# How do you explain ?



## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

How do you explain to people their poo is so solid that they need a better flushing toilet or some stool softener ?


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

maybe this would be a good question for a doctor?


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

gear junkie said:


> maybe this would be a good question for a doctor?


The doctor isn't the one having to augur the toilet. Lol


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

Just tell them you know an additive that helps a lot and hand them a bottle of Metamucil. Tell them to use as directed.


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

IMO, it's easier for the older plumbers to discuss the issue, as well as the issue of men having bad aim as they age.

Richard (I believe) wrote a great response to this issue and it was handled with tact. Hopefully he will chime in later. He has a great way with words. :yes:


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

dude you need to make my super plunger. Haven't augered poop yet because of it. Also a good lead in for a new toilet.


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## UN1TED-WE-PLUMB (Oct 3, 2012)

It's easy..

Just tell them they need a better flushing toilet that will meet their needs.


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

I normally do try selling the new toilet. I still recommend the Toto drake and if they appear to be having trouble getting around I'll recommend an ADA


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

Here is a great way of presenting the big old crusty ball that will not flush.

Have you ever been on meds where your diet has changed the way you use the water closet?

Start off with that and explain how diet and meds affect the waste that goes through the toilet. If you were a partier in your younger days or now you have experienced the difference.

Explain the difference in trap size and call it the throat of the toilet. Use your ear as an a example of how the toilet operates. Start at the middle of the ear and follow it to the base of the ear. The smaller throat will not allow the waste to go through it.


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## aprilmayb (Feb 11, 2013)

dclarke said:


> How do you explain to people their poo is so solid that they need a better flushing toilet or some stool softener ?


This topic should have come with a warning label. I nearly just spit my coffee all over the keyboard laughing so hard. :laughing:


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## plumberinlaw (Jan 13, 2010)

I just tell them to quit feeding government cheese to their kids


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

aprilmayb said:


> This topic should have come with a warning label. I nearly just spit my coffee all over the keyboard laughing so hard. :laughing:


My apologies.


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

Dclarke

People love stories. Talk to your team members and see if anyone has been through surgeries and meds. Also observe when you walk in a person’s home for meds on the table counter, and bathroom. This will give you the information you need.

The first thing to know and understand we are professionals. I have had numerous surgeries and I have informed our guys to sue me as the story or example. We know which toilets have a history of having a poor flush. Old Gerber’s, Briggs, Elger Emblems have trouble with loose waste and must be flushed twice. UR, Sterling, A/s have a hard time evacuating waste period as the water does not totally dump from the bowl.

Add to this the diet concerns Houston there is a problem. People know form your passion and confidence that you are spot on. hen the customer realizes that you have experienced the same thing embarrassment is not longer a concern. Resolving the problem takes over.


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## dplumb (Jan 6, 2013)

I tell them to chew their food better!


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

I go with the:

"Have you ever heard the expression tough sh!t?"


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## Bigcim (Feb 22, 2013)

Put one of their turds on a block of wood in front of them and see how easy you can cut through it with a samurai sword


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## smythers1968 (Feb 4, 2009)

More peas and carrots please


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## johntheplumber (Feb 11, 2013)

How do you tell them not to throw condoms down the toilet. Now that's awkward. Especially if they aren't theirs!


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

johntheplumber said:


> How do you tell them not to throw condoms down the toilet. Now that's awkward. Especially if they aren't theirs!


I opened a septic once and it looked like a school of jellyfish. Lol.


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## smythers1968 (Feb 4, 2009)

johntheplumber said:


> How do you tell them not to throw condoms down the toilet. Now that's awkward. Especially if they aren't theirs!


I replaced an ejector pump once and the single mother was standing there when I pulled the lid. About 15 floating condoms, she said what are those? Condoms I said. 

She turned red and said her teenage son was going to get it when he gets home..so much for the boys girlfriend.


