AC Capehart/Furnace Confusion

Created Fri, 28 Oct 2005 19:18:35 +0000 Modified Thu, 14 Oct 2021 14:31:47 +0000
243 Words

Up here in central PA, I get my natural gas supply from Dominion. This confuses me just a little bit, because back in Charlottesville, I got my electricity supply from Dominion (gas came from the City of Charlottesville).

They recently sent me their furnace repair plan promotional material. Basically, they offer furnace insurance. Pay a little bit every month, then if your furnace fails, they fix it and you aren’t stuck with a huge repair bill. Like any insurance, if you can afford it, you’re statistically better off self-insured. Otherwise, insurers couldn’t make money.

All of this is to say, I wouldn’t have signed up for this plan, had the picture been any different. But the picture cracked me up. The actor, er, I mean repair man, looks so confused. And he doesn’t even have the furnace open yet! I mean maybe that look would be justified if he were swimming in a pool of furnace parts, but he’s reading the “how to light the pilot light” instructions on the front of the furnace. I’m sure the look was meant to convey an attitude of caring interest, but it backfired as far as this (not very) potential consumer was concerned.