because you care
October 27, 2006
So what was wrong with the dryer… I honestly didn’t think anyone would care. My dryer is so touched.
I will try to explain it in layman’s terms, because I don’t know any others, and hope that it is clear. Inside the dryer are clumps of colorful skinny wires. Why are there so many and why are they so colorful? I don’t know… a little bling for the appliances perhaps.
These wires should be tied up somehow to the inside of the dryer so that they don’t just hang there. Because the big metal spinning drum thing takes up most of the inside of the dryer. And it spins really fast, and often in the case of my dryer.
My wires were not tied up and so the drum rubbed on them. Eventually wearing off the colorful rubber coating and finally cutting a couple of the little wires, which caused the dryer to stop.
So the repair guy replaced the little wires. Then he asked me for some twist ties which he used to tie the wires up. I asked if there was some tie made specifically for this purpose that my dryer might enjoy better. But he said no. Which I don’t believe. Wouldn’t they be called sandwich bag/appliance wire twist ties?
The repair guy was an old curmudgeon who could use some lessons in polite interaction with customers. After he walked into the house he followed me to the laundry room and said, “Are you sure you can afford to pay me?”
When he saw my confused look, he added, “I mean look at this place. You hardly even have furniture.”
I really didn’t know what to say. I was completely taken aback. He was standing in our kitchen which is obviously mid renovation, but is still a completely functional kitchen. And he was looking around like he had just walked into a tenement… a trailer park tenement.
I wish I had said, “No. I wasn’t going to pay you. I was planning on killing you and burying you in the backyard once the dryer was repaired.”
But instead I just laughed that feeble non-confrontational laugh and hoped he would be done quickly. Which he was. And then I paid him with a check, that won’t bounce.
But wouldn’t it be funny if it did?
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Boy, that would piss me off. I would’ve told him I had no money and then offered to pay him in sex when he was finished just to see the look on his face.
October 27th, 2006 at 8:46 amI cannot believe he said that!! What a jerk!
But at least the dryer is fixed, which is most important. And you’ll know never to recommend the curmudgeon-y dryer repair guy.
October 27th, 2006 at 8:48 amHa ha ha, that is so funny. I can totally see someone saying that after coming into my house. Actually, I get that when we’re out and I usually blame it on my scraggly hair and non-designer clothes in a designer-obsessed nation. But I am never offended. Sometimes I wish I could ask my clients that in advance. Are you sure you can afford to pay me? Are you sure you WILL actually pay me even if you can afford it? That would make my life so much easier.
October 27th, 2006 at 8:51 amROTFL, at least he gave you something to blog about ^^
I guess it must have been all the kids running around, no way you would have money for dryer repairs.
Karen
October 27th, 2006 at 8:52 amOnce again you have made me laugh out loud sitting in the predawn dark here at my computer. It’s actually kinda nice to hear that there are still some outrageous curmudgeons out there. We had one call our house a cabin and suggest that we tear it down rather than do a repair.
October 27th, 2006 at 9:13 amHE. SAID. THAT? Oh. My. Gosh.
Wow.
I’m pretty much almost speechless. LOL.
October 27th, 2006 at 9:15 amHa! I would have said something about being into the minimalist look and offered him a chair as payment.
Congrats on the dryer being fixed! Because yeah about any price would be worth not dragging wet clothes and children to the laundry mat (been there, done that).
October 27th, 2006 at 9:35 amHe is so RUDE! and you are too nice. I’m afraid my tongue would have run off and been rude right back, in a sarcastic way so that he wouldn’t leave without fixing the dryer first, of course.
October 27th, 2006 at 9:35 amIf he ever comes back (perish the thought) tell him you’ll be paying him in chickens and homemade muffins.
Customer service is a lost art. Good thing the guy never became a doctor — can you imagine his bedside manner?
October 27th, 2006 at 9:44 amWow. Either you were being nice, or were just stunned that he would say that in his outloud voice. You should have told him, no you couldn’t afford to pay him but were hoping to rent out one of the kids to work off the debt…
October 27th, 2006 at 9:52 amI love all the different ideas of what to say to him!! Those made me laugh as much as the original post!! *chickens, muffins, chairs…hahaha…wipes eyes…*
October 27th, 2006 at 10:13 amPerhaps a complaint to the company is in order. And maybe you’ll get your check back?????
October 27th, 2006 at 10:16 amLOL!! I am beginning to think you live someplace other than earth. The things people say to you up there completely floor me.
But, having a dryer makes it worth it.
October 27th, 2006 at 10:17 amI’m rather outraged on your behalf. I have been to your house, and I think it is quite obvious that you are in mid-renovation and can clearly pay the stinking dryer fixer guy. How outrageously rude! It’s too bad that there weren’t other repair people, because I would have loved for you to throw him out. Grrrr.
