Watch out for stuff dropping in your hopper!

We have lately had several units where foreign objects have fallen in the hopper, and sticking the auger.
One call was a clothes pin......that unit wouldn't feed.

Another unit, more interesting. The stove, under warranty still, was not running. Lead time for repair at the time was 2 weeks (2-4 day weeks during Christmas and New Years' time). So, the customer called an independent service guy to come out. Nice guy, but he couldn't figure it out. So, another call from the owner. Well, this guy cant fix it, when can you come out? Two weeks, I say. Of course, I am not going to cancel prior appointments....everyone is important. So, then I got the litany of how disappointed they are, wherein I could only say I was sorry, whereupon, she said I didn't sound sorry enough (I guess cuz I wasn't crying) . Fast forward 10 minutes, I get a call from the man of the house, very upset, our company is cr%p, Harman is cr%p, and I'd better find the time to get out there earlier, old people and babies in the house, etc...I suggested they turn on their electric heat in the meantime...click (he hung up)...didn't even get the chance to suggest that if someone cancelled their appointment, I'd give them a call.
Ten more minutes and the gal calls back, explain how she is frustrated, etc., and as she does so, just gets more annoyed (guess I still didn't sound sorry enough), and then asked me, and I quote: "What would Jesus do?" Welp, that was enough....I said I didn't know what Jesus would do, but you know what? Neither do you. Well, she said she did, and that he would be compassionate with his fellow man (not sure what that means in getting the unit fixed).
Amazingly, someone did cancel! so we called them back, (was a couple days later)......turns out that the allen wrench included in the hardware packet for the stove found its way into the hopper, then into the auger. The tech pulled the auger, took out the allen wrench, and presented it to the husband, who said, and I quote "Sh%t"...he knew exactly what happened.....yup, dropped it in during a cleaning.
This isn't covered under warranty....service charge!

Likely I'll take flack for this, but hey, its the other side of the counter....this is what we see.

 

On the one hand I can perfectly understand the customer (at least part of it); They don't want to use electric heat - that is why they got the pellet stove. And, depending on how new the stove was (you didn't mention it), if it was instaled not too long ago, I would be really upset that the expensive stove was not working.

OTH, you can only do what you can do since they aren't the only people on the planet that are trying to keep warm but their stove needs serviced/fixed. When I was looking for someone to come out and service the propane boiler during the fall, I didn't get mad at that one company who had a 6 week lead time. It was my fault for waiting so long (the pilot light blew out last spring), I had another main source of heat, and my time was inflexible (they couldn't call up if they had a cancelation). I did get pizzed at all the companies that didn't bother to call me back, or said they didn't service my area when the map on their website clearly said they did.

I do believe that they overreacted. And then to find out it was something "stupid" and their fault. But I'm sure they are feeling really bad about it now (well, hopefully anyway)

 

I understand your thoughts on these types of calls. I have been in the service business since 1970, Customers have changed because everything is instant gratification in today's world. Also we need to remember that the customer is upset not necessarily with us but because something is not working and this is an inconvenience in their lives.

As a side note it's amazing how we remember the problem customers and tend to forget the ones that send home Cookies, Fudge etc. send thank you notes when they pay the bill etc.
I sometimes get frustrated with things and then I remember all the great people that I have met.

 

also, dont forget, this is MY view of things.......one guys perception would be different than another's.
Pellet stove had burned for a season, but is still under warranty......for a failed part. This wasn't a failed part. My short term solution, to avoid everyone freezing to death, was to simply turn on the "backup" heat....around here you cant get a building permit listing a pellet stove as primary heat.

 

I had something like that happen, except I figured it out on my own. It was a clear plastic fork. Wife had spilled pellets, swept them up and put them in the hopper, not knowing she also collected a fork. I told her, next time, toss the spilled pellets. Don't risk an object getting in there that might damage the unit. I would also have some issues if I was told a service call was 2 weeks. I can understand that for routine stuff, but if something quits, not good. Why not have an open slot to cover urgent situations? At the time of sale, do you tell to the person buying a stove that there is a two week waiting period for service calls, and no urgent service. When I bought my stove, I admit I didn't ask about service, but that was because my nephew was a tech employed by that sales shop. I know I can get a hand anytime I might need it. I didn't ask or get any discounts etc.

 

In the end it sounds like easy money. And I bet the customer will forget about your horrible service and will probably talk highly of his Harman in the future.

 

I pulled this out of the jammed auger...
I will never burn cheap pellets again!!



