[ksystems]

i have been repairing machine tools for 15 years and as i got off the phone with one of my customers tonight my wife made the comment,
"you answer the phone like a jerk and you're getting to be quite the a**hole"
i have noticed that others in my field behave the same way,does anybody have a reason or theory why this happens to guys that fix machines?

[dertsap]

negativity breeds negativity
chances are it's because you have to deal with people who are neg'd out because they are loosing money for every minute their machine is down . From my experience ive watched my previous bosses walking around in circles babbling while the repair guy tried to explain that the company needed to take time to maintain the machines or what have you , and it generally falls on deaf ears , the only concern is "when will it be running"
I could see how it would be difficult at times to be always smiley under those circumstances

[HuFlungDung]

I dunno, I never heard of that happening

[Switcher]

Looks like being nice would be a better thing.

Heck, they write the checks... so what If they tear up a machine, it's their machine, besides the more they tear up, the more calls you will get to come fix the machine.

All the guys that have worked on our cnc machines, have always been nice (no jerks, lol)

[JoBwan]

i have been repairing machine tools for 15 years and as i got off the phone with one of my customers tonight my wife made the comment,
"you answer the phone like a jerk and you're getting to be quite the a**hole"
i have noticed that others in my field behave the same way,does anybody have a reason or theory why this happens to guys that fix machines?

It seems ironic that you started this thread at this time. My wife says the same is happening to me. I am a maintenance supervisor (with no other maintenance employees under me), a facilities mgr., a logistic coodinator (3 truck driver's), an auto mechanic, and a CDL delivery driver at my job. I have over 400 machines to keep running, 3 seperate facilities to keep maintained,10 vehicles to keep on the road, and parts to be delivered. Of coarse, we have 110 employees "that think they can repair anything", but by the time they get me involved, all hell has broke loose. As stated earlier, corporate mng't just wants to know "why it's not running yet".:drowning:

[HuFlungDung]

The "nice" people are typically the ones who are not involved to the point of accountability for what they do: the front end people, as it were. They are paid to be nice, whereas the repair guy is paid for results.

I think it is irritating to deal with many issues at once. What repairman is not juggling umpteen problems while waiting for parts, return phone calls, etc, etc?

Plus every Ahole out there thinks their problem is most important regardless of how long they delayed in scheduling work to be done to fix or even preempt failure of equipment.
Plus, many guys think their problem is your problem, as if you should pitch in free labor or free expertise on finding a solution for their problem, then start the clock when you actually begin to take out a screwdriver or power up your machine.

I'm prepared to cut the repairman, or the mechanic some slack for a bad attitude, so long as he is actually good at what he does. If humor can be brought into tense situations, it can be of great help as well.

[Switcher]

The "nice" people are typically the ones who are not involved to the point of accountability for what they do: the front end people, as it were. They are paid to be nice, whereas the repair guy is paid for results.

LOL, maybe I don't live in a typical world.

I still say be nice about your job, what does being an a-hole get you? More grief!

It's just a job. I say enjoy your job, or move on.

[ksystems]

this morning was the first repair that i made an effort not to be an a**hole.the lathe was stopped in cycle and was down on a tailstock alarm.no time for oem parts so lets find one local,no problem.got the parts,installed the parts then proceeded to check operation through the dgn(as the machine was still stuck in alarm and i didn't want to power down.just in case).when i got the machine up and homed the customer proceeded to tell me i took to long to find the switch and checking the dgn was a waste of time.with a smile on face i suggested next time he can find the part,install the part, check operation and then phone me and tell me what a good job he had done.i think it is easier to be an a**hole.

[Al_The_Man]

I have found about the opposite, if you are good at what you do and there is not alot of competition for this kind of service, they seem to go the extra mile to keep the help happy

I often try and get them going over the phone, although it is not really to my benefit.
I had one customer the other day where I suggested a fix and did not work so he asked for me to drop in.
I walked up to the machine and less than two minutes had found a stuck limit sw.
He looked at me and said Oh sorry to bother you coming out all this way.
I really think he though it was going to be a 'freebie'
Al.

[Switcher]

i think it is easier to be an a**hole.

LMAO,

Hey, at least you tried.

