Busy, Busy, Busy

 Its that time of year at work where all the techs are swamped with repairs. Our own rental stuff needs regular service but all we have time for is reacting to break downs. Lawn equipment repairs are backed up because nobody brought their stuff in until after they needed it. Well when everyone does that you end up with a back log. Wait times before we can even look at something are 1-3 weeks out depending on what it is.  It gets worse. A day at work is never just trying to get caught up on repairs, There are customers walking in the door that need help, phone calls that need answering and then just reacting to everyday emergency repairs. You also have landscape materials that need loading, lp tanks that need filling and shelves that need restocking. Its not unusual for a half day to get swallowed up by other bullshit.
 Thats all fine and I'm not complaining. Its part of the job. What shouldn't be part of the job are a-holes that sneak in the back door of the shop and try to get their stuff looked at right away. We do make exceptions for contractors but the average joe homeowner gets his stuff looked at in the order it was received. This past week some old fart wanted me to look at his string trimmer because he needed it right away. First off, nobody needs a string trimmer right away. If you have an actual trimming emergency then we will be happy to rent you a trimmer for a few bucks a day. Second, we have a whole shelf full of repaired equipment that people needed "right away" but never picked up. This guy starts by telling me its just a ten minute repair and about how he put fresh fuel in the machine but it still won't start. I asked if there was fuel left in it from last year. He says ya but he dumped it out and put fresh in but maybe it needs new fuel lines. I tried to explain to him that old gas left in the tank, lines and carb turns into squaw piss and how just pouring fresh fuel in wasn't gonna fix it. "Can't you just go 'pst pst' or something and make it work?" I think he was referring to some kind of "mechanic in a can" cuz he made a hand gesture like he was spraying magic pixie dust in his carb. I tried to explain that it doesn't work that way and he started back up with his story for the third time. I stopped him short and said "Listen, you ate up ten minutes already that I should have spent on paying customers equipment. I'm not getting anything done arguing with you about your repair. If you want it fixed right then go to the front counter and they will start a work order.  Better yet, take it to another shop without such a back log, or go downtown and buy some magic spray and fix it yourself." I know what you're thinking. I always preach about good customer service and telling this guy hes wasting my time is bad service. Well, he wasn't a customer. He was a leach that snuck in the back door and wanted us to drop what we were doing and pay attention to him. Hes pulled this crap before and I guarantee you that if I would have fixed his shit right then and there that he would have bitched about the bill. He wasted two other peoples time when he told his same lame ass story to them. Thats a half hour he ate up although there was some entertainment value as I listened in on those conversations.
 Heres another classic. "Can't you fix it right away? Its just a recoil rope." In the middle of the season its just a recoil rope and I'll gladly fix those while you wait. In spring its a fuel problem. When I say I need more time to fix their equipment they sometimes get pissy. I'll then ask how many times they pulled on that rope before it broke. The answer is always a big number followed by an expletive and then a light goes off that maybe I'm on to something. I'll ask how old the fuel is and they respond "I just put fresh gas in it..."
Yep. Rant over.

Later.