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## johntheplumber (Feb 11, 2013)

smythers1968 said:


> I replaced an ejector pump once and the single mother was standing there when I pulled the lid. About 15 floating condoms, she said what are those? Condoms I said.
> 
> She turned red and said her teenage son was going to get it when he gets home..so much for the boys girlfriend.


Looks like the boy already had been "getting it" at home.


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

johntheplumber said:


> Looks like the boy already had been "getting it" at home.


:laughing: Almost spit wine on my screen.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

I have always felt like being up front and honest about the hard stools problem. It is only awkward if you let it be awkward. The customer is reading you as you tell them the issue. If its not awkward for you to say than they won't be embarrassed. For many years now, when this issue comes about, I have posed the question this way, "Do you by chance take any medication that could harden your stools?" I ask it like that because it uses the clinical terms and that is how its written on the pill bottle if it is a side effect. I have yet to have an awkward moment or problem when I am up front. Though, I like the question posed by another person on here, "Have you ever heard the phrase, tough sh*t?" Pretty funny.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

johntheplumber said:


> How do you tell them not to throw condoms down the toilet. Now that's awkward. Especially if they aren't theirs!


I had a clogged main once and it was just a husband and wife living at the house. I pulled a few condoms back and when the husband asked what they were, I told him plainly, its just condoms. Then I told him its best to just throw them in the trash. He had a very concerned look on his face after I told him and after a pause he said, "I haven't used condoms in over ten years." Ugh. I just nodded and said "Oh". I packed my stuff up and quickly collected so he could go talk with his soon to be ex-wife. Awkward...


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

Best Darn Sewer said:


> I have always felt like being up front and honest about the hard stools problem. It is only awkward if you let it be awkward. The customer is reading you as you tell them the issue. If its not awkward for you to say than they won't be embarrassed. For many years now, when this issue comes about, I have posed the question this way,* "Do you by chance take any medication that could harden your stools?"* I ask it like that because it uses the clinical terms and that is how its written on the pill bottle if it is a side effect. I have yet to have an awkward moment or problem when I am up front. Though, I like the question posed by another person on here, "Have you ever heard the phrase, tough sh*t?" Pretty funny.


Pain medication has that affect. When my mother was going through cancer treatment, it became an issue.

Most people have to know that they are the ones clogging the toilet . . . if bathroom routines changed, surely they must suspect their toilet is not made to handle what is being deposited.

Not sure how others think about it, but I would think the customer would be happy to know that there is a possible solution. At the very least, the situation can be improved upon.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

Phat Cat said:


> Pain medication has that affect. When my mother was going through cancer treatment, it became an issue.
> 
> Most people have to know that they are the ones clogging the toilet . . . if bathroom routines changed, surely they must suspect their toilet is not made to handle what is being deposited.
> 
> Not sure how others think about it, but I would think the customer would be happy to know that there is a possible solution. At the very least, the situation can be improved upon.


I agree, and they are typically happy that they know the problem. Usually after I pose the question and the customer says yes, I tell them to talk to the doctor and see if there is a way to correct that side effect. I never have issues.


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

Best Darn Sewer said:


> I had a clogged main once and it was just a husband and wife living at the house. I pulled a few condoms back and when the husband asked what they were, I told him plainly, its just condoms. Then I told him its best to just throw them in the trash. He had a very concerned look on his face after I told him and after a pause he said, "I haven't used condoms in over ten years." Ugh. I just nodded and said "Oh". I packed my stuff up and quickly collected so he could go talk with his soon to be ex-wife. Awkward...


 
Here is a problem and one we rarely consider unless it affects you the individual. When was the last time you(general you) admitted freely that you can no longer do stuff or that your body is no longer fit to function normally? Yet we expect our customers to freely admit that they have cancer or any other abnormalities. 

Hence it is a really good idea to use a story of a real person that you know or yourself to let the customer know that you are aware and empathetic to their difficulties. This allows them to open up more freely to you due to you understanding the difficulty. The difficulty is not the meds, it is that their body no longer functions normally.

