I had a choice.
I’ve been dueling with my NEST Thermostat for the past two weeks.
One by one I’ve diagnosed eight things that were clearly the source of the problem, from the thermostat, to the backplate, to the boiler transformer, to the wiring… and each one, after further testing, has turned out not to be the real problem.
Because after each “fix,” within two days, the thermostat quietly loses power, leaving my house that’s 90 minutes away without heat during a serious cold snap here in the Northeast.
My kudos to NEST, by the way, because I got them on the phone and they competently diagnosed the issue, and offered to pay for the solution. Huh? It’s refreshing to be pleasantly surprised and delighted by a company’s customer service.
But now I need someone to fix my wiring.
My HVAC company wants nothing to do with it. “You need an electrician,” they told me.
And when I pushed, they gave me a name, but it wasn’t a glowing recommendation.
So I sent an email to a property manager I know.
And here’s where I had the choice.
I could have asked for an electrician.
Instead, I emailed “I need an electrician to install a common wire for my NEST Thermostat. Any recommendations.”
He emails me back instantly with a highly recommended guy who has installed many NEST thermostats in the area.
Now, does this electrician only install NEST thermostats?
No. I’m quite certain that he’ll do any sort of electrical work.
But he’s very good at installing NEST thermostats, and that led to him getting this job.
Here’s how it worked:
I asked for something very specific.
My contact knows someone who has done that specific thing for other people.
I’m going to hire him to do the work for me.
The more specific you are, the easier it is for people to send you referrals.