Re: A "HUH" phone call

["Robert L Bass" <Sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"ABLE1" wrote:
>
> Met the owner at the door.  Big guy is in the process of doing some
> renovation.  He ask how it works and I explain the monitoring issues and the
> fee.  He says he does not want to pay that so just take it out.  I explain I
> just put in and there will be a fee to remove.  I explain that I need to
> change the programming so it will not communicate and it will just take me a
> couple of minutes.  While I am in the process at the keypad he starts
> screaming he wants the thing out and proceeds to the basement and starts
> ripping out the wires.  Hopefully he pulled some of the wrong wires in the
> process.  I finish at the keypad and exited stage left.
>
> Nuts!!!!   Really nuts!!!!

Heh.  We had a client (briefly) in CT who was just about as nasty.  This was a
couple -- he a doctor and she just a bi....  I got a call from them about a
month after the installation.  She said the system is broken and I need to
come right away to fix it.  I ask what's wrong.  She can't arm it -- "come
over right now!!!"  The system was a Moose Z1100e.  I told her to press "2"
and tell me what light came on.  She told me and I looked at the zone list --
living room front windows.  I said please check the windows.  One must be
open.  She insisted they're all closed and refused to even check -- "You have
to come RIGHT NOW!!!"

OK, ma'am.  I'll come over and if there's a problem with the system the visit
is free.  If the window is open there will be a charge for the call.  "Just
get over here now and I don't want to hear about your stupid charges!!!"

Parked in her driveway I can see the middle, front window is open about 2
inches.  Ring the bell.  Angry customer lets me in.  I walk to the window,
part the curtain and point to the open window.  She looks at it but says
nothing.  I close the window, walk to the keypad, ask for her code and arm it
with no problem.  After showing her the system is OK I ask to sit at the
kitchen table.  "What for?"  I need to write out the bill for the service
call.

"I'm not paying for a service call.  The system is supposed to be under
warranty!!!  And besides, your installer didn't even finish the job.  There
are wires in the basement by that box thing on the wall that he didn't
connect."

We made it a practice in those days to pull a couple of extra 12-pair cables
from the control panel whenever we wired a new job.  If you're pulling one
cable it's just as easy to pull a couple of extras in case you need to add
something on later.  The cables above the panel were clearly labeled "Spare A:
Main Attic" and "Spare B: Garage Attic."  I explained why they were put there
for future use.

She insisted that was a lie -- "No one ever does extra work for free!"
Arguing with her was about the same as talking to Doug.  No matter what you
say she's not going to believe you because she does believe (without benefit
of any supporting evidence) that she's an intelligent human being.

At any rate, the conversation went nowhere.  She refused to even accept the
invoice so I left.  I explained that we would not provide further support or
service until that invoice was paid, secretly hoping that this imbecile would
never pay so we could drop her.  The following month we did just that, issuing
a refund of the balance on her prepaid monitoring contract less the charge for
the visit.

Like newsgroup jerks, there are some customers you're better off without.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

==============================>
Bass Home Electronics
DIY Alarm and Home Automation Store
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
Sales & Service 941-870-2310
Fax 941-870-3252
==============================>