Dan

 

This time of year, we have all kinds of things to do. Installs are scheduled when the stove is purchased...that takes up some slots. Believe it or not, some folks don't think to have their units cleaned until now, that takes up some others. Whats left are spots for repairs. It isn't really realistic to leave open spots, because everything is a priority to the customer who is calling for service.....they are ALL important. I guess there isn't really any "routine" stuff.....cleanings and installs don't take up all our time...the rest is "emergency" stuff. Once something is scheduled, I cant call someone and put them off simply because someone else isn't running (especially in the situation where its something they did wrong).
Also, this is a terrible time of year, with two weeks of 4 day workweeks....doesn't help.
The waiting period is unpredictable as well. Can be two weeks. It can also be two days....just no way to predict product failures, or failures from lack of cleaning, or failures from foreign objects, etc. It really doesn't pay to have a guy, a TRAINED guy, with tools, and a van, sitting there waiting for people to call. Heck, my closest competition is into February right now....imagine telling someone 4-6 weeks?!
I am unaware of anyone in this area who has 24 hour call on wood/pellet stoves.

 

Let me solve all your problems, and make you more money. Tell everyone that they really need to have two stoves. It's a win win

 

How do you not "LIKE" that enough! Of course, one might also say, twice the stoves, twice the problems?

 

Sounds like you could employ another person, if only part time. Would you be willing to wait over two weeks to get a repair on, say your washing machine, or car etc. Or how about the computer. The only ones I know who get away with that stuff are doctors and dentist. Even they have urgent care.

 

nah...I fix my own puter, car, washing machine, furnace. For the month or so per year, its tough to get qualified people to fix these things, and given the profit environment, cant just have a guy hanging around waiting...I guess we have to agree to disagree on this one. Employees are very expensive. Noone has urgent care, far as I know, for pellet stoves, since they were never meant to be the sole primary source of heat. Sometimes you might get lucky, there are a few hours, someone cancelled, etc, where someone can get right out, but this time of year? Not so much. I'm also not sending a part-timer down to Harman, to get trained, only to employ them for 2-3 months, have to lay them off in march, and end up paying more in unemployment.

 

Interesting. How much do pay for unemployment for one employee?

 

here ya go....
Unemployment Insurance

edit:
While we're at it, lets add workmen's comp insurance, transportation, etc

 

Yeah... I get that. Me too...
But what if you didn't? Couldn't?
If your toilet was backed up, you'd want someone out there fairly quick..
Not taking sides, just sayin'.
Some people do not understand being in business, and lack patience
in the event of something important...
Like heat.
Or toilets.

Dan

 

I fix my toilet too.

All joking aside, whether you understand it or not, whether you like it or not, it simply doesn't make a lot of sense to overstaff, overinventory, etc. Doing stuff like that tends to take a person out of business fairly quickly. It'd be great the have a van running outside, a factory trained and certified tech at the wheel waiting for someone to call, but it simply doesn't make sense from a business perspective. I understand frustration....I was married once.
I can imagine that we wont all agree here...you folks from the users' side, me from the other side of the counter....I wont say youre wrong, but will point out there are other opinions, equally valid, as your own. Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance.

 

Hilarious! 20 minutes after wrote this post, went to the bathroom, and the water was running! Had a catastrophic flapper failure in the tank! Yep, I fixed temporarily it until today, when I can replace the part.

 

I get it... just pointing out how people "out of the loop" can not get it...
I get the deer in the headlight look, trying to explain why a pallet doesn't cost
what we advertise as the price per ton.....
You can explain all you want about the extra 10 bags....
Still the look....
About how it is 1.2 tons, not 1 ton...
Still the look....
"yeah.... but it says $249...."


Dan

 

Your example is just a little skewed - "they" don't have urgent care, hospitals have urgent care (emergency rooms) or in a separate building (dedicated urgent care - which in some places close at 9 pm), and you have to go to them unless you take an ambulance. And that is $1,000 for an hour of their time, and a couple gallons of gas - ask me how I know. Goodness only knows how much that ride costs if they do something other than transport and take your blood pressure. Additionally, a lot of hospitals (with their emergency rooms) and urgent care services are subsidized by taxpayers so that those services are available.

Can you imagine telling someone they have to pay $1,000 for emergency service on their pellet stove? Or try telling them they have to bring the stove in to the shop

 

I too completely understand LW position here. There are only so many hours in a day but we will generally go to whatever lengths possible for certain situations. In this one, the customer did have another source of heat so although they may not like it they could stay warm-and find another dealer if that is what they wish to do-that is in no way a dig on LW its the customers prerogative. The customer did do this and they other person could not resolve a simple blockage.

Regarding good customers who pay their bills-I/We do remember them and sometimes they get the preferential treatment. If any sent us fudge, they would get the best treatment !!