Everybody at work calls me Billie.
When I was a new contractor, nobody who initially heard Billie thought it was a man.
My colleagues took a little bit of getting used to the name. The most recent incident was when I was installing a ductless heat pump. It was a last-minute assignment since the cooling specialist who was supposed to head the installation process had a last-minute emergency. We informed the homeowner about the matter, and he had no problem with the last-minute change. We told him that Billie would be the cooling expert on the job. During the installation, he came to me and asked if I could direct him to Billie. I just chuckled and told him that I was Billie, and the expression on his face was one that I was used to, but it always made me smile to see the shock. He went ahead to tell me that he had not met any lady who was an HVAC serviceman or taking part in the groundwork in the HVAC business. He apologized for the misunderstanding, and we went ahead to have our briefing on the mini split air conditioner installation. His brother accompanied him. The brother had a few questions for me that he needed. He told me he knew the way around the ductwork and his digital thermostat, and I even did duct sealing when I detected a leak in the HVAC duct. He was, however, having troubles with the temperature control system and asked if I could offer my services once I finished with the new air conditioning install. He also needed me to set up a zone control system and air conditioning tune-ups to improve indoor air quality.