sigh. Yet another customer basing their decision on perceived price-

sigh. Yet another customer basing their decision on perceived price-

I try and explain that we're the least expensive based on several factors, not the least of which is that YOU ACTUALLY GET SOMETHING FOR YOUR MONEY...

It's pretty simple math, is $90 for nothing a better deal than $69?

In the first place, the guy pitching that deal PROMISES to come back for free (after giving you NOTHING, since he's not a trained technician, just a dude with a toolbox who's good at conning people or fixing the most basic of problems) and promises not to build the cost of the 2nd service call into the price of the parts you supposedly need.

Riiight. Sure.

People, let's all just take a deep breath and sip on a cup of common sense here, shall we?

Anytime someone tells you something is free, your hand should automatically move to cover your wallet out of sheer instinct. Anytime someone gives you (or SAYS they will, BIG difference there) something for free, it's sure they're making up that cost to them in some other way.

Unless you think this yahoo is some kind of modern day Buddha, wandering the countryside playing a flute and fixing stuff for free or half the cost of what anyone else can fix it for (well, saying he can anyway, sounds good until he's walking out your front door with your money, at which point the reality of the situation will slowly dawn on you as you never hear from him again)...

And let's break down the economics to show how his business model can't work unless he is scamming people;

Gas is $4+ a gallon, lets assume his car gets 20mpg just to keep the math simple. He will go anywhere for $90, even driving up to an hour or more sometimes, so his cost just to get to you (one way) is $4-12. Then, unless he's sleeping in his car, he has to drive home, so another $4-12. Then, if he's supposedly going to return if you need a part for free, that's another $24 (round trip cost) so just his gas (not even counting maintenance on his vehicle) is costing him $48 out of $90, so his profit is $42. $42 divided by travel time of 4 hours, actual labor of 2 hours (and this is an extremely conservative estimate, some jobs take longer, not everything can be done in an hour, period, absolutely. An absolute like that is just silly. Add a dash of administration in there, time spent ordering parts, etc, and you've got another 1-2 hours. All that adds up to 7-8 hours total time, which means his profit, before taxes (!!) is about $5-6 an hour. And in Los Angeles, you simply can't live on that. Nor would any trained technician accept that wage. Which also proves that he's a one-man operation.

So either this guy is living in his car, and is BOTH brilliant at fixing stuff and yet a COMPLETE IDIOT at math and somehow hasn't completely gone broke yet, or had an expensive enough mechanical failure of his car that has stopped him cold, or he's just a con man.

Those are basically the only possibilities, and it's not hard to see which is the more likely one.

We know he's a con man.

This promise of something free smells like something a kid says to get what he wants (i.e., whatever he thinks you want to hear or a wild promise that sounds too good to be true, and most of the time is) like the; "I promise I'll feed it and clean up after the great dane puppy, you won't even know it's there."

And don't feel shy about calling us if you do call this yahoo, and find out he won't return (which he usually won't, his business model is to maximize profit on the first call and discourage or flat out refuse to return- usually by just ignoring your call- that's why he prefers to deal with people via email, which is a red flag right there, who does that?) or just want to double-check his price, feel free to give us a call, we'll happily confirm that the price he's trying to charge more than pays for a second service call.

We've seen it plenty of times before.

Best, Eric

Outstanding Android applications

Todays rave; Remote Desk Webtop by SmartDog studio, free or donation version, allows you to use your computers keyboard as the input for your android phone, take screenshots, use a picture from your computer as your phone's wallpaper, send and manage messages, contacts, (oh, wait, that's still under construction, as are the notes and mobile settings, clicking those brings up an "under construction" image of a guy digging furiously, the screen capture is new, so this dev is one that actually updates his stuff, that other stuff should be up and running soon ) browse files using a file explorer, amaze your freinds.

If this were an iphone, you'd probably be paying $20-$100 for this app, as it stands, it's free, or you can donate $3.98 for the paid version, which is exactly the same.

This is one of those apps I've donated to just because they're so useful and I appreciate the dev making it.

Why's this review of an android app in a blog about repairing treadmills? Because it helps me help people by making the time I have to spend administrating more efficient and take less time.

And I like helping others make their lives better, so I like to share good stuff like this.

Get treated like a rock star! Or movie star!

As someone who's not very star-struck, (my wife is the one who keeps me up to date on what stars are up to, the latest Brad and Angelina rumors, etc.- my viewing habits tend more towards Mythbusters and science channel fare) I've actually gone to movie and television stars homes to service their equipment and not even recognized them, only finding out later that they're so-and-so from that show or movie.

Which means everyone gets the same-top-of-the-line cadillac service, since we can never be sure who might be a REALLY BIG DEAL in Hollywood or whatever industry- (how would I recognize an executive?) or just someone like my aunt who knows simply everyone and is happy to pass on our contact info to their friends and family.

