an Aircon story

So, sometime back I wrote a Contact Lens story. Well, I've been doing a bit more thinking, and guess what, now I've got an Airconditioning story.

 

It's like this.

 

Let's say you want to install airoonditioning in your three bedroom house. 

 

Now, let's say you've got the aircon guy to come and make his assessment.

 

So, the guy comes, does his thing and gives you a quote. In the quote he states that you will need one compressor and three aircon units for the individual rooms. He also states that once you make payment, he'll go get the necessary equipment and then come back and install it for you.

 

You agree, sign off on the quote, pay him, and off he goes.

 

When he returns, he brings with him his crew, the compressor and three units of airconditioning. You take a look at it. Compressor is Brand A. Aircon units are Brand B. Together he and his crew haul the compressor up to its right place and then drill holes here and there in the walls and the ceiling before connecting all the piping and wiring together. 

 

Everything goes on smooth sailing.

 

Then suddenly one day one of the aircon units breaks down, so you call back the aircon man. "Hey, aircon spoil. Come and repair, please!"

 

He comes, he checks and then he tells you that one part inside the aircon unit is spoilt and will need to be replaced. He tells you the cost.

 

Now, can you then balk at him and tell him that he ought to be responsible- because he installed the aircon- and therefore he must bear the cost of the broken down part inside the unit?

 

What will he tell you?

 

He'll tell you that the broken down part is from the Manufacturer of Brand B and therefore it has to be charged separately. He'll tell you that he is only responsible for the installation of the aircon and not for the parts inside the aircon which fall outside his scope. He'll also tell you that he cannot bear responsibility if the parts inside Brand B aircon break down because that is a Manufacturer's issue and it is the Manufacturer of Brand B that he has to refer his complaint to.

He goes to the supplier, gets the compressor, gets the units, brings them back to your place and sets them up. That's it. If it is compressor problem, go to Manufacturer A. If it is an aircon unit problem, go to Manufacturer B, simple as that. But he is not going to absorb the cost because it really isn't his s***.

So, that's what you have to accept, and that's what you have to do. Pay the aircon man the necessary amount for the spare part, off he goes to the supplier, brings it back, and then dismantle the part, install the new part and then you're cool all over again.

But... try not to argue with the aircon man. It's a losing battle, and a d*** big waste of time.