can do something for me Cosgriff."

The trouble with such statements is that what I can do and what he wanted done were totally incompatible. He wanted a miracle while I have to work in the practical. He needed a cage and a belt, neither of which I have. "You're looking at $425 and about two to four weeks," I explained. 

This news disappointed him; his expression sank like the Bismarck. He then spent the next 20 minutes shooting ideas at me in a pleading way. Yet there was nothing to be done. Cage, belt, a wait time. End of story.

I was truly sympathetic. The elevator didn't go all the way to the top floor but the guy was sincere. He wanted to work. He had work to do. I have more respect for him than the folks who sit at the top of freeway exits with cardboard signs. Yet there were no options. Without those parts I could do nothing. There was no way of fabricating something, no jury rigging which might be done to help him along. No alternative existed for me to help him.

I suggested renting a unit when he had a job, and even mentioned that renting something long term might be cheaper. Too, as I also said, check rental stores for used equipment. They often sell older units as they are replaced with new. But I don't doubt that money was an issue for him, and that was part of the problem.

I hope he figures something out because I want guys willing to work to be able to work. I do feel bad for his predicament. But when there's nothing you can do there's nothing you can do. 

It's just in many ways kinda sad.

Cloyce should not have rushed the old man

Me Pops, he liked to tell stories. Most of them were funny or clever. But some, when he would relate them, he still got upset about.

There was this one aggravating sewer guy, I'll call him Cloyce just to give him a name, who came into the Shop one morning with snake trouble. And he had to have his machine ASAP, right away, just as quickly as possible. Pops told him he'd do what he could as fast as he could.

It turned out to be something electrical, beyond Dad's ability. So he took it to our electrician a few blocks away, impressing upon him that it was an emergency. Ben, the electric motor guy, promised he'd get right on it.

He called Dad about two hours later that it was ready, and Pops immediately picked it up. He returned to the old barn to call Cloyce, and got Mrs. Cloyce. "Tell Cloyce his machine is all ready," he explained to her.

She responded. "Well, okay, but he left an hour ago to visit relatives in Georgia. He'll be gone three weeks."

When Cloyce returned and picked up his snake me Pops demanded, "Why did you rush me when you knew you were going to be gone for three weeks?"

"I just wanted to be sure it would be ready when I got back."

Pops let him know in no uncertain terms (he was quite forceful when he needed to be) that he did not appreciate such an attitude and would not tolerate it in the future. I'm editing that part of the story, but I'm sure you have an idea of how it went. And Pops never rushed on Cloyce's account again.

Just Like I Said

Do you remember this past Thursday when I told you no more repair quotes over the phone? You don't? Well, pretend you did.

The man in question came in, I'll call him Cloyce just to give him a name, Jay, and sure enough, the two set screws I described (remember or pretend to remember how I described them) were indeed frozen in place. I had to remove the round part they sat in, secure it in my bench vise, and apply heat. Fortunately that worked, yet I still charged Cloyce $80. I for one think that fair.

What nearly set me off was when Cloyce asked as he paid "I don't see how you couldn't have told me eighty bucks over the phone Cosgriff."

It's a good thing I had already turned off the acetylene torch, because I would have torched him with it. "I didn't know I'd have to do this, Cloyce." Though why I bothered to say that, I don't know either. 

Love Hate Relationship

I love, and by that I mean I hate, when customers try to assure me that a repair they want done will be easy. I'm sure I've been crabby about that before, among other things. In fact, I'm rather crabby now.

I'll say it again, I'll shout it from the rooftops, I will put it in as plain a language as I can: until I know exactly what is causing the trouble, and until I determine how to fix the problem, and until the necessary repair is complete and a unit is operating properly, no job is easy. It's easy when it's done, in which case rightly speaking it was easy. Easy only applies in the past tense. Easy never applies to the future tense, nor will it fit in the present tense. End. Of. Report.

The next time a caller assures me that his job will be easy, I'm just going to give him the parts and say, have at it. I might even shove them into his ears through the phone. 

Curious George and the KC-8

Yesterday morning I was confused (quiet, Ron). I took a call while at home grabbing a sandwich for lunch. The customer was asking if his machine was ready, one which needed a KC-8 gear shaft. Don't worry about what that is (although I'll tell you if you insist; are those crickets?) as it's not important to the story. I told him no, sorry, at which point he asked if he could get it by 2. I said that would be no problem.

The interesting thing is that right before lunch I had finished installing a KC-8 on a machine which I promised for Noon. Yet upon returning to the Shop I saw that I had actually repaired the unit for the guy who had called as I ate. I had repaired the wrong machine. Fortunately I had time to get the other done promptly, before that customer had come for it. Thank goodness for tardiness sometimes.

In any case that allowed me to call the guy from my lunch straight away and tell him he was ready after all and he could come get his machine at his convenience. But as I explained the situation to me brother Phil he remarked, "In other words, you pulled a Curious George."

"Huh?" I asked, further confused.

"You did the wrong thing but it worked out well."

He has a point there, doesn't he?

The Gomez file

This morning at work I had to file down a part in repairing a machine. The user of this particular machine had broken a bearing and, rather than back off on the pressure which was on the bearing or even taking a minute to check why said bearing was not working, said user increased the pressure until he had caused damage to the bearing holder. So rather than simply needing a bearing replaced I now had to file down the warped part of the bearing holder so that it would work. Sometimes people make a repair job more extensive and expensive when they don't just stop what they're doing and try to consider why their machine isn't working as it should. Customers, eh?