[Switcher]

I have found about the opposite, if you are good at what you do and there is not alot of competition for this kind of service, they seem to go the extra mile to keep the help happy

I often try and get them going over the phone, although it is not really to my benefit.
I had one customer the other day where I suggested a fix and did not work so he asked for me to drop in.
I walked up to the machine and less than two minutes had found a stuck limit sw.
He looked at me and said Oh sorry to bother you coming out all this way.
I really think he though it was going to be a 'freebie'
Al.

I hope you charged at least a base rate, to drive to the site, etc...

Next time I bet he checks that limit switch, before he calls, ha

[HuFlungDung]

LOL, maybe I don't live in a typical world.

I still say be nice about your job, what does being an a-hole get you? More grief!

It's just a job. I say enjoy your job, or move on.

Enjoying your job and putting up with (some) people can be mutually exclusive goals.

I think the independant repairman would probably be happier, because he can adjust the bill for the situation. Being an employed repairman, with both the customer and the boss riding your ass has to be thankless much of the time. That sort of crunch might cause early onset bitterness.

Put it another way: the good customers probably never find out if you are an a-hole, but the bad ones do. So who does it hurt?

[MattTheNoob]

It is probably why a lot of cops get that... uh... cop attitude. They spend all day chasing down jerks. When they pull you over (or whatever) they assume you are a jerk too and treat you as such. Nobody ever calls the cops to witness good deeds or everyone getting along just fine.

Then again, I know a lot of jerks that BECAME cops, so my theory may not hold water.

[Geof]

When you start acting the jerk and being unpleasant all you are doing is hurting yourself with high blood pressure and stress, chill out, calm down and tack an extra 50 or 100% on the bill.

[ksystems]

continuing in my effort to be a nice guy,i started this aft again with a smile on my face.i was presented with a problem on the phone that i have talked my customer through at least once before with the same outcome.....don't understand(and refuse to do so) why i have to hit e-stop to save changes i make to prms.i drove to his shop and again walked him through it,made the e-stop,proved operation,said thanks and left. when i got back to my shop i noticed what looked like 2 low tires on my truck,in an effort to save the good mood i've forced on myself and bring it home to show my progress,i ignore the tire issue.after answering emails and checking on parts i decide it time to leave and what do i find...2 flat tires.having only one spare i phone the rudest,angriest and biggest a**hole tire guy in the book.upon his arrival he proceeds to call me an idiot for phoning in an after hours repair,he wondered out loud "what did this retard run over" and then charged me enough money to buy two NEW tires...................hello old friend,i missed you today.

[HuFlungDung]

Of course, masking a bad attitude does not deal with the root issues. I'm not being judgemental, as I can empathize with bad days and bad customers or being treated badly, too. But to 'put on a happy face' is no solution if it merely bottles up anger or stress. Other people might like you better or think you're a great guy, but if you are mad, the physical or psychological damage is already done, before you can think about covering it up with a happy face.

I think one way to deal with bad customers or miserable work, is to find an outlet that you enjoy doing. It should be something physical, that will burn off a few calories and work a few muscles. Get the blood flowing in more than a metaphorical sense. Do an activity with your wife or friends that has nothing to do with work. Do not be consumed round the clock with work. Take a vacation every day for a few hours. It might truly improve a bad attitude and make putting on a facade less necessary.

[dertsap]

he proceeds to call me an idiot for phoning in an after hours repair,he wondered out loud "what did this retard run over" and then charged me enough money to buy two NEW tires...................hello old friend,i missed you today.

this would have been the perfect opportunity to vent and let it all out

I totally agree with HuFlungDung about taking some time out for yourself , I've recently gone straight back to something that I had put on the back burner for a few years , my one true passion " fishing " , for me there is no feeling like it . I think sometimes we can put our priorities and obligations too high and we ignore ourselves which ultimately becomes a pit that we keep digging deeper

[Larken]

Its good your wife gave you some feed back , and you recognised that you were becoming an a$$ and want to change that. Some people enjoy being an a$$.


This recession doesn't help with keeping a positive outlook. Especially in the manufacturing field.

[pofo]

Hmm...15 years fixing other peoples problems. I'd be grumpy too.

Seriously, they don't call 'em grumpy old men for nothing. I think we tend toward becoming grumpy as we age. The sun is no longer rising. It's setting. Everything starts hurting, nothing is new, dreams have come and gone. I think it affects us this way. Not that we don't still have a positive out look, but I think we just tend to get grumpy;some more than others.