Antimony of a service call...

Last week I was doing wash. My children have this nasty habit of getting their clothes dirty. Apparently they don't understand the impact their dirt has on my life.

At the conclusion of my first load, I entered the laundry room and noticed a strange smell. It smelled like my detergent, but with a twist. I was a bit perplexed. Also it should be noted that during the cycle, my washer was making rather unusual noises. Well not to be deterred, I put in load number two. Same noise, and same strange unidentified smell. Load #3, same noise, didn't get to the smell, because the washer quit working mid-cycle. Yep you guess it, a load of jeans, and a washer not working, yet full of water. (I decided the smell was a combination of smoking washing machine motor in conjunction with my laundry detergent.)

Time for a service call. I have an insurance plan on my house that covers things like washers etc., so when I have the need for a service call I pay a fee and the technician comes, diagnoses the issue, and the insurance covers the cost to repair or replace. I filed my request on the Internet, being careful to use my cell phone number for a contact so that I could be located on a moments notice.

I wait. I wait. I wait. After a day and a half without a call to schedule my service, I call the company assigned and asked what the heck is going on. I am told they called the day before at 8:07 a.m. and left a message that my service call was scheduled for Monday between 1-5 p.m. Well of course I adamantly disagreed with that because I received no such call or message, and was told they called my land line, despite the fact I used my cell phone as the contact number. Well I disagreed with that too, because I don't have an answering machine on my land line, and my caller identification showed no record of their call. (Please for future reference, don't lie to me, I have a finely tuned BS meter, its the nature of my job.)

After a few minutes of arguing with the scheduling person, we agreed that my service call would be moved to Thursday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (Yes, that would be one full week from when the washing machine quit working, oh you can only imagine my current pile of laundry...) Around 1 p.m. the service technician calls me, want to make sure I am home of course...and I am. Then he begins to question me about my washer, and what happens when its running. I explain it is currently not running, which of course IS the problem. Let's just say at the conclusion of the conversation I was left wondering is he S.L.O.W, or is he high?

Upon arrival he is not happy to discover the washer has water in it, you know, because washers NEVER quit mid-cycle with water in them. Well at least I removed the clothes. Good thing I have a great neighbor who let me put my wet clothes in her washer last week. Then I am enlisted to help him move the washer. (Do you get a discount if you are required to help the technician?)

Verdict: Washer is not working. You know because that wasn't obvious to me LAST week when it quit mid-cycle full of jeans. Cause: Bad pump. Solution: Replace pump. Verdict: Washer now working.

Service technician.....might have been a little slow on the uptake, but clearly knows how to fix a washer....however did I mention he had a little, or rather larger flatulence problem? Oh, yes there is a lovely order now lingering in my house......