Talked to an old Maytag repair guy last week and he made me rethink everything

I was griping about a new Samsung washer that kept throwing error codes for no reason, and this guy who's been fixing stuff since the 70s just shook his head. He told me "you're not fixing appliances anymore, you're resetting computers." It hit different because he showed me a 1985 Maytag he still services that just needs a belt every 10 years. Now I'm wondering if I should specialize in pre-2000 machines since the new stuff is basically disposable. He said his backlog is 3 months just on older units. Anyone else see a shift in what people actually want repaired these days?

3 comments

3 Comments

scott.olivia14d ago

His backlog being 3 months is the part that really got me. Does he think that wait time will get worse or better as more of those old machines break down? Because I'm guessing not a lot of people are learning how to fix them anymore. Seems like a ticking clock on that knowledge.

fionafoster14d ago

Used to think paying a premium for an older repair guy was just a waste of money. Always figured you could just buy a new machine cheaper and be done with it. But seeing the three month backlog really puts it in perspective - those old skills are going to die out, and then what? Makes me realize sometimes the real value is in the knowledge, not just the price tag. Now I'm wondering how many other trades are slowly disappearing like this.

rodriguez.mia13d ago

Ugh, totally. @scott.olivia my buddy had his grandpa's old washer fixed by a guy like that.