Okay its not THE Pond - as some call the ocean. And it is not just A Pond - as in smaller than a lake. It is a lake! I enjoy living on it and spending time on my back porch listening to music, gazing at the lake and pondering.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Refrigerator Repairman?

Back in the spring I wrote Built-in Obsolescence bemoaning the fact we had lived in the house a full 6 years and our microwave oven went out. We could not repair it we only had to replace it. And since it was a built in appliance we had to buy a new vent kit for it as well.

Guess what? Now it is the refrigerator! Last weekend Debbie noticed our ice cream had gone soft in the freezer portion of the refrigerator. So, I got out the vacuum hose and laid on the floor to make sure the coils were not too dirty beneath the unit. (I found every little toy we had ever bought our cat under there!) It really was not that bad but I cleaned it. The temperature never really got better. So, we moved everything to the deep freeze. Ice was staying ice but it was not making new ice and the ice was just hanging in there. The temperature was hovering just right at the freezing mark.

Dad and Mom lived on 103rd East Ave in Tulsa for 40 years and only had two refrigerators that whole time. Now tell me what is wrong with American industry?

I logged onto the Sears website to schedule a repair job. The first appointment they had for a repairman to come out was September 9th! Yeah...okay if I could wait 3 weeks I would not need them. So, I pulled out the yellow pages and took a stab at another repair source. Got a repairman scheduled for Thursday (my telecommute day - a subject for a future blog). Since we live way out here on the pond they had to charge me a fuel surcharge of $40 plus their $65 dollar service charge and asked if that was alright. I said it did not make my need any less so come on out.

They called me Thursday afternoon and indicated they were backed up and could not get to me. I told her I would have to charge them a $40 late fee. The lady was not amused. I said it was not a true emergency because we had moved frozen goods to the deep freeze and the refrigerator seems to be working.

The repairman made it out yesterday laid his hands on the coils and declared the problem a compressor problem and that it would be cheaper to just get a new refrigerator. He never pulled out a tool! I was still at work and Debbie was at the house with him and called me with the diagnosis. The prognosis was to use the deep freeze for the frozen foods and use the refrigerator for as long as we can.

So, my question is, "Why do the call them repairmen?" If it is cheaper to just replace the unit why don't they put the word out that when your appliance begins to malfunction you should just go buy a new one?

I am going to start an appliance repair business. I am going to take people's calls, charge them fuel surcharges, drop by their place a day later than originally scheduled and collect $105. I figure I could work in 8 to ten stops a day even with a lunch break. I would never have to retire because no lifting is required. All I would have to do is place your my hand on the refrigerator and do a Vulcan mind-meld with the unit. Give the diagnosis, prognosis and be on my way to the next poor fool.

They just don't make things like they used too! And I am mad about it!!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

And the fact you don't have to use a tool is perfect for you!!!

Dennis said...

Hey! I think you're on to something there Can I be your assisstant? I'll work for 75% ... (plus benefits of course) ... and two weeks paid vacation. Scheduling the two of us .... hey ... retirement in 5 years!!!

Good blog.
Dennis

Tyler said...

(it's Tyler Edmounds) Hey I am supposed to start finding a job soon I should be the one working for Robb. It is the perfect job. No work, same conclusion, BIG Bucks. PERFECT!!!♀§

Katherine said...

I can relate! We had a gigantic deepfreeze that quit working once. We called the repairman and had to pay about $200. Now, he did get it fixed, but we figured we could have practically bought a new one for the same price. About 1 year later, it broke again and that is exactly what we did!

preacherman said...

I tototally understnad how you are feeling.
Our refigerater, waher, and dryer all went out at the same time.