It all kind of stems back to when I was a teen and at a Star Trek convention listening to Michael Dorn (the guy who played the klingon on Next Generation) speechify while we waited for the auction- smart of them to schedule it that way- and realized that a couple years ago, this guy was maybe waiting tables, analyzed what he was saying and didn't find it terribly compelling or life changing, and wandered out to the vendor area and negotiated a great deal on some trinkets and toys in the nearly empty shopping area.

You see, everyone else (right now listening to blather, sorry Michael, I'm sure you're a great guy) had saved most of their money to try and win something at the auction, and so sales were slow, so they were willing to bargain.

I'd also just like to apologize here for not making a fuss over William Katt when I met him while working on his neighbors treadmill- my normal reaction to seeing someone famous is to let them go about their business, not interrupt them while they're eating, try not to make them uncomfortable by unnecessarily pointing out; "Hey, you're that guy from tv!".

In this case, I think I might have hurt his feelings a little by NOT making a fuss- after all, actors didn't become actors because they DON'T want attention. (duhh...)

He came walking up and said hi and asked what I was doing, and as I told him I was fixing the treadmill, he saw in my face that I recognized him, but didn't say anything about him being the Greatest American Hero guy, which he may have interpreted to mean that I thought; "hey, it's that spaz who used to flail about in long underwear." and wasn't a fan.

In fact, I loved that show, watched it religiously, and even got the box set for my wife's birthday a month or so later. (More proof that she's perfect for me, since she loves the same stuff I do...)

Amazing that the it boy of the time, Michael Pare, had EQUAL billing in the opening credits of that show, even though he would usually appear for like 5-10 minutes an episode, I had forgotten about that...

I should have fawned at least a bit and got a picture with him- that would have been fun, and he wouldn't have had his feelings hurt.

And when I come to your house, you could even tell me you're a movie or tv star, I won't know the difference...

New reason not to use Yahoos - spotlight on Los Angeles Treadmill Repair

New reason not to use Yahoos - spotlight on Los Angeles Treadmill Repair

SCAM ALERT!

Well, actually the reality is this is a spotlight on "Mike" from Los Angeles Treadmill Repair, if that's his real name, he seems to use more than one name in an effort to seem like a company not just a guy pretending to be a treadmill technician.

Which he's not- I've been to more than one call after him and his diagnoses are COMPLETELY wrong- when he doesn't know what the problem is, he will claim it's an expensive part and pretend to be helping you by recommending you don't repair the machine and just buy another one.

The reality is that he's just scamming you out of your money.

His main skills seem to be the ability to build a professional-looking website and the ability to con people into thinking he's a real company even though he NEVER answers his phone.

Repairmen who don't show up- Reposted from Yelp;


sam j.
San Pedro, CA
9/10/2010
TRIED to use this place. Have to say the website looks great - very misleading. I am convinced this is a one man operation.....hard to get a callback. The phone goes to voicemail every time i have called. Eventually after 2 wks of back and forth emails got Mike to agree to a time. Stayed home from work just for Mike to call and say he couldn't make it and would email me later that day when he got back to the office to reschedule...here it is a week later and i haven't heard a thing. Maybe this is a p/t side job or dude is independently wealthy bc he sure doesn't want to help out a paying customer with an elliptical. Currently looking for another service option.

Hey Sam, give us a call- we answer by the second ring, and give world class service every step of the way after that.

We're so communicative we even call the day of the service call to give our ETA so you don't have to wait around all day. Oh, and we actually show up. And then actually fix your machine.

Best, Eric

Your driving is being "reviewed" daily... or why driving politely will save you money

Your driving is being "reviewed" daily... or why driving politely will save you money; (not to mention countless lives)

Ever wonder what that nice policeman is reading when he goes back to his car and decides whether to let you off with a warning or to write you a ticket?

He's reading all the comments commercial drivers have called in about you cutting them off, weaving from lane to lane, generally driving unsafely, etc.,etc.,etc.

There's a little-known program that enables randomly-selected (actually, I'm pretty sure your driving record is one factor they use in selecting you) commercial drivers to call an 800# and report unsafe or impolite driving to the CHP and DMV.

Even if you don't ever get pulled over, it is one of the reasons why you may either get to simply renew by mail or (ugh) have to go spend a lovely day at the DMV to renew your license even if you haven't had any accidents.

So it will catch up to you no matter what.

I know for myself that I've reached a point where I don't bother to call in unless someone is driving pretty badly- I'd pretty much be on the phone all day long trying to sweep back that tide with a handbroom, and we all have weaved a bit when on the phone, changing radio stations, etc. So when the officer sees multiple comments that you tailgate, cut people off by changing lanes inches from their bumpers (yeah, I'm talking about you new BMW owners who think your magic car can't possibly harm anyone since they're so stuffed with magical technology that compensates for your obvious lack of common sense and driving ability) or even even ONE comment like that can ensure you get cited instead of being let off with a warning.

