Had to choose between replacing a compressor or walking away from a job yesterday

I was working on this old GE fridge in a basement in Allentown, the kind with the compressor on top. Customer said it was making a noise like a dying cat and wouldn't cool. I tested the start relay and capacitor, both fine, but the compressor itself was shot. Told the guy it'd be around $600 with labor if I could even find the part, or he could just buy a new fridge for $800 at the home center. He looked at me and said 'I just spent $400 on cabinets, I ain't buying a new fridge.' So I spent the next 3 hours sourcing a universal compressor through a buddy at a supply house in Bethlehem, got it swapped in, and it fired right up. Thing is, I charged him $550 and barely broke even after gas and my time. Has anyone else run into a situation where you knew the math didn't work but the customer begged you to fix it anyway?

3 comments

3 Comments

scott.miles21d ago

Buddy of mine fixed a washing machine for less than minimum wage once.

stella_lane21d agoMost Upvoted

Fixed my own dryer with a ten dollar part and a YouTube video.

drew_bennett2420d ago

Yeah but how many people ended up making it worse? Sometimes paying a pro is cheaper in the long run.