Perhaps the engineer was saying it "Tounge in cheek"?
More often than not my fellow engineers and I have to battle with ground staff who don't want to do it!
We have to re qualify every year to supervise de icing. It some time seems to me that some of the ground staff hear have only the very basic training, if any.
Don't worry. When I'm supervising it, it get done right!
Rgds Dr I