The condom thing no need to tell anyone what is in the drain unless pressed. John the only thing that should go through your toilet is urine, waste ,and tp paper . Nothing else is designed to go through the toilet and drainage system. it's not my problem that a wife and husband cheat? Its not your job to insinuate that either. How do you know the condoms are new? How do you know they did not belong to a visitor that stayed at their home a month ago? How would you know if they live an alternative lifestyle? You don't. Remember they are not thinking a month or 2 ago they are thinking about the stoppage just happening due to it stopping up now. We all know that a drain does not magically stop up today it takes time to build up to gradually block the drain.


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

Frequently we never know if there is an issue with what we say and we may never know for sure. The customer may decide never to call you again to do service in their home. How would you know if they do not call you back?


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

Richard Hilliard said:


> Here is a problem and one we rarely consider unless it affects you the individual. When was the last time you(general you) admitted freely that you can no longer do stuff or that your body is no longer fit to function normally? Yet we expect our customers to freely admit that they have cancer or any other abnormalities.
> 
> Hence it is a really good idea to use a story of a real person that you know or yourself to let the customer know that you are aware and empathetic to their difficulties. This allows them to open up more freely to you due to you understanding the difficulty. The difficulty is not the meds, it is that their body no longer functions normally.
> 
> The condom thing no need to tell anyone what is in the drain unless pressed. John the only thing that should go through your toilet is urine, waste ,and tp paper . Nothing else is designed to go through the toilet and drainage system. it's not my problem that a wife and husband cheat? Its not your job to insinuate that either. How do you know the condoms are new? How do you know they did not belong to a visitor that stayed at their home a month ago? How would you know if they live an alternative lifestyle? You don't. Remember they are not thinking a month or 2 ago they are thinking about the stoppage just happening due to it stopping up now. We all know that a drain does not magically stop up today it takes time to build up to gradually block the drain.


You make some good points on the condom thing. I didn't think about it like that. They do always ask what is it that clogged it and I don't think its out of line to tell them in a mature way what it is. I insinuated the cheating but I said nothing regarding that being its not my place. I left it at these should be thrown away. 

As far as the meds go, I am not asking my customers to admit any illness. You have a good approach and I will keep that in mind. I am only asking if by chance some meds are causing unusually hard stools. Usually that is preceded by pulling hunks of waste that are considerably hard, as far as waste goes, with my closet auger. Also the customer has had to unclog it multiple times and I want to do my best to diagnose the plumbing problem and they want to know, too. If I pull the toilet and do a thorough inspection and find no issue other than i am left with too much paper or too much waste. Their condition is their problem and none of my business. I guess I have always felt its best to be honest and blunt and if it is said with human kindness and concern than not many people will take it poorly.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

Richard Hilliard said:


> Frequently we never know if there is an issue with what we say and we may never know for sure. The customer may decide never to call you again to do service in their home. How would you know if they do not call you back?


Food for thought and mentally noted. I appreciate your thoughts on the matter. I guess you never do know if a customer will call you back. I usually have good reactions but they could just be acting nice.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

I guess I would do well to remember that not everybody is like me as far as not being embarrassed to admit problems or issues I may be having.


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

Best Darn Sewer said:


> I guess I would do well to remember that not everybody is like me as far as not being embarrassed to admit problems or issues I may be having.


 
The Pirates of the Caribbean had a good line in it. Doing the right thing for all the right reasons can still be the wrong thing.

I forget what other movie said this
The best intentions can be the wrong thing.

It may be intended for all the right reasons but not everybody has the same idea.

I do not sell the same way I buy as it limits the number of opportunities and possibilities. If we stretch the percentage to 20% of the people buy the way I do I miss 80% of those who buy differently and for different reasons.

Another cliché' I dislike people do not like to be sold they like to buy. That is 100% false. People do like to buy but they do not like to be sold too by a bad sales person.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Richard Hilliard said:


> ...Another cliché' I dislike people do not like to be sold they like to buy. That is 100% false. *People do like to buy *but they do not like to be sold too by a bad sales person.


