Hey Nick, Man I don't know how you do it in the REFR... business...

[Hartley]

I almost had a decent day... Well ... Almost .

( Please understand that my references to "lunatic" is more tongue in cheek than it may sound.  )


I was almost OK until about 1:30 when I got a raving call from a raving lunatic from work.
He wasn't making much sense and handed the phone off to to a service engineer working on the printing press.
That call just aggravated me, then the storm started to come over my way. I had been in the back yard with
my buddy from ormond beach and we were pumping veggie oil from 55 gallon drums in the back of his truck
and the weather started to look nasty.

Then the REAL Raving and Ranting Lunatic from work called in Sheer Panic... Ranting at me that I had to get there NOW.
This was at 1:50 pm. He wasn't making any sense... He kept saying the air compressor exploded all over the equipment room. His
Printing press was down, he couldn't get any work done and GET THERE NOW....PANIC PANIC PANIC.. Insanity.....

By the time I got into the house the storm started to get looking real close. I changed shirts, scrounged up a few tools
and headed out in the van. Directly into HELL falling from the skies... Blinding rain, lightning and more stupid drivers
out than imaginable. Zero visibility, I-4 Grinding down to 15 mph. Waves of water everywhere and lighting striking light
poles 10 seconds after I went past them...... The van became a boat a couple of times...

I get to the shop. and Sure enough this huge air compressor had commited suicide blowing bolts, bearings, springs
and all kinds of parts all the way out the door.  I then get a 6'6" Ranting Lunatic and his Shop forman both ranting at
me that The press is down, the press is down, No air pressure, Ohhh... The sky is falling... what to do, what to do....

To top things off, They called a rental place and were having a diesel portable air compressor delivered.
The kind they use for construction work.... ( Real Whiz Kids here... )

The little building that the air compressor is located in was not built to let air get through to cool the machinery.
The monster compressor even after being off for an hour was probably still at 200 degrees and too hot to touch.
The air in the room with the door open was over 150 degrees.... So here I am sweating my *ss off about to pass out
trying to find enough stuff to hook up a second compressor that should have been hooked up but wasn't because
they didn't want to pay an electrician to run new wires for it. Cheap B*stards....

The wiring that was for another compressor that was replaced by the monster was not quite enough capacity
to handle the backup unit. I wired it up, hooked up an air line feed and went inside. Then I couldn't get enough
power to keep from blowing fuses which were too small. I went to Ace hardware and bought fuses....
Well all this time it's raining, I am limping as fast as I can. I get the fuses put in, Then the breaker 200 feet away
that feeds the fuses died on me. Keep in mind it's raining, the lights are flickering, The raving lunatics are following me
around. Here I am with the cover off this 3 foot tall electrical panel changing breakers. 3-phase 240 volts @ 300 amps
panel. One slip and I am toast...... The lunatics continued... I was told that my attitude towards the plant manager had
to change...yadadadadadadada......
I said to him.... Leave me alone while I poke around in this HOT panel please...........DUH....

So I got a different breaker hooked up. flipped it on and the wires in the conduit buzzed really loud for a second....
The boss lunatic turned white as a sheet, looked up and then ducked... I just told him the compressor motor just
started up.....Put the cover on the panel and went back to the pressroom..... HEY We Got Air Pressure again...

I rewired one item in the shut-off panel and everything came back online.....well almost everything....

I had to readjust the air compressor for the right pressures and stuff.... Easy.. Just sweaty work in the dark
because the light bulb in the room is burned out.

Now the printing press doesn't want to work right... Geee that's why the Press guy was there already.. Not my problem...

From the time I got the call to the time I had air pressure rigged back up was 3 hours including travel.

Then the Rental Air compressor arrives......Yup, Its a trailer... Yup it starts and runs.... But it has all the wrong
air fittings on it. I aleady had the backup compressor running so they are hanging onto that in case they need it...
( I didn't tell them that it is not the right kind or that it would not work because it's a demand type unit that speeds
up as the need for air increases.. ) That aint gonna work !!! I give up....

