In The Shop: Best Quotes From Spring Planting

 Talking with customers is the best part of my job. Talking with customers is the worst part of my job. A few quotes from actual conversations with customers during this spring's planting season might explain why I make those statements:

-Customer: "I think my planter needs a new seed transmission drive clutch." Me: "Uh, not only does it need a new clutch, but it messed up the driveshaft, so you'll need the shaft, too." Customer: "And you're just the guy to give it to me."

-Customer: " Yeah, I figured it was time to get the old girl out and start planting. Don't worry about the corn (from last year) growing in the finger units---I'll clean that out before I fill the seed boxes. Mostly I want you to repair that wiring harness where the mice gnawed through all the seed tube sensor wires."

-Customer: "I've got three seed tube sensors that aren't working. I just filled the (3 bushel) seed boxes. Is that going to be a problem, getting to the seed tube sensors?"

-Customer: "My seed monitor says I'm planting 5000 seeds per acre over my target population." Me: "Is the problem in the monitor or in the planter?" Customer: "How do I figure that out?" Me: "You'll have to dig behind the planter to see how many seeds per foot it's actually planting." Customer: "Isn't there any way to check the planter without stopping and digging?"

-Customer: "Remember how mad I was last week with this new planter?" Me: (Cautiously) "Yeahhhhh?" "Customer: "Well, I did what you said, read the manual, played around with all the buttons to see what they did, and I've got to tell you, now that I've got it figured out, this is the most fun I've ever had planting corn."

One good conversation is all it takes to help me forget all the less-than-good conversations.