"you Broke My TV"

mdshunk

Here's a paraphrase of a voicemail I just got...

'You sent a guy out on Monday to repair the outlets on my second floor when my husband was home. Your electrician turned off the breaker that ran the TV, and it turned off the TV without going through its cool-down. My TV picture was horrible. I got XYZ Electronics to come out today, and they said that the bulb was warped because the TV was not cooled down properly. The bill is 423.00. I expect you to pay this, since your guy caused damage.'

Anyone ever heard of such a thing? Hey, if he turned off a breaker and that somehow f'd up the TV, I'll pay. I've just never heard of that.

Sparky Joe

Was it some sort of front projection TV, those things get pretty hot. Have never heard of a 432$ light bulb for one though.

Oh and don't your guys warn before turning off power?

Oh and what if there were a power outage due to weather or something, are these people gonna send the power company a bill for their stupid TV

mdshunk

Well, I don't know. I generally ask if they have a computer on that they want to shut down. Since most of my service calls are resi, you can pretty much tell if there's something going on that you should ask before you dump the power (like someone on an oxygen generator or a nebulyzer, or on a computer). I've have never thought about a TV. Truthfully, I didn't know that some still took light bulbs. My 1984 Curtis Mathis floor model console doesn't take one.

Sparky Joe

Was just looking at replacements bulbs for rpojector TV's on Crutchfield. Sony has one for 1000 bucks, youch!

It's a 400W xenon

mdshunk

Good thing it wasn't that one, huh? Maybe 400 bucks ain't so bad, then. Still sucks, though. I don't blame this guy. I'd have never thought either. Apparently this lady's husband didnt know of the issue himself, else he'd surely have said something. Oh well, it's been a while since we've damaged something. I guess we were due.

Dustball

I did a search since this interested me.

Found this-

http://forums.avguide.com/viewtopic....e9f02e85d3db22

mdshunk

Intresting. Thanks

This lady's message caused me to believe that the bulb still worked, but it was distorted in some way and it made the picture weird. I'm not famaliar at all with that stuff, but it seems completely reasonable to me.

Sparky Joe

That was a good article. They say the interent is and endless supply of information, but I still have yet to find something more useful than the forums that are out there.

Good luck with that one MD

joasis

Great read.....but I would find the warped bulb a little tough to believe....I can see the idea of shortened life, but temps to warp the face of the bulb? I don't remember where I read it, but standard old lightbulb can last years and years if never turned off, simply due to not being cooled off and heated again hundreds of times, weakening the filliment. beats me.

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72chevy4x4

that's a good lesson for us. Instead of asking if the customer has a computer to turn off, ask if the customer has anything they want to shut down. With that said it would seem to be the responsibility of the homeowner to determine what needs to be shut off.

Sparky Joe

Yeah that's a tough one for me too, hell the bulb just makes light, it's the lens that makes the picture

Mike Finley

I'd be edumacatin that worker of yours. If he can't get it through his thick skull that a homeowner deserves the common courtesy of a heads up before you turn off power, water or gas, that $400 bill should make the point pretty clear. The guy needs a little impromptu MD seminar on the finer points of customer satisfaction.

Sparky Joe

Who cares about customer satisfaction, i just wouldn't want to buy any 400$ light bulbs that I didn't break (i.e. third hand situation)

I guess the common point is the liability issue.

Perhaps some people skills are in order or have this guy paired up with someone who has them.
Or maybe he showed up late, wanted it to go unnoticed and started working as fast as he could to make up for lost time. I've always noticed that's when my biggest mistakes have been made.

Plan 9

I wouldn't pay it. It sounds like one of those stories we've heard a million times, "after you changed that wallplate, the dishwasher motor burned up.."

I don't believe one word of that story. How about power outages? I can't believe a device is manufactured that will destroy itself if accidentally unplugged.

I'd politely say "it's not my problem".

mdshunk

If I were in LA, I might be so inclined. In Small Town, USA, you need to tread more carefully.

RobertCDF

You should call whoever came out and have a conversation with them. Get a copy of the bill (of course) and if need be, pay it. As long as it is a legit claim... However I think you should mention the power outage thing and ask what happens then? Also let us know what kind of TV it is so we can avoid such a poorly made product.

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Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

mdshunk

Yeah, I do plan on doing that tomorrow, if I have time. This particular electronics store I sub for sometimes, putting up wall TV's and putting receptacles and jacks behind them. If it's a close call, I'll probably go ahead and pay. If the tech says something like, "That's not what I told her. I told her blah, blah, blah.", then maybe I'll go down another path. In the grand scheme of things, 400 bucks isn't worth getting people (me and the ho's) all cranked up over. Just sucks, is all.

joasis

I had another thought on the subject. If the sudden outage can shorted the life of the bulb 20%, or $80, why not pay her for your share of the bulb's life...it didn't say a power outage would kill the bulb.

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72chevy4x4

that's a good point joasis-may be a good idea after talking w/ the tech from the store speak w/ the homeowner and say something to the effect, "the electrician told your husband we were turning the power off and he did not turn the tv off. All though your husband did not know to turn the tv off, we want to help with the repair bill by paying half the cost of repair (to keep a happy customer)."

Ultimately, it would seem to be the customer's responsibility if the electrician announced to the homeowner they were turning off the juice and to shutdown whatever you want to shutdown-but that $423 (or half of it) could be good word of mouth advertising.

rservices

I always ask myself a simple question when I bid a residential job,
does the work really need to be done?? and could there be anougther reason they want me here (the dark side of me ).

a good friend (painter) was asked to paint an entrance way in this house, he didnt think it needed it but it was a quick job so he took it,
he had to slide a grandfather clock a few inches away from the wall. and wouldnt you know it the day after he painted the HO hit him for a bill for the clock repair.