Doesn't that make it at least 50% true? :jester:


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

Ohhhh, Richard! Semantics, semantics, semantics!!!

Whenever I read or heard that statement, I always took "sold" to be used in a context similar to being "had."

Now that I think about it, in communication, using the right word is important when both parties know the implications. But, when speaking with someone who is not as aware, can't it backfire?

For example, you stated with absolute conviction: 'Thank you is an ending,' leaving little room for leeway or interpretation. Being on the receiving end, I think 'Who is he to say in absolute terms that Thank you is an ending?'

Isn't it somewhat the same with our customers? Meeting them where they are? If I use the term making an investment when speaking to someone with means, they understand implicitly what I am saying. Whereas, another customer may hear "EXPENSIVE" and stop listening.

I will assume to make an a$$ out of myself here: I assume that you adjust your presentation accordingly. Please correct me if I am wrong about that.

I try not to deal in absolutes. I prefer to be diplomatic in the process. IMO, the best relationships are give and take. Salesperson takes control of part of the conversation, and the H.O. takes control for his part.

Does what I am trying to express make sense, or am I missing something? I have never studied sales, so I defer to you.

FWIW - I am trying very hard to understand this. My thought process is fighting it and my logic says something different. Can we both be right???


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

plbgbiz said:


> Doesn't that make it at least 50% true? :jester:


I still get an "F" at 50%.


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

People do not like to be sold they like to buy, is absolute. Almost all of the training I have taken the trainer has made that blanket statement. It is a statement to get a reaction. It is like a trainer making the statement that 90% of all sales are lost by a lack of communication. It is meant to get you caught up in a frenzy which makes their stuff more believable. People seek out sales people and that proves by itself that people do not mind being sold too. People buying stoves generally will find a sales person. Same thing with a car, home, even clothes. Plumbers that do not believe they sell must sell the customer that they can do the job. People like to be sold to but not sold to badly by a sales person is not absolute. When a sales person sells badly the buyer does not like to be sold. No one wants to be sold too badly by a salesperson sometimes the buyer must buy and the “off of who” does not matter. People listen when they are engaged and interested in what is stated. Add 1 word to the first sentence in this paragraph and I would buy into the statement and that word is SOME.

I can make a perfect presentation and not make a sale. What I believe is perfect does not matter. Conversely I can make a horrible presentation in my eyes and make a sale. It has to be perfect in the customers eyes not mine. Of course you have to adapt to the customer. My question is what do you mean by control? I will follow that question with another; do you believe that a person can have control by listening?

Knowledge is power is another cliché knowledge does not have power. It becomes powerful if there is an action applied to that knowledge. I can have knowledge and when I do not use it what worth does it have, where and what is the power behind it?

Thank you is an ending. I am still waiting for an answer to my question. It is the end of whatever transaction took place. Thanks for taking my call, click. Thanks you for using us. You leave it is over. Thanks for the glass of water. I now have the glass of water. Thank you for your purchase today. It is over. Thanks for posting that post are done. By posting again I have continued the action however it is a new posting.

The next part of the relationship must begin. The next action must take place. Frequently people do not make that next action happen. You do, so you take it as a beginning/continuation of something new.

Do you need to adapt to the customer. The answer is no however if you do adapt to the customer you will find it much easier to listen and hear the intent and then to communicate effectively.

 Can we both be right??? 
Of course, isn't right or correct determined by which side of the fence you positioned yourself when it is based on opinion?


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

plbgbiz said:


> Doesn't that make it at least 50% true? :jester:


 
Depends on whether you like profit or ?


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## Herk (Jun 12, 2008)

I had a tarry stools problem back in the 3.5 gallon days. The lady worked for a naturopath and they took a lot of vitamins/supplements. I'm guessing that the fillers in the pills were responsible. A new Kohler toilet would plug near the outlet very quickly. They want to blame the plumbing and maybe they should - after all, it isn't working.


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