Question about the right way to handle a customer's old fridge

Last week I was on a call in a suburb near me, a 20 year old fridge with a bad compressor. I told the guy straight up, a new compressor plus labor would run him about $600, maybe more. He got real quiet, then said he could buy a whole new basic fridge for $800. I laid out the facts, the old one was built like a tank but the repair cost was high. This got me thinking back to a job 3 years ago, same deal but the lady insisted on fixing her 1990s model. I spent 4 hours on it and it's still running for her today. So here's the debate, do you push for the repair on the old workhorses knowing the cost is close to new, or do you just tell them to replace it? I feel like we're the only ones who know the real quality difference. How do you guys handle this talk?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_robin2d ago

It's the same with everything now. You pay almost as much to fix the old reliable thing as you do to buy a new, flimsy one. Makes the choice feel bad either way.

felixhenderson2d ago

The repair cost isn't always that close to a new unit. A decent new fridge is often over a grand now, not $800. That math changes the talk a bit.

hannah_wells2d ago

My buddy had a customer with a 90s fridge, same talk. The repair quote was almost what a new one cost, just like felixhenderson said about prices now. The guy went with the repair, grumbling about it. That was five years ago, and he calls my friend every Christmas to say the thing is still running ice cold. The new one he almost bought had a two star review talking about a failed compressor in year three. Sometimes you're not just fixing an appliance, you're keeping a good one going.