The biggest single problem I have in the maintenance and repair industry is teaching customers the difference between repairing a machine and making it work. These are 2 very different things!
It is probably very common for people to come into your restaurant and find you and make an offer to repair your equipment. They are going to tell you everything you want to hear and probably everything you have heard 100 times already.
They’re going to say that they are cheaper, faster, better and a whole lot of other things. But let me tell you what you really should be hearing before you make any decision. There is a huge difference between repairing a machine and making it work. These are two entirely different things. 90% of the people in your restaurant who claim that they can repair something can’t. They are just making it work.
It is a very easy thing to make something work. You can add more Freon, you can by-pass safety controls, you can put the wrong motor in it… and the list goes on and on. Do you know that if you need Freon in anything I can put in almost any kind of Freon that I want and your machine will get cool or cold? But if I put in the wrong kind of Freon in about 6 months to a year the compressor will burn out. When a compressor burns out have you EVER thought it was the problem of the guy that worked on it 6 to 9 months ago? IT COULD BE!
Here is how a bad service tech operates:
He comes to your restaurant, looks at the machine and gets an idea what is wrong, goes to the parts department, come back and installs the part and writes you a bill.
Here is how a qualified service tech works:
He comes to your restaurant, looks at the machine and gets an idea what is wrong. He does not go to the parts department. If he can, he temporarily by passes the part and makes the machine run to examine the other parts to see if this is the only thing wrong with the appliance. After he finds the broken part then he proceeds to step #2. He finds the reason why that part broke because he understands that he must fix that too. The third step is for him to look at the rest of the machine for anything else that might be a problem Once all that is done, THEN he goes to the parts department (only once), returns and fixes the machine.
The objective of the trained service tech is to return the machine completely to factory standards each time he sees it. The end objective is to make sure that machine does not break for at least one year after he touches it.
Here is my greatest free advice to you when it comes to fixing your equipment.
When you have a piece of equipment that seems to always be breaking and it seems like no one can fix it: it is not a problem with the machine. The problem is with the repair company. If you have the right people repairing your equipment, then once it is fixed; it should stay fixed.
I’m Ted Baker, owner of the Restaurant Repair Company. If you have any questions about this article or anything else in a restaurant don’t ever hesitate to call me at 866 979-7947 or email me. My advice is always free and we are open 24/7 in 7 major cities in Texas.
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