Insight article
The boiler and the dog
An energy company we were working with a couple of years ago told us this story.
It was in the wintry depths of February, and an elderly woman who lived alone had her boiler break down. So she called the gas company, and they sent a repairman.
When he arrived, he became more than a bit apprehensive when he saw a little dog that was running around his legs in a kind of frenzy. This dog was clearly harmless, but he’d always been terrified of them. Still, wanting to be polite, he didn’t say anything, and just went about his business hoping the dog would go away.
The boiler was old and fiddly, and the repairman had to go back to the depot to get parts. When he got back, the parts weren’t quite right, and he had to go back again. Every time he returned, there was the dog. As the flat was getting colder and colder, he pressed on with his work, despite this dog that made him tremble with fear.
After several hours, the job was finally done, and the radiators clanked back to life. When he went to say goodbye to the woman, she told him his service had been excellent, and she was very pleased. But she did offer one bit of constructive criticism.
“You really shouldn’t bring your dog with you to repair jobs”, she said.
