Chapter One

Technician Terry Trains DIY Doug

One day, DIY-Doug called up Apple Aire Heating & Cooling to ask how much it would cost to replace his air conditioner. The technician named Terry replied, "It would cost $7500, sir."

Doug was taken aback and said, "Wow, that's a lot of money for just one job." Terry replied, "Well, DIY-Doug, what do you think it would cost you if you did it yourself?"

Doug, who liked to take on DIY projects, was intrigued. "I don't know, maybe I can give it a shot," he replied.

Terry saw this as an opportunity and said, "Well, for $500, I can teach you how to do it yourself. You'll save $1500 and have the knowledge for next time."

Doug thought it over and said, "That sounds good, but I don't have all the tools required." Terry then said, "Well, for an additional $500, I can rent you the tools so you can do it."

Doug was hesitant and said, "I can only do it today, not next week." But then Terry replied, "I'm sorry, but I'm only available next week to teach you and lend you the tools. I have other customers to attend to today."

Doug started to realize that doing it himself might not be as easy as he thought. He said, "That means I'm going to have to sacrifice my time and give up my tasks."

Terry the technician reminded him that doing it himself would also mean paying for nonproductive factors like permit fees, tax, insurance, fuel, etc. "Oh no!" DIY-Doug exclaimed. "But to accomplish these tasks, I'm going to spend more money and waste a lot of time!"

Terry tried to reassure him, "I can help you get that stuff, but you don't get time back. Time is not purchased."

DIY-Doug thought it over and said, "Okay, let's do it. One day isn't too bad." But then he found out that he had to come at 6 am to load the truck with the equipment. "At 6 am? Nope, too early for me! I'm used to sleeping in."

DIY-Doug then had an epiphany. He said, "You know what, maybe I should just pay you guys the $7500. If I did it myself, it might not turn out perfect, and it would cost me a lot more with my valuable time and such."

And that's when Doug learned that sometimes it's better to leave it to the experts, especially when it comes to skilled trades like HVAC. When you pay for a job from a reputable company like Apple Aire Heating & Cooling, you're not just paying for the materials, but also for the knowledge, experience, study, tools, services, time, punctuality, and accountability.