We often celebrate big achievements, but many everyday skills quietly make life better for everyone.
What is one everyday skill you think deserves more appreciation: listening, repairing things, cooking, teaching, encouraging others, problem-solving, or something else?
Repairing things. I met a lot of unappreciative people in my skilled trade of HVAC. A lot of people seemed to not want to pay if it was a small problem. They’re desperate for help when they call and then when I’m honest and get it going real quick and I told them it was a very small thing, then they’ve said, can you make it free because it was so small?
But when they called, they wanted a professional. They wanted him to be insured. To have all the proper tools, and a lot of experience, and those things don’t grow on trees. And they want it for free because it was a small thing and no parts were even replaced.
I remember one guy who asked if I was going to charge him after I fixed it when he didn’t know how. It was cold out and when I got there everyone in the family was wearing coats. What kind of unit is it, I asked. It’s a Rheem. As were going down the basement stairs I asked him when did it last work?
So he proceeded to tell me what’s wrong with it, lol. I mean, he said it was working fine until after I changed the filter in it…I knew changing the filter is usually done through the blower compartment door and there is a safety switch that if the door isn’t on tight it wont let power go to the unit to work. His whole family followed me into the basement. I was feeling a bit mischevious so I walked up to the unit and gave it a good bang on top of the blower door with a fist and as it was firing up real smooth I looked at the family and said, Ayyyyye, like Fonzie.
Dad says do you have to charge me for that? and begins studying the floor and I knew I hurt his feelings and made him look bad to his family. His family erupted in joy at the working furnace! I only charged him 1 hour labor and no service call charge because I felt bad. But, he was an idiot and should not have left his family cold when he didn’t know enough of what to check. Where I many times just charge a service call and no labor for calls like that, I did charge him the labor and no service call which was more than just a service call would have been because he wanted it for free after leaving his family cold, and getting me out into the cold. So I did give him some discount just not as much as I could have and I believe that when a man learns a lesson it should cost him.
If someone is working in your house, a professional and he fixes your problem almost instantly, respect the man’s skills and don’t insult him by asking for it to be free. Praise God it wasn’t worse.
That’s Tuition at the school of hard knocks, lol.
Thanks for sharing that story, Edward. I think it’s true that we sometimes underestimate the value of experience and expertise because we only see the final result. Whether it’s repairing a furnace, teaching a class, or solving a difficult problem, years of learning often make the job look easy. That’s something worth appreciating.