gavin_hill27•24d agoProlific Poster

That homeowner who said "just wire it hot" still keeps me up at night

I was at a service call in Boise last Tuesday, replacing a busted GFCI in a kitchen, when the guy leaned over and said "can't you just hook it up without turning off the breaker, I'm in a hurry here." I had to stop and explain that's how guys end up dead or burning down houses, and I refused to touch a thing until the panel was locked out. How do you handle customers who push you to skip safety steps just to save 10 minutes?

3 comments

3 Comments

sam_murphy3924d ago

Tell them no flat out and watch their face go through all five stages of grief in about three seconds flat. I had a guy once ask me to wire a new water heater while the old one was still smoking, I just turned around and walked back to my truck. People think safety rules are suggestions until they see a 240 volt arc flash turn a pair of pliers into molten metal, I'd rather lose the job than explain to someone's family why I let them talk me into a shortcut. Most of them back down when you start packing up your tools, they just need to see you're serious.

gavinlopez24d ago

That's wild man. Honestly I used to be one of those guys who thought I could talk my way around stuff like that, like "ah it'll be fine just this once" kind of thinking. But then I saw a buddy lose a chunk of his finger from a live wire that should have been dead, just because someone rushed him. That flipped a switch in my head hard. Now I'm with you, I'd rather walk off a job and lose the money than have that image stuck in my brain forever.

parkera2224d ago

Ask @gavinlopez if that buddy ever went back to electrical work after it happened.