I did home service calls for about 25 years and had been slowly cutting back for about 2 years. Used to cover pool tables, fix Jukes, Videos & Pins. Seen just about everything and dealt with every type of person. Had some great experiences and made some good side money, but It's at the point that I just don't have the time.
The thing that got me was how inconsiderate some people were. Forgetting I was coming over, leaving crap piled around and on the stuff I was supposed to fix, not knowing where the keys were, etc. And I don't mind a question or two, but stay out of my way and shut up so I can think! And get your dogs outta here please!
Wrapped up my final service call a few weeks ago and am done. I might still do an occasional one, but for now, it feels great to have my schedule clear.
A few that come to mind...
- The threatening call on Christmas eve about how the juke I fixed quit working and it needs to be fixed before tomorrow noon because there's people coming over. He'd just put on some Xmas records, so I talked him through moving the switch from "service" to "on". He suddenly changed his threatening tone.
- Fixed a Stargate Pinball in a corporate penthouse meeting room during an employee review. "It's OK, don't mind us".
- Covered a pool table while being constantly being chatted at by the owner. Everything went wrong and what should have taken 3 hours, took 6. I had a love/hate relationship with pool tables. Good money if it goes right, but when it goes wrong, oh boy.
- Did a service call at the local Mental Health facility. Had to go through a half-dozen locked doors to get to the patient game room. Fixed the 6 Million Dollar Man Pinball, but couldn't fix the mangled bent rods on the Foos Ball Table.