They feel that since they pay me a pittance weekly to deal with the irritating stuff on call, That I should kill myself
when all Heck Breaks Loose... MY saying that I told you So is getting very Old....I tell them, They don't listen
because it would cost money, But hey throw away $2,000 an hour because you didn't want to spend $150 when
it was needed....Then complain at me about it... I don't get paid enough for this...

So How was Your Day.....

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Dave,

Your not alone in the world of dealing with A**holes.....

We handeled 29 service calls and 7 replacements today in 98deg. and 90% humidity.

And you always get the A**holes in this kinda weather. like, What time will you be here today?, early afternoon!, What time early afternoon I have to go to the beach? 

Ummm, Tomorrow early afternoon....[Get The Picture]       Or, My A/C has been running all day  How come it wont shut off? Umm, It's 98 deg. outside, and your patio

door is wide open, and your filter is totally clogged with dirt and dog hair.  Nobody told me I have a filter..... Duhhhh. Are theese people in the real world?

Hay, I take care of the elderly customers first, than everybody else who don't have attitudes.

Just venting like you Dave.......

Nick-

[RJ]

Hey guys -

I get similar grief in the swimming pool service business:

Thursday afternoon, 3:30 pm, 104 degrees in the shade, office phone rings, Mr. Jones is on the line:

"Hey, my pool's turned green.  We are having a big party on Saturday and all the kids want to go swimming.  I need you to get over hear and get it cleared up, or I'm going to cancel your service!"

"Gee, Mr. Jones. . . I seem to remember two weeks ago you said you'd clean your own filter, rather than pay me to come out and do it for you.  Did you clean it?"

"No, I haven't had time."

"So, let me get this straight.  Because you haven't cleaned your filter like you said you were going to do, and now the pool's turned green from lack of circulation, it's all my fault.  Is that correct?

"Yes, I'm paying you to keep it clean."

"Mr. Jones, you seem to have forgotten that you just wanted me to provide chemical-only service, that is, keep the water chemistry correctly balanced.  You said you would take care of the rest of the pool's required maintenance, including cleaning the filter."

"Look - I need this pool clean by noon on Saturday, get out here and clean it up!"

"Mr. Jones, can you see the main drain in the bottom of the deep end of the pool right now?"

"No, I can't see anything in the bottom of the pool, you need to drain it and refill it for Saturday!"

"Fine, Mr. Jones.  As of right now, I can be out there tomorrow right after lunch.  I'll clean the filter and rebalance the water, and the pool should clear up by Saturday morning.  Oh, and by the way, I charge $450 to clean up pool's in this condition, plus chemicals."

"FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS??"

"Yes, $450."

"Forget it, I'll get somebody else to do it." <hangs up>

I chuckle. . . 

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Thursday afternoon, 4:45 pm, now 106 in the shade, office phone rings again, it's Mrs. Jones this time:

"Can you please come over and clean up our pool?  My husband's been trying to get someone else to do it, and nobody can get it clean on such short notice."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Jones, neither can I.  Since I talked to your husband, another customer called regarding their new remote controls, and I'm now booked all day tomorrow.  I won't be able to get to your pool until next Wednesday."

"What am I going to do about my party?"

"How long has this party been planned?"

"Over a month, why?"

"Then perhaps you should ask your husband why he didn't clean the filter two weeks ago like he was supposed to.  If he had, you wouldn't have this problem today."

"You don't need to talk to me that way!"

"You're absolutely right, Mrs. Jones, I don't.  Nor do I need to take the verbal abuse your husband subjected me to about 45 minutes ago.  I'm sorry, but at this point in time, it would probably be best if you got another pool service company to take care of your pool.  And as for the party, send your husband to Leslie's. . ." 

I chuckle as I hang up the phone. . . 

[prevosman]

Are there any questions about why I sold my business?

I am currently looking for another business that will make me a lot of money (I won't give up my free time if it does not) but it needs to meet two conditions.

My new business has to be one without employees......or customers.

[steamguy56]

Hence one of the major reasons I reside in the bus board. Helps on the old stress levels. Between all those costomers....just those few sneek peeks I get helps me not go crazy!!!!     Danny