Some of you guys will love this

[smhardesty]

I have a Facebook page ONLY to promote my little repair biz and to give me a place to list the equipment I have refurbished for resell. I hate ALL social disease websites. I try like hell to avoid reading ANY posts on Facebook since it's nothing more than an argument waiting to happen. One of the few people I have as a "friend" on Facebook sent me a message with a link to a post that had been started by an area TV station. It was about the Super Bowl and the whole "2 black quarterback" thing. I read a couple of posts and made a simple comment that it was a real shame that so many people thought it was a good thing to make race an issue and it is about time to let the whole race thing just go away. Some idiot replied to my post saying that my opinion didn't mean a thing because I was a stupid lawn mower repairman and did nothing more than what he could do after looking at a couple of YouTube videos. No kidding.

I usually try to just ignore idiotic remarks like that one, but I just could NOT let it go. I told him I spent 30+ years designing, building, installing, and troubleshooting computers and computer networks so people like him could post idiotic remarks on Facebook. I then told him that small engine mechanics exist to fix the repairs that idiots like him tried to do on their own at home. I then thanked him for contributing to either the pockets of some small engine repairman where he lives, or for contributing to the pockets of the owners of big box stores by having to buy a new mower every year.

Once upon a time, pretty much any farmer was truly able to make most minor repairs on small engines. By the time I got into the business several years ago, that was no longer true. By a WIDE margin, my customers were farmers. There are now a lot fewer farmers that do their own repair work on their equipment and even fewer that will touch a small engine. I recall having to unfix what a few customers had "fixed" on their own. I'm hoping I don't have many of those customers in the future. LOL!

 

[PTmowerMech]

I've had my FB account for about 15 years now. IIRC. It is a world of it's own. So much BS you can get caught up in. I can't tell you have many time's I've been in FB jail. But, once I stopped "friending" people I didn't know, and deleting friends that I never actually talked to, and blocked 99% of anything political or other things I just wasn't interested in, FB has become enjoyable.
I've got my friends list down to about 20 people. Almost no political stuff shows up anymore. I still get slammed with ad's (because people pay to have them pop up, just as you might pay to "boost" your ad)
Just a note: I have two FB accounts. My personal one. And one for the biz. Absolutely nothing but small engine stuff on the Biz one.

 

[StarTech]

Personally I avoid all social media other than forums like this one and I am beginning to them too. Even when I try to help out I get at times snapped at. Like recently here where I was called a clown and a fool. I basically quit posting help on problem on equipment problems I know about.

As for the business I just doing the word of mouth thing; although, I do get a little pissed when someone thinks I ran a 24/7 business like the idiot last night that showed up at 8:30 at night after I done gone to sleep. Glad I have now programmed my phones to turn off at 6pm and back on at 8am. At least I don't get those 2am calls waking me up anymore from drunks.

Tried to get on Google Business but they are demanding me to provide a live video via a smart phone and I can't. No cell phone here. I did record a video but they won't accept it even to place my shop on Google Maps.

 

[slomo]

"I've got a girlfriend". From Pearl Harbor the movie.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Just like slot machines, social media is designed to be addictive
I for one can do without it
Thought about doing a business FB account but in reality I have more work coming through the gate than I can handle right now and I really co do without idiots for customers who have seen the repairs done on You Tube so tell me what they "know" is wrong with their gear .
In fact when some one starts along those paths I unload their mower and tell them "if you know what is wrong & how to fix it then you can do it yourself, Iwill be round with the parts latter on"
I once got so annoyed with one of these idiots I did exactly what he told meneeded to be done & sent back the mower still not working
He made a complaint to Fair Trading and I defended it and won as I am obliged to do what the customer requested which is exactly what I did but not what was needed to be done
THe mower actually needed a valve lash adjustment but I replaced the starter Ignition switch solenoid & batttery as requested by the customer

 

[Hammermechanicman]

My last FakeBook post was "I retired" that was around 4 years ago. That was pretty much my only post.

 

[smhardesty]

I sure hate dealing with these idiots. 15 minutes ago a woman responded to my ad for a Remington 20" push mower. Stated in the description is the fact it is last year's model and was used only from the middle of May until the first week of October when I bought it. I have it listed at $100. She asked if it was still available and,,,, get ready,,,, if it was self propelled. No kidding. I was a bit ticked and replied that she won't be buying ANY one year old, self propelled mowers for a hundred bucks. She wanted to know how much a one year old self propelled mower was worth. I replied that I could not answer that question unless I had my hands on the mower, but assured her a one year old self propelled, in the condition this mower is in, would start at $300. I included that if it was a higher end Honda or Toro self propelled, prices could easily be $500 to as much as $1000 or more. She fired back that she sure wouldn't pay that much for a mower. I told her she could buy this one I have for $100. She didn't respond.

THAT is the kind if uninformed, dingbat Facebook users I get. LOL!