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A customer in Omaha asked me to fix her 20-year-old dryer for the third time this year.
I was at her house last week, pulling the drum again to replace a worn idler pulley. She watched me work and said, 'I know you think I'm crazy, but this machine dried my kids' soccer uniforms and my husband's work clothes. It's part of the family.' She wasn't just being cheap; she had a real attachment to this old Kenmore. It made me think about how we often see a broken part, but the customer sees a history. I got it running, but the motor is getting noisy. How do you all handle those jobs where the repair is getting silly, but the customer is emotionally invested? Do you gently push for replacement, or just keep fixing it as long as they ask?
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tyler8222mo ago
Fixed his grandpa's truck until it became scrap metal.
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rowanp157d ago
Be upfront with her about the motor noise and let her know which fix will stop being worth the money pretty soon. I usually let people make the call but I'll say something like 'just so you know, the motor's going to give out eventually and that'll be your sign to shop around.' It keeps her in the loop and lets her start mentally preparing for the new machine without me having to push her into it.
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