Fixed a 15-year-old dryer with a $5 part this morning

A customer was about to junk their old Kenmore because it stopped heating. I found a bad thermal fuse and had it running in 20 minutes. Do you guys ever feel like these simple fixes make people trust repairers a lot more?

3 comments

3 Comments

skylerrobinson29d ago

...and here I am just happy when I don't strip a screw and make things worse. Those five buck fixes are great PR for anyone holding a screwdriver, but in my experience the real trust comes when they see you not charging them for 20 minutes of labor either. Your mileage may vary, but a quick cheap fix usually buys more goodwill than a dozen flashy marketing campaigns.

sarah_mason29d ago

Three years later, that free ten-minute fix still gets mentioned in every client referral I get.

henderson.oscar28d ago

Five dollar fixes" is a great way to put it. I did one once for a lady whose toaster kept tripping her breaker. Turns out a little piece of foil had fallen onto the heating element. I just fished it out with some tweezers and put it back on the counter. She tried to hand me twenty bucks and I said it's nothing, just be careful with the foil. Now she brings me all her stuff, even her car keys when they get stuck in the ignition. Funny how a two second fix just builds that "I'm not gonna get ripped off" trust. Ever had someone get weirdly defensive when you didn't charge them?