Re: The Worst Customer Service Issue I had In The Business

[Bob La Londe <none@none.com99>]

On 9/25/2022 3:58 PM, ABLE1 wrote:
> On 9/25/2022 4:32 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
>> On 9/23/2022 11:58 AM, ABLE1 wrote:
>>
>> Remember you are the one who mentioned STORY TIME.
>>
>>>
>>> Hi Bob,
>>> Thanks for the long story(s)!!  I have had a few similar but not enough
>>> to make long comments on.   One recently told me he was the
>>> "Owner/manager and needed some information.  I had to explain that I
>>> needed to have a conversation with MY contact person to figure out what
>>> happened and they will get back to you.................  Needless to say
>>> the conversation got real short.
>>>
>>> I have had some that I have told them to go with the other's that has
>>> given them a "below MY cost" price for a system.
>>
>> I get that sort of thing all the time.  "Well there is a _____ on
>> craigslist for only $___.__."
>>
>> "That's sounds like a better deal you should go buy that one."
>>
>> "well how about $___?"
>>
>> "You heard my price.  You rejected it.  Its no longer for sale."
>>
>> Now its story time.
>>
>> Probably the classic was a truck driver delivering a load of steel for
>> a job.  As I was toting the steel around with my tractor he was
>> wandering around my property looking at stuff.
>>
>> When I got back to the truck to sign the delivery bill he asks, "Are
>> you interested in selling that motorcycle over there?" as he points at
>> my Vulcan 1600 Meanstreak.
>>
>> "No I had not planned to sell it.  Most things are for sale for the
>> right price, but I have no plans to sell it."
>>
>> Then he began to grill me about it.  "How big is it?  What year is it?
>> What's wrong with it?"  It was kind of aggressive.  I answered his
>> questions, but I was kind of annoyed.  Then he demanded to know what I
>> wanted for it.
>>
>> "I told you I really don't plan to sell it.  If you really want it
>> make an offer."
>>
>> More aggressively he got in my face and demanded to know how much.  He
>> came dangerously close to making me feel like "defending myself."Â  I
>> periodically look up my stuff on NADA and KBB just to know what its
>> worth, so I had a pretty good idea of the value.  I threw a marginally
>> high number (High private party value per NADA.  Turned out I was
>> actually a little low when I looked it up again.) at him hoping he
>> would just get in his truck and leave.
>>
>> No such luck.  He went over and started doing an inspection of the
>> bike and comes back to tell me, "Its not the size you say it is, it
>> looks like it might have a fork leak, and it looks like its been
>> sitting for a while," and he rattles off a list of repairs he states
>> it will have to have.  It was the size I said.  Its printed on the
>> neck.  It didn't have a fork leak, and most of his repairs where just
>> service items that there is no way to tell if it needed or not.  Like
>> an oil change.  Some of it he was clearly just making up.
>>
>> "Okay if you don't want it that's fine.  I told you I didn't plan to
>> sell it anyway.  You have a nice day."
>>
>> "Well, I'll offer you (1/3 approximately) of your asking price."
>>
>> "No thank you.  I told you I didn't plan to sell it.  You rejected my
>> price and its not for sale.  Oh, and by the way the size of the engine
>> is on the neck of the bike and I saw you look at it."
>>
>> "Well yesterday I saw a Honda ______ on craigslist for a (stupid low)
>> price and its in a lot better condition."
>>
>> "That's sounds like a great deal.  You should go buy that one, and it
>> sounds like that one is actually for sale."
>>
>> He kept trying to bully me, so I stepped up very close with my head
>> down like I was listening carefully to what he was saying and when he
>> paused at the end of one of his belligerent demands I looked up with
>> my nose a few inches from his to look him straight in the eye and say
>> very slowly and very calmly.  "I told you its not for sale.  I do not
>> appreciate you poking around my property without my permission.  The
>> delivery bill has been signed.  You have no further business on this
>> property.  I really do wish you a nice day, but not on this property."
>>
>> He started to say something three or four times, and each time I
>> interrupted him saying just a little louder than the last.  "Please
>> leave."
>>
>> I think he called me a dirty name on the way back to the cab of the
>> truck, but I was just glad he was finally leaving.
>>
>>
>>>
>>> Once a long time ago I was in the Controllers office working above the
>>> drop ceiling.  The Controller(Female) and another(Female) came into the
>>> office, sat down and started a conversation.  It turns out the other was
>>> a outside financial consultant.  She said rather clearly the following.
