Black list bible?

[Martin]

Wouldn’t it be handy to have a list to hand of all machines you don’t wish to repair or get involved with?

When a customer phones up and say’s he or she has a certain machine that’s gone wrong, it’s hard to recall during the phone conversation as to which models you have sworn previously…NEVER TO TOUCH AGAIN! 😈

I have just such a list running (so far) to a full A4 sheet right now that covers many makes and their model numbers. The benefit being that I don’t get involved from an early stage, thus eliminating any undue time, inconvenience and expense on my part toward a potential new job.

Likewise from a customers point of view, he or she is not misled into thinking I or my company can get involved in the process of solving their problem, when in fact the opposite is the conclusion or possible result! 🙁

No money changes hands, no-one gets inconvenienced, respect and honesty are the result. The potential customer can then be diverted toward someone that has the where-with-all, experience or perhaps agency responsibility to sort it for them. 🙂

I don’t wish right now to share with you what’s on my personal ‘Blacklist’ nor suggest for a moment you share yours right here, right now lest some smart ar£e say’s ….”how easy they are to fix and I can’t think why you throw business away like that?” :rolls:

The only annoying scenario that I have found from this is that these days more and more machines are reluctantly being added by me to the list….It shouldn’t be so I know. And for the most part due entirely to lack of technical info, fumbling in the dark, poke and hope, and by far and away not a good responsible business footing type option ultimately… 🙁

But do please consider yourself in making such a list, but for all the right reason as I have highlighted. I only hope that for us all that that list gets shorter and shorter. We shall see? 😕

[eastlmark]

Re: Black list bible?

Dont like a challenge then Martin? Would be a long list had I blacklisted any model that caused a headache or financial loss the first time I came across one. Take the Hairer dishwasher, would have blacklisted it after the first few but done so many now I just take them forgranted. Plus the chances of getting an accurate model number from a customer is pretty remote. Even getting an accurate make is often a problem.
I could understand a list of makes you may not want to get involved with due to tech issues or parts supply but model by model?
Intrigued to hear just an example of one of your blacklisted models Martin…..

[Martin]

Re: Black list bible?

eastlmark wrote:Dont like a challenge then Martin?

Every job I take on is a challenge these days, that’s the only thing that keeps me going, after all said and done I don’t need the money… :snigger:

eastlmark wrote:Intrigued to hear just an example of one of your blacklisted models Martin…..

I’m not biting on that one Mark sorry! 😉

[Madmac]

Re: Black list bible?

Yes if we all black listed the ones that are a pain there would be a hell of a lot of engineers sitting at home watching daytime TV. I must admit i get pleasure in finally solving a tricky one, but of course the built to a price crap that some punters insist on buying time & time again is tempting to avoid..silk purse from piggies ear & all that..

[tanner]

Re: Black list bible?

hi all,
i agree with martin there are a number of machines out there that i now dont touch with a yard stick.
just not worth getting involved if you want to make a profit!!!.

rgds
stuart

[kwatt]

Re: Black list bible?

There’s only one thing we refuse out of warranty that we’re agents for and that’s the Chinese stuff, especially the dishwashers but, it’s all garbage and an almost guaranteed recall IME.

Although we don’t refuse anything else we do scale charges on either the product group or the brand/manufacturer. So, for example, the minimum we’d charge to see a US side-by-side is £80 IIRC, any gas appliance is £70 and upwards but if it’s gas and it’s Kuppersbusch (that we know will be a double visit is spares needed and a wait for any spares = high hassle factor) that can rise to over £100 labour.

I don’t mind doing stuff so long as we get paid properly to do it and that the rate reflects the hassle of it.

K.

[Martin]

Re: Black list bible?

It’s not possible for one thing nor credible for another for any multi-engineer organisation to refuse any work. The practicalities just don’t exist for the most part anyway to discriminate. A call has to be accepted and a charge made accordingly.

The sole trader does however have the wherewithall to make an instant decision for the mutual benefit of both himself and his customer as to the practicalities of taking a particular job on right from the outset. And the wealth of experience between engineer and customer as to the most likely scenario on any job outcome can be established right from the outset.

‘Cherry Picking’ is the terminology best associated throughout the trade with regard to out of warranty work. A Chinese dishwasher that manages to stretch 2 years lifespan before it goes wrong gets far less consideration for a service call than a £1,000 fridge freezer of the same age. And advice over the telephone to any of these customers is dealt with appropriately. No point in taking on a Chinese dishwasher where the customer complains that the trip switch went out and smoke is pouring from the control panel. Whereas the £1,000 fridge with the exact same symptoms however will definately be worth a look at I’m sure. 😉

So my point still stands, that there is for many of us a certain (perhaps undisclosed?) Black List Bible that many of us use as a yardstick for fair and responsible judgement as to what work to accept and what to reject? Without ripping off the cusomer with any pointless Call-out charge just to say its BER. 😕

I personally am complimented on a regular basis by those potential customers I give honest and unbiased information to and the well coined phrase I am so very accustomed to hearing back from the is: ” I thank you for your honesty”

It’s not a ‘halo-polishing excercise’ by any means, but simply a way of generating respect in so very many cases. But above all that it does not involve me in wasting my time and money on any pointless endeavour in the hope of making a quick buck out of someone elses ignorance.

The only worry is that my personal black list is getting longer and longer these days, and that’s the worry! 🙁

[Author]

Posts