Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kermo]

Last week, my 12-year-old TV conked out. It refused to do anything but emit a high-pitched "squeeeeeeeeeeee." I alerted my college, who hemmed and hawed, and decided that I'd have to pay for the repair, unless the cost was ridiculously high, in which case they'd scrounge around for an extra old set on campus. Terrific.

Anyway, the repair guy was scheduled to come this morning. He arrived 5 minutes early, and introduced himself politely. He placed the DVD player and PS2 aside neatly, took the set apart and poked around. After a while, he turned to me, drew a little X across part of the circuit board, and declared the TV unsalvagable. He put the set back together and replaced the items that had been around it. Then he asked permission to wash his hands.

He pointed out that the sink was draining slowly, and then zipped over to his toolbox to grab an implement. He made a couple of adjustments under the sink and lifted out the drain cover. It was all gloopy with hair and soap scum which was causing the blockage. He cast about for something to clear it with, and DID NOT just grab whatever came to hand, but went back to his toolbox.

He put my sink back together and paused while packing up his toolbox, admiring the white doves eating birdseed outside my window. I remarked that I also had a rabbit, and he was friendly toward it. Awww.

I tried to give him more than the 10,000 won service fee but he wouldn't take it.

I was just so impressed. He was the anti-ajosshi. He was respectful of my stuff and my space. He did MORE than was required of him, but wouldn't take compensation. Thank you Samsung-Super-Man!


(By way of contrast, I was reminded of a guy who came in to hook up my oven-- he wouldn't listen to where I wanted it, and used MY KITCHEN KNIFE to rip out the caulking while he tried to tear out some cupboards. When he failed to pull them out (that wasn't where I wanted the oven anyway), he left all the junk in disarray for me to clean up. )

[thegadfly]

People are people -- you find good ones and bad ones pretty-much everywhere in the world.

It is always a breath of fresh air to hear about good things happening, good people being nice to each other -- thanks for posting something that might restore a little faith in/hope for humanity!

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[seoulsucker]