It May Seem Easy, But . . .
Jan 22, 2026
Sound bars are particularly challenging to repair, in part because the manufacturers offer next to no support for their products, and in part because they are generally very difficult to take apart, and even more difficult to put back together! So when I got a call to repair a sound bar with what was described as a “broken jack,” I had to ask a few clarifying questions before I felt there was enough chance of success to take a $25 deposit and give it a shot.
The customer showed up today with the sound bar, I took one look at the “broken jack” and I knew right away that A) it wasn’t a broken jack and B) I could probably resolve the issue in just a few seconds. Before I wrote up a work order and the customer gave me the $25 down, I said “Wait just a minute” and went back in my shop to get my smallest flush cutters. I came back out, grabbed the pin that had broken off in the jack with the tip of my flush cutters and pulled it out. All done! My customer was so relieved and happy, he gave me the $25 even though I would have done it for free. No talking him out of it!
But that wasn’t the end of the story! A couple hours later I got an email from him. He said “It might seem a simple fix, but your expertise calmed the stress. The Sound Bar is back where it belongs and working like a champ.” Great! I like a success story. And what a nice guy! A far cry from the caller who groused over the phone the other day about having to pay the deposit because “what if I couldn’t fix it, then he’d be out $25 for nothing.” Yeah buddy. My time may have no value to you, but it’s precious to me. Glad you decided not to follow up with an appointment.
