Is your clock “worth it”, to repair?
I receive this question often.
I believe it is inappropriate for me to advise my customers how, and on what, to spend their money. Since I, as the repairman, would be the recipient of your money…. I consider this to be a compelling reason that I do not advise you on clock “financial matters”.
So, my answer on whether a clock is “worth it” to repair, or whether you “should” get it repaired, is this: it’s completely up to you.
It’s your clock. It’s your money. You decide.
You should repair it (or not repair it) for your own reasons.
It would be unfair for me to involve myself (even at your invitation, and I thank you for trusting me and for asking me) in your decision-making process. So, I leave the choice completely up to you.
Reasons for choosing to repair could include:
- The clock has a family history dating back decades or centuries
- There is sentiment or nostalgia attached to it
- You’ve inherited it from someone who was dear to you
- Your parent received it 40 or 50 years ago for 25 years’ service at his or her employer
- It was a wedding gift to your great-grandparents in 1912, and you remember it at your grandparents’ house when you were a child
- You bought it during your first trip to Germany
- You received it as a wedding present
- Your son or daughter brought it home from his or her first school trip to Europe, or first “semester away”
- Your father built it in woodshop when he was in Medford or Somerville (or other) high school in the 1970s
- Your grandfather or your uncle built it from a kit
- It was on your mantel or your wall when you grew up
- You like antique clocks and have collected a few; etc.
- Or, “other” (*see below, for a heartbreaking and compelling case of a repair that was chosen due to “other”)
The reasons are yours, and yours alone.
Beware the terrible things that other shops may tell you!
Some repair shops and repairmen are notoriously judgmental and arrogant. They tell customers that this (or that) clock is “junk”, or “not worth repairing”, or “not worth spending your money on”, or not worth their (the shop’s) time, etc.
I have never, and will never, say any such thing.
*A repair chosen, due to “other”
Everyone has his or her reasons for wanting a clock repaired.
I once repaired a very old European chime clock from the 1910/1920 era that had been “tinkered with” and “dabbled with” by hobbyists many times over the years (as most clocks have), but it now had a more serious problem that prevented any further use or operation. It now needed to be repaired properly by a qualified repairman who had a well-equipped shop available to him, or the clock would not function whatsoever.
After visiting a few other shops that insensitively described the clock (to its owner) as being “plain”, “junk”, “typical”, and “nothing special”…. the elderly gentleman who owned it brought it to me. He was escorted into my shop by a younger relative. They had both been disillusioned by the judgmental, dismissive treatment that they had received elsewhere. Other shops had criticized the clock, said it “wasn’t worth fixing”, and had chosen not to accept the job…. presumably because it (the clock and/or the class of work) was “below” them, or “not worth their time”.
I don’t judge. It was a repair that was within my capabilities, so I quoted pricing. The young relative approved it; and I, some months later, completed the work.
Here’s “The Rest of the Story”
At pickup, a few months later, the elderly man was in tears, as was the young relative…. who gave me a huge hug while crying “thank you”.
Most of the older man’s family had been murdered by the Nazis, and the clock was the only thing from his childhood home that he had been able to save when he escaped as a boy. He lost everything else, including most of his immediate family. That clock was the ONLY thing that he still had from his childhood. His young relative told me, “He remembers it running on his parents’ shelf when he was little, back before they were killed”.
Every clock has a story. That clock had a BIG one. And its story was completely overlooked by other shops, because those shops chose to pass judgment on the clock’s quality and perhaps bask in their own arrogance, instead of simply quoting pricing and letting the owner make his own decision.
Your clock’s story, while probably not as extreme as the above one, is important to you in its own way. Whatever that story is, whatever its history is…. might help guide or advise you toward a repair decision.
Whether you decide to approve or to decline repairs, I promise you that I will not interfere with, nor attempt to influence, that decision.
Final Thoughts:
I will diagnose your clock’s troubles, and I will quote the pricing that my shop charges to correct those problems and, on major repairs, to guarantee the work. You may approve, decline, ask follow-up questions, or think about it for a little while, before making a decision. You will tell me “Yes” or “No”, for reasons that are your own.
If you approve a repair with me, I will be honored and thankful that you chose to hire me. For your money, you will receive top-quality workmanship on repair work that’s done properly, and, on major repairs….my two-year guarantee.
If you decline a repair, I will understand, and I will be thankful for your shop visit and for your inquiry, regardless.
Need help deciding? I can help “a little”. Take my test….
If you are considering whether or not it is “worth it” to repair your clock, try this test (I developed this test to help customers come to a decision without my interference or influence, and I’ve been sharing it with them for years).
It is this: instead of me telling you whether your clock is “worth it” to repair, you’re going to tell ME if it’s “worth it”.
Ready?
Ask yourself these 4 questions:
- Do you like the clock? (Yes/No)
- Would you like it to work properly? (Yes/No)
- Is the quoted price acceptable to you? (Yes/No)
- If you have the clock repaired, will the money that you spent cause you to lose sleep,
or to have financial or marital problems? (Yes/No).
If you answered “Yes, yes, yes, and no” (in that order), then your clock is probably “worth it” to repair.
If you answered “no” to any of the first 3 questions, or answered “yes” to the 4th question, then your clock is “not worth it” to repair.
Wasn’t that easy? Thousands of people have asked me to tell them if their clocks were “worth it” to repair or not. My answer, is to simply have them take my test and answer their own question!
Thank you for finding my website. If my services are, or might be of interest, please contact me. I welcome your inquiry.