Vent: The old guy at the hardware store who fixed my garbage disposal with a penny

I was at Ace Hardware last Saturday trying to find a part for my clogged disposal. This older employee walked over, saw me looking lost, and asked what was wrong. He told me to just stick a hex key into the bottom and turn it manually... turns out a penny had jammed the blades. He didn't even sell me anything, just saved me a hundred bucks on a plumber. Has anyone else had a random stranger fix something for free at a store?

3 comments

3 Comments

kai_webb9116d ago

Is it just me or is that the best feeling ever when someone helps you instead of trying to sell you something? I love that the old guy knew exactly what was wrong and didn't even bother ringing you up. That's the kind of customer service that makes you want to go back to that store forever. (And honestly, it's getting so rare these days). I had a similar thing happen at an auto parts store once, a mechanic just told me to spray WD-40 on a stuck brake caliper and it saved me a huge repair bill. Way better than some kid who just wants to upsell you the expensive cleaner.

juliarodriguez16d ago

Right, because nothing says "trustworthy business" like a teenager pushing the premium brake cleaner that costs more than your dinner. Meanwhile the old guy saves you hundreds with a can of WD-40 they probably had sitting on the shelf for a decade. I half expected him to pull out a pocket knife and whittle me a solution out of a twig. That's the kind of service that makes you wonder why you ever bothered with the big box stores.

barbara_grant416d ago

That old timer probably saved you some cash but also a headache. Reminds me of the time my dryer stopped heating up and I was about to call a repair guy. Random guy at the hardware store just said check the thermal fuse, it costs like five bucks. Sure enough that was it. Makes you realize how much they train the young ones to push products instead of actually fixing things.