TIL arguing about compressor brands in front of a customer cost me a job last week

I was swapping a compressor on a 10 year old fridge in St. Louis last Tuesday. The homeowner was right there, and I got into a debate with my helper about Copeland vs. Tecumseh reliability. She heard us going back and forth, got nervous about quality, and canceled the repair. So here's the debate: do you keep shop talk quiet around customers, or is it fine to discuss pros and cons openly? Has anyone else lost a job because of a casual argument?

2 comments

2 Comments

brookep2711d ago

Well actually, I think you might be mixing up Copeland and Tecumseh a bit there. Copeland's scroll compressors are generally more reliable for residential refrigeration, but Tecumseh has a solid track record with their reciprocating models for the right applications. The real problem wasn't the debate itself though, it was having it in front of the customer. I learned years ago that homeowners get spooked when they hear any uncertainty about parts, even if it's just normal shop talk between techs. Better to save those discussions for the truck, not the kitchen.

gray_perez5211d ago

Honestly, that bit about saving it for the truck really changed how I look at things now.