Just realized that customer who kept asking for extra cleanouts was right all along

I was sweeping a house in Denver last Tuesday and the homeowner kept insisting I add a second cleanout to his flue. I told him it was unnecessary and argued my point for about 10 minutes. He pulled out a photo of his last sweep's work showing heavy creosote buildup right where the flue turned. I added the cleanout and found a solid 2 inch blockage in that exact spot. Has anyone else had a homeowner teach them something they should have already known?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray_sullivan1d agoTop Commenter

Drop a bucket of humility on yourself and move on. I learned the hard way too, a homeowner showed me a 3 inch gap in a liner that I swore was fine until he pointed it out with his phone flashlight. Now I always bring a camera and let the client talk first before I pull out my tools. Trust me, that extra 10 minutes of listening saves you a return trip and keeps the customer happy.

julia_carter611d ago

Yeah I used to roll my eyes when homeowners wanted to show me stuff. Figured I was the pro, they were just cluttering up the job. But then a lady had me look at a spot in her siding I swore was fine, turned out water had been getting in behind it for months. She saw it because she stares at that wall every day. Now I shut up and let them point first, saved my butt more than once.

grant1551d ago

Ray's got a point in theory but you're assuming every homeowner has good eyes and a steady hand to boot. Half the time they're pointing at a shadow with the flashlight and you're wasting time chasing ghosts in the lining while the real issue is hiding somewhere else.