Re: Rant: Customer complaints



lbrty4us@xxxxxxx wrote:
<snip>
> Now you (OP) are learning the difference btw a hobbyist & a tech, who
> will go through an amp with or without customer imput and find every
> flaw or concern in short order with no need for a customer's best
> guesses, and be able to tell the cust what the problems are & their
> priorites in accord with his or her goals & means, instead of the
> reverse. Thousands of amps are traded in every year and competently
> serviced for resale & reliable performance with no customer input at
> all, and customer problem input is often more a distraction than an
> aid. Almost anyone can solder & change parts - this is not what a tech
> is paid to know & do.

Boy I wanted to jump on this topic! Frank, we should co-author a book
;-)

Raise/lower AC (line) voltage, beat on it with a #2 rubber mallet,
square wave it into an appropriate load for 30 minutes, play through it
and *Listen To It* (which does no good unless you know what you should
expect to hear*.)

*Every amp is different, by design. What's 'normal' here ain't
necessarily 'normal' over there!

IMO a 'Master Tech' is 5% theory, 95% practical experience... ...to
know when it's 'right enough' and where to stop, when to ship it...!

> The truth is that most Q&A btw a tech & cust is
> not for repair information, but for relationship building & insight
> into what the cust's expectations are.

Well put!

Sometimes we aren't repairing equipment, we're *Repairing The
Customer*. Correcting a misconception perhaps, providing education on a
specific topic, etc.

I've gone to hard lining that *time is time* (billable), whether we're
talking someone through how to use something, or explaining why
something is the way it is, etc (beyond the 5 minutes I allow each drop
off/pick up transaction.)

If you have to deal with the public, you'll need more than a voltmeter
and a good set of hand tools ;-)

.

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