---Hartmut W Sager wrote:
Your impatient customer is very unusual for Winnipeg, where customers
will typically go to great lengths and detriment to save a buck.
They've been struggling with a pair of used tanning beds for a couple weeks. They called me, rather than an electrician because I'm cheap. Turned out neither bed worked. They had to scavenge parts from one to get the other to go. I was first called in to fix their shop computer, but as soon as I got there they asked me to fix the beds. First problem was someone had cut the DSL line at telephone punch-down block. One of her employees tried to re-wire it, but got it wrong. I was able to identify which conducters were the phone line, and get it re-wired. Was also able to read the schematic for the beds, found they hadn't connected the data/control line from the power box in the base to the lid/top. Did verify they had 240-volt power to the wired in correctly. Was scary working with open high voltage circuits. I cut the power and the electrical panel, connected a volt meter, then turned the power on without touching the volt meter. I won't stick my hand into a live circuit at 240-volts.
The owner is a slum landlord. A repeat customer, she gets me to fix computers for her extended family, and tennants. She likes my work, thought I could fix anything. Well, this took too long. And she wanted one bed working for her paying customer. She shit on her employee, who got impatient with me. Shit rolled down hill.
So no, not really unusual for Winnipeg. In fact this particular crew are a foul mouth lot. I could get some bad habits. One thing that particularly bugged me was this one employee tried to criticise me for drinking at home, in the evening, off hours. I saw this same guy drinking while on the job, and most importantly drinking *while* driving. With a beer king can tucked in his seat belt. Is it too much to ask customers to not call me 10:30 at night?
Rob Dyck