I wish everyone had GPS so they could see that driving this way DOES NOT save you time or get you there sooner.

The only things that do are;

a) Leaving sooner

b) Leaving sooner by running to your car instead of walking (good for cardio too)

c) Using your time machine to go back in time, slap yourself on the back of the head to remind yourself to leave sooner

d) setting your watch back and insisting that that is the correct time. Doing so in a loud, manic voice while bulging your eyes and letting a little foam form at the edges of your lips will likely convince the person you're talking to that it's not worth arguing the point with you, which for all practical purposes is the same as convincing them, since they will accept your statement, and back away slowly while avoiding eye contact.

*If the above statement (d) seems perfectly logical to you, you should immediately seek help from a trained mental health practitioner.

Returning to the BMW issue for the moment, that's not a class thing with me, i.e., as if I resented someone in a nice car, I have had a Mercedes before, so I know all too well that driving aggressively will anger people more than if you had cut them off in a Honda, and that's not the case here- I think these are first-time BMW owners who can just barely afford to buy one, especially now since the maintenance is included.

They probably feel like they want to get their money's worth since it's such a really nice car to drive, and also, it's just plain fun to drive that way.

I'm pretty sure too that it's first-time BMW owners, since they haven't considered that if they hurt or kill someone driving that way that they will be sued to pieces and lose everything. Or maybe they have, and the car is the only thing of worth they have, so if it's totaled in a fiery crash, well, obviously there's nothing else to get.

So as we see from these examples, your driving habits are a pretty good indicator of your financial status, and regard for your fellow mans well being.

Put more simply, whether you're a complete A-hole, or just a thoughtless clod.

They will learn eventually when they overestimate their driving skills one too many times, and inevitably crash, or have enough people road-rage them for acting like jerks- we can only hope it's before they hurt or kill someone.

And for pete's sake BMW, please raise the price of your cars for the sake of us all.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest, and please drive carefully. Driving faster to make up time will save you 10-20 seconds for every 15 minutes driven AT MOST. Obviously not worth it.

Best, Eric

WE PUT OUR PANTS ON THIS MORNING!

Ever notice how well-dressed but unprofessional, disorganized people like to trumpet their alleged professionalism even as they act unprofessionally?

To me, that's like walking into a room and proudly proclaiming "I remembered to put my pants on today!"

The adults will be amused, the more polite ones will stifle their smiles, no one will be impressed.

Similarly, one of our competitors reassures you he will come to your house to fix your treadmill, elliptical, etc., you don't have to somehow hoist it into a truck and bring it to him, as if that were even a good idea.

Which it's not.

If he had more experience, he'd know that is normal, that a lot of our calls come after someone has had movers move their machine, and either drop it or reassemble it incorrectly.

And once there are two unrelated malfunctions, breaks, damage, etc., it becomes exponentially more difficult to diagnose what's going on and going wrong with the machine.

He also makes a big deal about how they check in with the owner or manager when they arrive at the gym, and give you an assessment of how much it will cost to repair or service your equipment.

Wow, captain obvious, really, you don't sneak in, saying hello to no one, like some kind of repair ninja?

And does he really think that people believe there are people so gullible that they would ok a repair without having the vaguest idea of how much it will cost?

Yeesh.

Don't be taken in by imposters / yahoos pretending to be technicians.

The fact that this guy focuses on this obvious nonsense reveals he doesn't know what else to say or what else is important to gym owners, apartment managers or regular people betrays his lack of experience.

I'd like to meet this guy someday, he must be one charismatic guy to be able to blow this much smoke and actually have people believe it.

We are the least expensive certified technicians in the Los Angeles, Orange County, Santa Barbara, San Diego and other counties.

We've been a success story for 10 years now.

Call us now to experience what true customer service feels like.

Best, Eric

GOOD NEWS / BAD NEWS; Palm is dead

I have been a Palm loyalist for years, but after trying the Nexus one, Nokia n900, HTC HD2, Samsung Vibrant, and finally the HTC EVO, I have to say, the Palm, which, let us credit the progenitors of the smartphone movement, has been surpassed.

The EVO is the best phone I have ever owned.

I will post more recommendations later, but the very best apps for android I have found thus far are;

Easy tether; use your phone as a modem for your computer, FAST connection, $10 vs $25 for PdaNet, and can apparently function even as modem for xbox, wii, ps3, etc. although this is untested at the time of this post, whereas pdanet does not.

Wiregoggles; should have been named "Instant Blueprint".

Googlemaps; toss your gps, which until this point had been the best $200 I ever spent, along with your phone/mp3 player/pda/etc you get spoken street name directions, poi search, etc and more.

voice input of text; even better than bluetooth keyboard input, my contacts have never been so organized.

4G is gonna rock the monkey; I turned to my wife as we were driving through and said; "We have to move to Orange County." She looked at me questioningly so I elaborated; "I just tested the download speed; 31 MEGABYTES PER SECOND(!).