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Memory Lessons From an HVAC Technician
Format: Post-call
Runtime: ~8 minutes
Source: Psychology Is Simplified , "Psychology of People Who Forget Names Easily"
Long day. Five calls. I'm thinking about the fourth one.
He's been a customer for seven years. I've been to his house probably a dozen times. The system I put in , a Trane, two-stage, went in during a rough August , he's had me back for tune-ups, a blower motor three years ago, a condensate drain blockage last spring. We've talked over the work every time. He's always pleasant. Always glad to see me.
Every single time, when I reintroduce the context of what I did last visit, he listens like it's new information. Because for him, it is.
Today he asked me: now what was the issue last time you came out?
Blower motor, I told him. Three years ago.
Oh right, right. He said it the way people say it when they're being polite, not when they actually remember.
He's not the only one like this. Over forty-five years I've met a lot of people who don't retain the specifics of what was done to their system. Most customers don't. That's expected. But there's a category of customer where it's not just the HVAC history , they don't retain names, they don't retain details from conversations, they apologize for it, and they've apologized for it their whole lives in a way that tells you it's a thing they've been made to feel bad about.
He said: I'm sorry, I'm terrible with this stuff. I have a terrible memory.
He said it like it was a character defect. Not a quirk. Something he'd been told about himself and had started to believe.
There's a study that explains this clearly and it's worth knowing. Researchers McWeeny and Ellis ran it in 1987. They called it the Baker Baker paradox. They told one group that a person in a photograph was a baker , someone who bakes bread for a living. They told another group that the same person's name was Baker. Later, the people who learned the occupation remembered it easily. The people who learned the surname mostly couldn't retrieve it.
Same word. Completely different retention.
Give Us A Shout
Thanks for tuning in to Hartzell's Heat & Air, your trusted HVAC experts in Oklahoma and beyond. From Kingfisher to coast-to-coast consulting, we design, install, and maintain smart, efficient systems that deliver year-round comfort.
We're employee-owned, 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/Hartzells-Heat--Air/4a569038b3dc460daf2d5f6497b18351?v2=true
🌐 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.
View all episodes
By Dave Hartzell's Heat & Air - Kingfisher,OKFormat: Post-call
Runtime: ~8 minutes
Source: Psychology Is Simplified , "Psychology of People Who Forget Names Easily"
Long day. Five calls. I'm thinking about the fourth one.
He's been a customer for seven years. I've been to his house probably a dozen times. The system I put in , a Trane, two-stage, went in during a rough August , he's had me back for tune-ups, a blower motor three years ago, a condensate drain blockage last spring. We've talked over the work every time. He's always pleasant. Always glad to see me.
Every single time, when I reintroduce the context of what I did last visit, he listens like it's new information. Because for him, it is.
Today he asked me: now what was the issue last time you came out?
Blower motor, I told him. Three years ago.
Oh right, right. He said it the way people say it when they're being polite, not when they actually remember.
He's not the only one like this. Over forty-five years I've met a lot of people who don't retain the specifics of what was done to their system. Most customers don't. That's expected. But there's a category of customer where it's not just the HVAC history , they don't retain names, they don't retain details from conversations, they apologize for it, and they've apologized for it their whole lives in a way that tells you it's a thing they've been made to feel bad about.
He said: I'm sorry, I'm terrible with this stuff. I have a terrible memory.
He said it like it was a character defect. Not a quirk. Something he'd been told about himself and had started to believe.
There's a study that explains this clearly and it's worth knowing. Researchers McWeeny and Ellis ran it in 1987. They called it the Baker Baker paradox. They told one group that a person in a photograph was a baker , someone who bakes bread for a living. They told another group that the same person's name was Baker. Later, the people who learned the occupation remembered it easily. The people who learned the surname mostly couldn't retrieve it.
Same word. Completely different retention.
Give Us A Shout
Thanks for tuning in to Hartzell's Heat & Air, your trusted HVAC experts in Oklahoma and beyond. From Kingfisher to coast-to-coast consulting, we design, install, and maintain smart, efficient systems that deliver year-round comfort.
We're employee-owned, 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/Hartzells-Heat--Air/4a569038b3dc460daf2d5f6497b18351?v2=true
🌐 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.