October 27th, 2006 at 10:27 amwell i thot yuns payd with saks of taters in yer parts. my misteak.
October 27th, 2006 at 10:45 amThere is never a shortage of stupid things for stupid people to say.
October 27th, 2006 at 10:54 amWhat a butthole. I would have told him to forget and called another repair person. Jerk!!!
October 27th, 2006 at 11:05 amcan I have a sak of taters? im going to feed them to my dryer. oh and by the way, dont forget to mention frogs and lizards do not appriciate being dried of in the dryer to your kids. its better they know this before they try…sigh
October 27th, 2006 at 11:19 ammaybe he was trying to be funny? like, a very dry joke?
ok, probly not.
I’d have stuffed him in the dryer to try it out.
October 27th, 2006 at 11:28 amWell that’s just what you want to hear when you have a new visitor! I think I would have cried!
October 27th, 2006 at 11:53 amYou should have said you wanted it to look like the ‘Olden Days, when Old folks like him were growing up’.
Emphasis on the OLD.
October 27th, 2006 at 11:58 amI might have killed him just for that. I mean for jeezum’s sake, you’re a freaking repair man…
October 27th, 2006 at 12:03 pmCrusty old Curmudgeon is way too good of a description of him.
You should have told him you had to pawn the furniture to come up with the payment.
October 27th, 2006 at 12:08 pmThe really sad part is…he comes out and fixes it when you need it. I bet you use him again
October 27th, 2006 at 12:16 pmHAHA
Okay I literally LOL!!!!
My daughter said “What Mom?”
Haha
What a jerk.
October 27th, 2006 at 12:56 pmWow, I can’t believe a person would say something like that when they are being paid to do something in someone else’s house! Crusty is right!
October 27th, 2006 at 1:11 pmWhat a jerk! I can’t believe he would say that. You should have asked if he took Jelly Beans.
October 27th, 2006 at 1:20 pmi fully believe in beating ass. want me to do it for you?
October 27th, 2006 at 1:36 pmYou should have said, “I can’t pay you, but you can take your pick of the kids. We have extras, you know.”
Just don’t give him Miles. Because he’s mine.
October 27th, 2006 at 1:43 pmLMAO…I am laughing my ass off…
he should come to MY house.
Ooooh I can’t believe he said that.
October 27th, 2006 at 1:44 pmWow. I’m rather speechless that he said that too.
I used to live in a trailer and I had a HORRIBLE time finding someone to come fix my appliances. They’d just say, “Oh we don’t make calls there.” HUH?? When I finally found someone I asked why it was so hard and he told me ’cause trailer park people are known for not paying their bills. Wow…. Then I handed him his check, which I forgot to sign. DOH!!
October 27th, 2006 at 2:29 pmHe Said What!?!
October 27th, 2006 at 2:30 pmWhere are these people that say these things? I have never had anyone say anything like that to my face. On the phone is a different story. I can say with complete confidence that there is a file on me and my husband. We are usually passed around like a $2 whore everytime we call.
Glad to hear you got your dryer fixed. When I read the story I completely understood. I did dry clothes up when our dryer broke, but was told to quickly take them down. For some reason, my husband didnt want the neighbors to see his underwear.
October 27th, 2006 at 2:32 pmI honestly would have asked him to wait two weeks from Thursday to cash the check. I would have. Really.
And twisty ties in your dryer? Maybe you should put a stop payment on the check anyway…
October 27th, 2006 at 2:47 pmPeople are so rude.
October 27th, 2006 at 3:08 pmHoly Crap Chris, I seriously live in absolute and total fear of this exact thing happening to me. I don’t call repairmen b/c I am afraid!
October 27th, 2006 at 4:00 pmYou handled it well, my friend. Truly.
people never cease to amaze me. I hope he said to himslef ’shit did i really just say that outloud?”
October 27th, 2006 at 4:27 pmyou could have said ” well you know, my last repair man said something similar, so you know what I did? I stopped the payment of the check.” or even better ” hm next time I will just buy a new washer, and put you right out of business! Fucker
I have people say similar things every time they come in my house. I’m just don’t like clutter so I have minimal furniture (etc). The last one was my tile guy. He said “wow… saving up to buy something big?”. To which I replied… less stuff to clean when I’m done chopping up the bodies”. Sadly. I think he thought I was serious. Because it was the fastest he’s ever fixed a broken tile.
October 27th, 2006 at 4:44 pmHey. That guy was my uncle. He doesn’t have any furniture either so I don’t know what he was going on about.
I do think you should be ashamed of yourself, raising ten kids in a broken down construction zone like that with no furniture and so few clothes you have to wash them every day. No wonder your machines broke down. You can tell me honestly. Did you sell my earrings to buy milk?