So I had to file down the bearing holder before replacing the bearing. This required a rather large file as there was a large flat area which I needed to smooth. I secured the part in my vise and began filing.

The job went well. I believe what helped was that I channeled my inner Gomez in applying the file. You know that scene in the old Addams Family TV show where John Astin (who played Gomez Addams of course) is filing away at something, and sneering as he did so? That was me around 10 AM today, sneering at that part, knowing that it would succumb to my will.

This afternoon, well, I get to make my model trains crash.

Not nearly enough info

An older gentleman came in the Shop the other day, wanting to know about a switch for his snake. When I asked what he had, he stooped over and with bowed arms demonstrated that his had a large drum. I apologetically said that that didn't really help me. I needed a make and model to get him the right switch. 

He went right back into the same motion, the same position, explaining, "It has a big drum, like this." 

"Sir, that simply doesn't help. Drums can be cage type, spun aluminum, or plastic. Maybe something else. And there's dozens of snakes with large drums." 

He was obviously dejected at that. "So I have to bring it in to you?" 

"Either that, or call me with a make and model. Even then I'd rather see it, because things can get changed over time. Maybe someone put a different motor on it. An older machine might need a different switch from a newer version." 

"Well, let me see if I can get someone to help me bring it to you." I genuinely felt bad for the old gent. But what he was asking was like needing a part for your car and describing the vehicle as having four tires. He simply wasn't giving me enough information to help

Yet I still feel bad for the guy.

Snakes and Fords

An older gentleman came in the Shop the other day, wanting to know about a switch for his snake. When I asked what he had, he stooped over and with bowed arms demonstrated that his had a large drum. I apologetically said that that didn't really help me. I needed a make and model to get him the right switch.
He went right back into the same motion, the same position, explaining, "It has a big drum, like this."
"Sir, that simply doesn't help. Drums can be cage type, spun aluminum, or plastic. Maybe something else. Even color wouldn't necessarily help me, as they might have been painted from the factory original color. And there's dozens of snakes with large drums."
He was obviously dejected at that. "So I have to bring it in to you?"
"Either that, or call me with a make and model. Even then I'd rather see it, because things can get changed over time. Maybe someone put a different motor on it."
"Well, let me see if I can get someone to help me bring it to you." I genuinely felt bad for the old gent. But what he was asking was like needing a part for your car, and describing the vehicle as having four rubber tires and lots of glass and medal. Though less complicated than cars, snakes just aren't all that simple.
But I still feel bad for the guy.

The confused customer conundrum

A customer called yesterday telling me he needed a reversing switch. I said come on down, I have them in stock. He came on down. But his reversing switch was not the problem.
My first clue, as I started to do the job, was the badly damaged cord which ran to the on/off switch which also had no on/off switch at the end. There were only exposed wires. "Where's your switch?" I naively asked.
"It's gone, Cosgriff."
Sighing heavily, I responded, "I see. Pray, where hath it gone? Towards what destination didst thou last spy it goeth?" Okay, I didn't say that. I said something like, what happened to it?
"It fell out of my hand when I was using it Sunday and hit the handle of the machine, breaking it and shorting my reverse switch."
Uh-huh. So that switch, a switch completely separate and distinct from the forward-reverse switch, broke, and that broke your reverse switch. Yes, Cosgriff.
I set to work opening the reverse switch box, thence finding my second clue. The clamp which secures the cord to the missing on/off switch was bent upwards; the cord itself ran through an open hole unsecured. "Nobody touched this?" I asked, knowing somebody touched it.
"Nope, Cosgriff."
"Because I would not have left this like that," I explained dryly. "Neither would my brother Phil. It would not have come from the factory like this. So we didn't do it."
Ignoring my unassailable logic he replied with a straight face, "Nobody touched it Cosgriff."
I took the cover from the box, removed the reverse switch, and took all the wires off of it. I wired the switch directly to the power cord so that the machine would start as soon as I plugged it in, if the reverse switch was okay. The machine ran. Both directions. "So I don't need a reverse switch, Cosgriff?" the customer asked, with a wide grin and the delight of a child at Christmas.
"Well, no," I kind of sort of chuckled. "But you need a cord for your on/off switch and an on/off switch. You're looking at 90 bucks installed."
"Aw, Cosgriff, you told me 40 bucks on the phone!" he protested.
Calmly yet pointedly I responded, "I told you 40 for a reverse switch installed. That wasn't the problem. You stood right here as I showed you that."
"So I need 90 dollars to fix it?" he queried. Yes, I answered, even though we had just established the fact. I fixed it, he paid me, he left.
I guess my question is, was I the idiot there?

Ram parts

One of the many neat tools you can buy from Electric Eel is a little cylindrical unit called a Kinetic Water Ram. It has a pump with which you can build up air pressure, and a trigger whereby you release it. You stick it over a drain opening, build up the pressure, and wham! A burst of air opens the line. Neat, huh?

But like anything else it requires service from time to time. After a lot of use the washers inside the unit wear so that it won't hold pressure, for example. There's a repair kit available for when this happens.

One day a customer called and explained his trouble and I said he needed that kit. He asked if I'd order it and call him when it arrived. Fair enough; we do that regularly. I told him sure.

When the Ram repair kit came a day or two later I called the guy to let him know it was in. Thanks, he said, but he was by then in the middle of a large plumbing job and couldn't get to my Shop for a couple days. No problem, I replied, we'd hold it for him.

As I hung up the phone I sat and I looked at the kit. O'er the Ram parts we watch, I thought.

Good eh?