Are you grateful you are a handyman.....? And has is been worth the time and expense

[Wagtail]

The larger the company the less it appreciates JOAT's. Larger companies segregate the tasks in the name of efficiency and create robotic type behavior in people. Thus the lost art of troubleshooting, MacGvyer'ing, and agility... whether it be mental or physical!

Saw this happening in the Navy in my later years. JOAT = Jury Rigging, you fixed the equipment by hook or by crook to get it working until such time as you reached port and could get the correct part. Oh, I've got some great stories (one where I woke the ship's Doctor at 0330 asking for a non-lubricated condom! ath.

Today's "technician" is taught to read the fault-finding section of the manual... if it's not in there, it's broken. I reckon they're taught to do, not think, these days. I see it a lot in today's society too, almost like they've not be given 'permission' to do or try to do something.

Here's a prime example. All buildings, stores, shopping centres, schools, etc... have fire hoses and fire extinguishers. They're prominently displayed, marked and have operating instructions. Yet, the drill is to evacuate the building. The fire fighting appliances are simply there to comply with a building/occupation code, otherwise let the place burn to the ground. Whereas, with a wee bit of $ investment, the people working there could be given rudimentary training (and confidence) in operating those appliances. (yes, I know every situation is different)

I'd better stop now or I'll wax lyrical about this for yonks!

[That and I've had a couple of glasses of Pinot Noir! roposetoast:]

Oh, and MossRoad said nothing wrong to set the OP off on that tirade.

 

[radioman]

same here -- being an handyman has provided me opportunities. most people i encounter either have other skills i dont or they feel its either kind of work is above them or they just simply lack the ability to do so. thats ok . they have the money from working so they have skills in that area to pay people like me. Its what makes this country great.

can you imagine a world full of handymans and no pilots, doctors, nurses, farmers, grocery store owners ,etc?

 

[newbury]

I'm learning this quickly...<snip>

I do think it is a comment on the times when those that can do and have the track record to prove it no longer matter...<snip>

But look at it from a management stand point. You are a very effective JOAT. If you get hit by a truck who or how many who's are going to be able to step in your place to continue the mission?

If "they" can reduce your duties to separate jobs that can be easily done by many drones that are easily replaced they don't have to be concerned about hiring another ideal employee.

Also - in management who is more important? The manager that oversees 10 people with a budget of $1 million to produce one widget or the manager that oversees 1 person for $100,000 to produce the same widget? Often the managers 2 levels up don't know what it takes to produce a widget so the manager with a million dollar budget is superior.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Choices... life is all about choices. I can and have rebuilt automobile engines, but would not even consider changing a muffler. I can manage a entire construction project but will not even consider laying down roofing.

Why? It's not because of lack of skill required. It's because I'd rather spend my time doing something I rather enjoy instead of something that I don't enjoy. We need to try to allocate our short time on this earth to the best of our judgement.

 

[Oaktree]

And by "Previous Customers" I mean anyone that you used to provide service to.... after all, your co-workers were your customers because you were a service guy. So am I. Now I'm not allowed to help them anymore. They have to "submit a ticket".

I've been on both sides of this myself, in my case the broadcast industry. I had my reservations when a corporate chain took over the stations I'd been engineer at for the previous 15 years or so, but found that many of these procedures helped me do my job better. No longer was I expected to drop everything every time someone seemed to think their minor problem was the end of the world and needed attention immediately. There was a chain of command where I reported to people who actually understood what I did, and not just a GM who knew nothing but sales and whose eyes would just glaze over when I tried to explain something to him.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I was taught to be self sufficient by my father who did everything himself if at all possible. I do know my limitations such as roofing, I leave that hard and hot work to professionals. I can repair under sink plumbing, fix a toilet, run a water line, build a deck or repair such, grade and level an area with my tractor, chain oil in all my motors, lube all my equipment, mow my acreage, defend my household from intruders and many other things should I wish to do them.

Now that I am getting on up in age, many of the things that I once did, I now elect to hire out rather than tackle them myself even though I know how to do them. Being handy has no relevance to what I do vs what I have done by someone else.

I know a few folks who are happy to have a handy wife, my son-in-law for one and my across the street neighbor for another. All the tools at my daughter's house belong to her, not her husband. My next door neighbor's wife does all the yard work and her husband has never even changed the oil in his vehicles in his life. He believes in hiring everything out and says that it is cheaper that way. His wife loves to mow the yard, but he would rather pay someone else to do it so he doesn't have the hassle of doing equipment maintenance.