October 27th, 2006 at 5:34 pm-With love and concern for the little vagabonds,
Kathryn
Seriously, what’s more important– a dryer that works or more furniture? This guy obviously has his priorities out of wack.
October 27th, 2006 at 6:42 pmThe guy could’ve been more tactful and trusting, but if he works for himself, I can sort of understand his question. (He may ask a lot of people this.) I work for myself, and although I’ve never asked someone if they could afford to pay me, I do require half payment up front before I begin work, and the other half upon completion. Less possibility of getting totally stiffed that way. I learned the hard way after a client avoided me like crazy after I completed his $350 job. :-/
October 27th, 2006 at 7:27 pmThe “chopping up the bodies” and “pay with sex” ideas rule. I would have waited until he completed the job and then given him a very tiny piece of my mind (cause I can’t spare too much). Or maybe a very LARGE piece of HIS mind.
Anyway, he did give you something to blog about.
October 27th, 2006 at 8:41 pmLOL!!! That is hilarious!!! The nerve of that man.
October 27th, 2006 at 9:09 pmOh, no, he Di-unt!!!!
(but seriously, both of these posts had me LOL … and I’m so not a LOL type of gal)
Thanks for brightening my day; you can even make a broken washing machine funny!
October 27th, 2006 at 9:58 pmI have to admit, desperate or not, I would have asked him to leave. You do not come into someone’s home and insult them. Curmudgeon isn’t the most accurate word for him, but it will do for a PG blog.
October 27th, 2006 at 10:22 pmIf the curmudgeon were tactful, he probably would have been booked solid with repeat customers, or so profitable he would have been able to go on vacation, and wouldn’t have been available to mend your wires that day.
October 28th, 2006 at 12:17 amThat is crazy and funny. “Are you sure you can afford me?” sounds like hooker talk. I would want to remind him he is fixing an appliance vs. servicing a person.
I’ve had repair people comment on interesting things as well. I’d love to be able to blurt out my real thoughts at work. Can you imagine?
October 28th, 2006 at 1:39 amYou have turned a negitive into a positive by the way you have related this incident. Therefor you have made many people laugh and feel better therefor…and so it goes on. Please dont give up blogging as your Australian fans enjoy it so much. See, another positive, you are building a positive relationship between two countries as well!
October 28th, 2006 at 4:52 amUrgh, I had a piano tuner like that. He used to request coffee and couldn’t believe I didn’t have any, like it was a major character flaw on my part. How could I even think of having a service person in the house and not have *coffee*??? I agree with Dana that you found out why he was available on short notice.
October 28th, 2006 at 11:43 am[...] Are you sure you can afford to pay me? I wish I had said, “No. I wasn’t going to pay you. I was planning on killing you and burying you in the backyard once the dryer was repaired.” Link directly to this entry [...]
October 28th, 2006 at 11:56 amI would have told him, “Hmmm I have 7 kids, where do you think they all came from? I thought sex would be payment enough!!” just to shock the heck out of the idiot!!
October 28th, 2006 at 12:07 pmYou should have raided your kids toyboxes and tried to pay him with funny-money. Or maybe a gigantic jar of pennies.
I love spreading humor upon those that do not have a sense of humor. It must be a repairman trait to be void of any sense of humor.
October 28th, 2006 at 1:33 pmOh, MAN. What a rudy-pants. I don’t think I’ve EVER encountered anyone that rude. I wonder what he would have thought of MY house? Good job on the non-confrontational laugh, by the way. Of course it would have been more fun to be witty, but at least you didn’t burst into tears!
October 28th, 2006 at 2:05 pmI think this is, on a subconscious level, why we still haven’t brought anyone in to subcontract out. (Well, that and we’re cheap.) Even when the propane guy comes to the door, I feel the need to start rapidly firing off the excuse that we’re renovating. Der, like the mounds of drywall dust in the corners and the OSB flooring aren’t a tipoff? Yeah, yeah, all that laundry? That’s renovating laundry.
Come to think of it, a good comeback would be, “I take in wash to pay for our furniture, and, as you can see, I need this dryer fixed NOW.”
Although, in running with a comment from above, a good one would also be, “What? Are you an appliance repair man or a potential john? Because I’m just too tired for hooking these days.”
Ugh. Enjoy doing your laundry in the relative peace of just family!
Dy
October 29th, 2006 at 4:30 amMmmm…. my, my. I think I liked your bury in the back yard comment. Another idea (isn’t this fun?)
October 30th, 2006 at 9:41 am“Yes, I can afford YOU. But you could never afford ME.”
I like the idea of paying him in pennies. If you ever get desperate enough to call him again make sure there’s a lot of change around!
October 31st, 2006 at 5:05 pm