Choosing people to work for you: Three colleagues, all single parents, were discussing the difficulties of finding repairmen who do not rip off single ladies and whose work is above reproach. I was advised by my minister of religion(!), but the repairman turned out to be breaking more things than he fixed! Could someone maybe suggest criteria/indicators/ways of assessing potential repairmen before wasting hard-earned money?
Thank you,
Kind regards,
Carol from Republic of South Africa
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The gas man just came to look at my vintage gas stove, which we had restored. Even though I have had it for years, by watching him and asking questions, I learned a lot I didn't know about my stove and its care. Do you know that older gas stoves are better because they are more adjustable? (He also showed me how to turn off the main gas valve in the event of an earthquake. )
In my experience, repairmen usually love to talk about their work! My mother learned so much about the heating system in our 50's house from the servicemen that she was able to keep it going for 50+ years! We only replaced it after her death. I am sure this gas stove will be here after I am gone, too!
By Pamphyila from Los Angeles
Long ago, things lasted. Now each mfg. got greedy and wanted more profit so they have what's called,
"Built-IN Obsolescence", such as a cheap part they KNOW will go out, or a part of a component that will go out but the owner is forced to by a whole "assembly" rather than be able to buy just the tiny part, the jerks! Also, we came very close to death when an A/C repairman gave us all of this "information" about how to make the furnace and a/c last a longer time. I suspected something was wrong and called a second one who took one look and said it was a MIRACLE that none of us got Carbon Monoxide poisoning because he SHOWED me
I think you make some very good points here!
Thank you for the idea!
I live in France so this may not be applicable to all readers, but the best solution to repairs of any kind is to find a repair guy from any of the former communist nations. They are well educated, used to keeping systems going without the right tools or parts and happy to work.
I believe them to be natures answer to planned obsolescence. I had a Turkish guy rebuild my garden walls, by himself with only a shovel, bringing everything in his battered old truck.
The local enterprise wanted to bring earth moving equipment and electric drills and a team of four. The price would have been 10 times more - of course. Somebody has to pay for all the outlay on daft equipment.
God Bless immigrants. They'll save us when the economy collapses completely.
