I also used to have a repair shop..
so it no longer surprises me that ordinary persons expect machinery to just carry on working indefinately with little attention; that they do not seem to know which end of the screwdriver is the handle and hate the sight of dirt and the thought of handling it!
Many times, something would come back with the slightest problem and customers could occasionally become quite wound up/angry/agitated about it. However, nine time out of ten, there would be no trouble or if there was it was sorted in an instant - a quick blast with the air line often did the trick!
I had to be careful not to let them get the better of me. Sometimes I would oblige by explaining the problem and doing it for nothing on the spot. On other occasions, depending on what sort of mood I was in I made them pay again, which tended to make them even more angry!
On the plus side, a lot of these easy little jobs were good money spinners. For instance I fitted a new cable on a hedgetrimmer and charged him again half an hour later when he cut through it for a second time. Another guy said that he would pay me double if I fixed it in an hour, since he had to return his neighbour's machine, which he had just broken..
Stephen
