Why we don't order parts prior to service calls

[smwilliamson]

Customer is adamant that she needs a new igniter. She was having trouble igniting towards the end of the season. "Make sure you order the igniter and bring it with you",she says. I tried to explain that empress igniters don't usually ever fail...but I caved and got one and got a new burn pot.

Found the problem...

 

[mralias]

She needs to clean the glass! Wow, she was really trying burn the stove like that?

 

[Delta-T]

classic!

 

[smwilliamson]

For those of you that have Enviro stoves with the burn pot and burn liner design (all stove except for m55 designs), if you are having problems with ignition and the igniter is glowing orange. Pull your burn pot liner out and look for cracks between the holes on the back and bottom. If these cracks are present, chances are the liner has warped slightly and is not sitting flush in the burn pot. The hot air from the igniter will escape up the back side if the liner is in any way crooked.

 

[BrotherBart]

You did sell her the igniter and firepot, did you not?

The customer is always right.

 

[Delta-T]

she clearly needed a new firepot and igniter...they're both gone in that pic.

 

[smwilliamson]

You did sell her the igniter and firepot, did you not?

The customer is always right.

No. Nobody gets parts if they don't need them. I meep them for the people that actually need parts

 

[Lousyweather]

Service tech: "hmmm....igniter seems weak, huh? not igniting all the time?"
stove owner: "absolutely....they just don't make em like they used to....I paid good money for this thing, and its given me nothing but problems....and don't rip me off for service....I only pay minimum wage...and don't think Im not deducting the time you spend talking to me from your bill......."
Service Tech: "and your stove is clean, right...?"
Stove owner: "oh yea, cleaning isn't an issue, you can eat offa this thing....that's not it......stove is definitely faulty......"

 

[mattyice5290]

i bet she never cleaned those 2 combustion ports on either sidde of the stove how was it still running i those vacuum switches on the enviros arent to sensitive huh

 

[johneh]

​

Service tech: "hmmm....igniter seems weak, huh? not igniting all the time?"​

stove owner: "absolutely....they just don't make em like they used to....I paid good money for this thing, and its given me nothing but problems....and don't rip me off for service....I only pay minimum wage...and don't think Im not deducting the time you spend talking to me from your bill......."​

Service Tech: "and your stove is clean, right...?"​

Stove owner: "oh yea, cleaning isn't an issue, you can eat offa this thing....that's not it......stove is definitely fault​

​

​

It must be lonely in your world​

​

 

[Lousyweather]

its customers like that who keep us all in business......bless her heart.....

 

[Lousyweather]

Service tech: "hmmm....igniter seems weak, huh? not igniting all the time?"​

stove owner: "absolutely....they just don't make em like they used to....I paid good money for this thing, and its given me nothing but problems....and don't rip me off for service....I only pay minimum wage...and don't think Im not deducting the time you spend talking to me from your bill......."​

Service Tech: "and your stove is clean, right...?"​

Stove owner: "oh yea, cleaning isn't an issue, you can eat offa this thing....that's not it......stove is definitely fault​

It must be lonely in your world​

​

no, its a pretty common occurrence, actually......

 

[Delta-T]

once the glass gets obscured, it can be difficult to know when it needs cleaning...is an honest mistake.

 

[mattyice5290]

what did they say when you told them it was dirty i only ask because the customer seemed a little hardnosed

 

[Lousyweather]

once the glass gets obscured, it can be difficult to know when it needs cleaning...is an honest mistake.

I guess in a convoluted way, that does make sense....once the glass gets really dirty, you would never know how dirty the units actually is.......but maybe I am being negative....you also wouldn't know how CLEAN the unit is either......(that's the glass half full answer)

 

[Delta-T]

i should have put a wink in there.. I was being sarcastic. . I enjoy the ones in March that say "but we had it cleaned last summer".

 

[Lousyweather]

i should have put a wink in there.. I was being sarcastic. . I enjoy the ones in March that say "but we had it cleaned last summer".

yep.....getting set in another 2 months or so for the calls for the folks who haven't cleaned yet and are trying to start the old rig up for heat.....this humidity mixed with the ash in the units....not gonna be pretty!

 

[Lousyweather]

what did they say when you told them it was dirty i only ask because the customer seemed a little hardnosed

no one really likes to be told that they aren't doing an adequate job in the proper maintenance of their unit. The toughest ones are where the unit is still under warranty....its assumed its defective often, because it wont run, or run well, or runs noisily.....folks don't want to pay for service when they expect its a stove issue......kinda what I was alluding to above. We try to diagnose over the phone first, also advising them what our service charges are prior to coming out. Basically, we tell then that if its not running because its dirty, it wont be covered under warranty, and what it will cost them.....we find it works pretty well. Every once and awhile, you get someone who adamantly tells you it is NOT due to cleaning, but even if it is, they aren't paying for the service call....those are easy....

 

[Don2222]

How much did you charge for that cleaning Scott?
I bet you really cleaned up!

 

[smwilliamson]

How much did you charge for that cleaning Scott?
I bet you really cleaned up!

My prices are as advertised on my site. It took all but of .015 seconds longer to clean her stove than any other stove I go to. They all get treated the same. Oh, and instead of selling her parts she didn't need I spent a little extra time consulting her how and what to look for...She was actually emarrassed. Truthfully, I would rather they not clean it and let me see it this way...least then I'm not scratchin my head wondering what the problem is.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

" but the salesman said i only have to clean it once a year

"i empty the ash drawer every day" but never bother to open the door.

or the classic " i have a "lazy flame", i think the exhaust blower is weak""

"no i don't have a vacuum, i just scoop it out"

" i bought the best pellets from <insert store> and ive only burned 2 ton so far. should it need cleaning already?"

i could go on for days

 

[Delta-T]

you're pretty close to writng a #1 country tune there....I'll start workin on a melody and a sweet banjo/mandolin lick as a hook.

 

[Don2222]

yep.....getting set in another 2 months or so for the calls for the folks who haven't cleaned yet and are trying to start the old rig up for heat.....this humidity mixed with the ash in the units....not gonna be pretty!

Reminds me of a St. Croix Hastings I cleaned. The versa grate was frozen from the dried ash due to moisture in the spring under the floor boards in the dirt crawl space in the turn of the century house! I had to chip out the ash out with a hammer and chisel! I did suggest the location was not the best location for a wood pellet stove!
Moisture and pellet stoves do not get along too well! ! !

 

[Don2222]

" but the salesman said i only have to clean it once a year

"i empty the ash drawer every day" but never bother to open the door.

or the classic " i have a "lazy flame", i think the exhaust blower is weak""

"no i don't have a vacuum, i just scoop it out"

" i bought the best pellets from <insert store> and ive only burned 2 ton so far. should it need cleaning already?"

i could go on for days

Reminds me of the new 25-EP I cleaned for the 1st time after 3 years of use because it stopped running and got an E2 error. If it works why clean it? LOL

 

[slls]

I see a woman called.