RTFM!!!

I am averaging 4 calls a day with questions that can be answered by Reading The F&*%(@# Manual. I can almost tell them the page number to look up the information up. Some are my customers and most are not. Don't get me wrong I can send a Tech or myself over within 72 hours but there is a $75 service fee for this. This causes a stutter and then the questions flow like a politician caught in a lie. (Do you know how to tell a politician is lying? Their lips move).

Please RTFM!

Eric

 

I love it Eric! This cracked me up, some people are lost inside that wet paper bag they live in!

 

True that. I'm reminded of a poster on another forum......does "Slickplant" remind you of fun times?

 

I can relate. I went out on a call two days ago for a quad 1200i that was "going out while running." I showed up, fired it up, put it on high and after 15 minutes the flame wasn't even leaving the burnpot.... well that's not right. I opened up the feed gate an inch, got flames about 5" high out of the pot on high and wa-la, stove was running great.

I tried to talk them through this on the phone, I also told them to read the manual.... They didn't try what I suggested. They would have been happy with your service call, ours are $179! If it was a part, the stove was under warranty but human error is a service call. I felt bad but, bosses orders are to slap em with the stupidity charge.

 

Thank you Dexter, it's much appreciated! I like it here already

 

Welcome RockyMtnHigh!

 

Welcome to the show nice to have tech's here

 

Welcome Rocky!!!

 

Thanks for the warm welcome everybody, I'm by no means an expert, but I can fix things.

 

Welcome rocky, you will have a blast here!

 

<sigh> welcome to my world bro

 

hey, Mike!

Yea, but to be fair to the end-user, some of the manuals really leave a lot to be desired...things are getting a bit better, but man! We sell Harmans....here's what you don't wanna hear after answering the phone:
1. What model stove do I have? I dunno...its heavy and black.......
2. Of course I clean my stove....I take out the ashes when the tray overfills
3. I CANT burn clumpy pellets? Why? Its wood....
4. STATUS light? Whats a status light?

In all seriousness, some of the worst, for Harman's at least, are the "my stove isn't feeding" issues (can be ALOT of things)....then the "I am using more pellets than last year", then the "intermittent funny noises I cant put my finger on", and don't forget the ever-popular "my stove isn't putting out enough heat..." questions, comments, and observations.
I don't mind trying to trouble-shoot a bit over the phone, but don't really have all day to do so, and frankly, I cant often tell what that funny noise is by holding the phone to the stove (yea, folks do that). At some point, the rubber has to hit the road, and not all units can be fixed by the end-user over the phone. We charge $189/service call, regardless of how much time it takes to fix it. Folks balk at that, but it can actually be cheaper than fixing it themselves, as we aren't throwing semi-expensive, non-returnable parts at the stove...all that can cost a lot of $$$$$$$$!

Some manufacturers are pretty geared up to help the end user, and do a good job of it (Mike), other companies try.........

 

Oh yes, "My stove is not putting out enough heat". Well how much pellet are you burning. "Oh I burn a bag a day". Well at a bag a day that is approx 13,600 input BTUs per hour. Yes I do not want to burn more than that. DAHHHHH!

Eric

 

I used to burn a bag a day back in high school, but I have heard the stuff has gotten much better and you don't need any where near a bag a day now!!