To some folks, it isn't a matter of not being handy, it is just a mindset that in the long run, it is cheaper to have a professional to do something than tackle it yourself.
I am not of that mindset!! I think that anything that a person can comfortably do himself is foolish to have someone else do it for them.

 

[Richard]

I can have a car breakdown and solve it on the spot instead of having it towed.

Heh...this reminds me of a story.

Years ago, I had a blind date. At the time, I was driving a 1969 Mercedes 280 SL convertible. It was a very cute car and in excellent condition. I also did all the upkeep on it myself.

Pick up my date & go to dinner. I was wearing a suit/tie.

Long story short, it was for me (and maybe her to be fair) a VERY miserable evening. She was the most empty headed, shallow, non-conversational ding bat I had met in years. I could not WAIT to get her home (EDIT to clarify: I could not wait to get rid of her) (although I remained a gentleman for entire evening)

So, on the final leg to take her home, we're in a quiet part of town when all the sudden the car engine dies. Nothing, zip... it died as quick as turning the key off. She giggled in a creepy way as though she thought this was staged... "oh honey, the car died....let's just park over here while I pull some moves on you"

Well, I guarantee you I was having none of that and I was horrified that my evening was going to take longer.

I get out of the car...flip hood... had her bump engine over. Removed distributor cap and discovered that the (brand new) points in the car had come apart.

OMG, where am I going to get at 10:00 PM on a Saturday night.... a set of points for a 1969 SL???

Oh, maybe in my trunk from my LAST pair!!

I go to trunk and pull the old set out. The contact was a slip on type that simply slid on a post. I took the new contacts, removed the broken spring/contact.... pulled old one off and used the two parts to create a new set of points. Put them back in....eyeballed the gap and had her turn the key.

Car started and ran perfectly fine.

All of this took literally, less than 10 minutes from the time the car died...to getting out, diagnosing and fixing the problem to back on our way.

She blathered on how impressed she was ....

I just gave it move gas to get her home faster.....

I had to admit though, I too was pretty impressed with how quickly I fixed it, especially while under her duress.

 

[downsizingnow48]

That brings back a memory. I was 19 years old and driving my 1958 Corvette to the beach with a girl friend. On the highway the car suddenly filled with smoke, the engine cut off. I coasted to a stop at the side of the road and we jumped out. No fire, but all the underhood wiring was melted, there had been a short somewhere. I salvaged some that was still usable and in a few minutes rigged up enough to get the engine going again and we continued on our way. I was feeling pretty good about that ad hoc repair. But she was not too enthusiastic about the car filled with smoke scene. Her view was that if I really knew what I was doing my car would not fill with smoke on the highway. She had a point too.

I have always done pretty much all mechanical and trades related work and feel good about having the skills and tools to do it. But my retirement to-do list just keeps getting longer so increasingly I pay others to do what I really do not like to do. Roofing and vehicle maintenance/repair are two good examples.

 

[AchingBack]

Reminds me of an often used phrase on the Red Green show:

"If she doesn't find you handsome, she should at least find you handy!"

Guess which one I am? And guess which one I was 40 years ago?:laughing:

Love Red Green show. Here he builds a backhoe for a Cadillac.
Handyman Corner "Cadillac Backhoe" - YouTube

 

[ultrarunner]

But look at it from a management stand point. You are a very effective JOAT. If you get hit by a truck who or how many who's are going to be able to step in your place to continue the mission?

If "they" can reduce your duties to separate jobs that can be easily done by many drones that are easily replaced they don't have to be concerned about hiring another ideal employee.

Also - in management who is more important? The manager that oversees 10 people with a budget of $1 million to produce one widget or the manager that oversees 1 person for $100,000 to produce the same widget? Often the managers 2 levels up don't know what it takes to produce a widget so the manager with a million dollar budget is superior.

Yep... never thought of it this way but probably spot on... my duties are about half of what they had been and only 6 weeks in with changes coming almost daily...

The one phrase I keep hearing is "Cost is no longer my concern" or "No need to worry about it because Corp makes these decisions now"

No lie... it has been rough letting go when I see things being trashed that would take nothing to repair...

If the stapler is jammed toss it and buy a new one... if the computer is acting up call the corporate help line even when it was as simple as the power cord is loose.

Inventors, Creative Individuals and those Handy with the ability to fix and maintain are a dying breed as others have said... could simply be that Americans have much in the way of material processions so much so that processions are no longer valued the same.