He Trusted the Newest Repair Over the Whole Year

I had a customer tell me last fall, in his living room in Cashion, that capacitors should cost forty dollars. He told me this with the same kind of confidence a man uses when he is reading off a card he just looked at. I asked him where he had gotten the number. He said, that is what the last guy charged me. I asked him when the last guy had been out. He thought about it. He said, I want to say twenty-fourteen. I want to talk about that today. About the price tag a customer carries in his head from the last time he paid for something, and how the tag does not update on its own. The capacitor he needed in 2024 ran me about sixty-two dollars at my supply house. The installed price, with my trip and my time and the warranty I stand behind on the part, was one hundred and eighty-five dollars. The last guy in 2014 had charged him a hundred and ten for a similar job. The capacitor itself in 2014 had been about twenty-two dollars from the same supply house. The math from 2014 to 2024 was not unreasonable. Parts had roughly tripled. Labor had roughly doubled. Most of that movement happened in the four years between 2020 and 2024. The customer had been operating on a number set during a period when the dollar was a different dollar. He did not believe me. Not at first. He believed me by the end of the call, after I showed him a parts invoice and walked him through the line items. But the believing took work, and the work was not really about price. It was about dislodging a number that had locked into his head and stayed there for ten years. Core line: "By the time we get to 2024, the new capacitor price is sitting in a row of other 2024 prices, and the mismatch has been absorbed into the larger picture of how time has moved." Give Us A Shout Thanks for tuning in to Hartzell's Heat & Air, HVAC in Kingfisher and central Oklahoma. From Kingfisher to coast-to-coast consulting, we design, install, and maintain smart, efficient systems that deliver year-round comfort. We're family-run and powered by 45+ years of experience. Whether it's AI-powered thermostats, geothermal systems, or classic tune-ups, we deliver upfront pricing, expert care, and warranties that back it all up. 🛠️ Book Online: https://book.housecallpro.com/book/Ha... 🌐 www.hartzellsheatair.com 📞 (405) 375-4822 🚛 Trane Comfort Specialist • Mitsubishi Diamond Dealer • ClimateMaster Elite 🛡️ VIP Comfort Club • Remote Monitoring • Extended Warranties 📲 Follow us for tips, updates, and real-world installs: YouTube: @hartzellsheatair6003 X: https://x.com/HartzellsHVAC Facebook: facebook.com/hartzellsheatair LinkedIn: Dave Hartzell Built on trust. Backed by warranty. Designed for comfort.