Note: the following customers were never a problem before or after the incident described. They were model home buyers. The following story is absolutely true. The story also has very little education value except it is a great story.
Over the years, we had done a very good job of training our buyers to submit all service requests in writing. Having requests in writing reduced misunderstandings and we were able to establish a procedure to make sure the request was routed to the correct trade contractor or material supplier for correction.
When our receptionist told me one of our home buyers, who had been in her home about six months, was on the phone I picked up the call with some concern. Mrs. Buyer said her stove used to work but was not working and could I please tell her how to relight the pilot light. I was almost certain all the stoves we installed were electronic ignitions but I took her number and told I would call her right back.
I called our purchasing manager, Darlene, who assured me that none of our stoves had pilot lights. I called Mrs. Buyer back and told her there was no pilot light. I then asked her if they had checked the circuit breakers. She immediately assured me that her husband had checked the circuit breakers as they had been instructed during the new home orientation.
I then asked her if her heat was working. It was near Thanksgiving so if the gas had been shut off for some reason, she would likely have noticed. She again assured me that the heat was working and the gas service was on.
I called Darlene back on her cell phone. She, by chance, was in Mrs. Buyer’s neighborhood so I asked her to stop in and see if she could see anything obvious before I had Mrs. Buyer call the appliance company for a warranty claim.
Darlene went to the Buyer's home and knocked on the door. Mr. Buyer answered and took Darlene to the kitchen where there was no stove. There was a burn mark on the wall where the stove had been. It seems they had had a minor stove fire but had needed to call the fire department. The fire department had disconnected the gas and electric from the stove and placed the stove in the garage to get the smoke smell out of the house. Mrs. Buyer was out trying to relight the stove in the garage.
Original Content copyright 2011 Thomas Robinson
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