>>>
>>> "On the larger contractor invoices you want to pay them rather quickly.
>>> However, on the smaller contractors billing you can let them drag for a
>>> while, its a minor issue."
>>>
>>> That is when I came down off the ladder and LOST IT!!!
>>>
>>> I was NOT pleasant!!
>>>
>>> The Controller said;
>>> "It's OK Les, I do remember the phone call we had previously!!"
>>>
>>> I went back up the ladder to finish my job and they left the office!!
>>
>> Story time again.
>>
>> I used to have companies play all kinds of games to delay paying me.
>> I had a penalty in my contracts since day one.  One company threatened
>> to turn me in for charging illegal interest rates.  I told them.  "Its
>> not interest.  I do not offer net terms.  Nowhere in my contract is
>> there any mention of net terms or credit.  Its says 1/3 down balance
>> on substantial completion for jobs under $5K and 1/3 down and lists a
>> progress payment schedule for jobs over $5K.  Fees for ongoing
>> services are due on or before the first day of the month.  I do not
>> ever offer terms for services.  Those are a contractually agreed
>> penalty for failure to meet the terms of the contract your
>> chief/president/owner signed."
>>
>> "Well we never pay penalties."
>>
>> "If you do not pay the penalties you are in breach of contract.  While
>> I can sue for breach of contract at any amount my policy is to suspend
>> your service when your balanced past due exceeds the amount for one
>> billing period for service or you have had any unpaid balance for more
>> than 90 days.  In addition I will not perform any interactive service
>> while there is any past due balance on your account.  That too is on
>> the contract."
>>
>> "Well we will just get somebody else."
>>
>> "I understand.  If you wish to terminate your service please have
>> (contract signer) mail signed written notice as is required by your
>> contract.  Please bare in mind that while you have a a past due
>> balance I will not provide any interactive service for your benefit
>> including anything necessary to facilitate the transfer of service to
>> your chosen new service provider."
>>
>> 30s days later...  " Dear President / CEO / Owner.  This is written
>> notice that you have a balance that is more than 90 days past due, and
>> your (bean counter) has indicated a refusal to pay.  If it is your
>> intent to default on this balance and breach your contract please be
>> aware that we will be terminating all services effective on
>> ____/____/_____.  In addition because you have a past due balance we
>> can not send personnel to your site for service or provide any other
>> interactive service to your benefit including facilitating a transfer
>> to a new service provider."
>>
>> 5 days later a check arrives in the mail.
>>
>> A year later the same bullshit happens all over again with the new
>> bean counter.
>>
>> **********
>>
>> I dealt with a lot of this during the 2006 recession.  This along with
>> all kinds of crazy demands for special terms and special services
>> without compensation.  I refused them all and only lost one customer
>> because of it.  What was funny is that one customer kept calling me
>> for service (which I refused) because their new company couldn't take
>> care of them.  "Sorry, but I can not meet the terms and conditions of
>> the demand letter you sent on ____/_____/_____.  I will not be able to
>> provide any services to you at this time."
>>
>> **********
>>
>> I had another one I didn't actually mind so much because when they got
>> caught up they would actually pay the penalties and not argue about
>> them.  They would tell me it wasn't getting paid because sometimes
>> mail coming to their physical address didn't get sorted out to the
>> right desk.  I should use their PO Box.  Then about 8 months later
>> they would say the same thing about their PO Box.  Once or twice they
>> said their local manager hadn't approved the bill yet, but most times
>> it was just musical mailing addresses.  (the same addresses)  The
>> other address would get paid on time... About every 8 months for at
>> least ten years. They were still a client when I retired from
>> contracting at the end of 2016 and sold the accounts.
>>
>> (I didn't get squat for the accounts so don't ask.)
>>
>> **********
>>
>> One last one I promise.
>>
>> Joe Schmuck, "I refuse to mail you a noticed.  I just won't pay the
>> bill."
>>
>> 3 years later, "High this is _______.  I am renting a house from Joe
>> Schmuck and the alarm is going off.  I need you to come out and take
>> care of it."
>>
>> "I'm so sorry but because of account conditions and contractual
>> obligations at that location I can not provide any interactive service
>> at this time.  I suggest you contact Joe Schmuck."
>>
>> 2 hrs later, "This is deputy Snidely Whiplash and there is one of your
>> alarms going off for hours at xyz street."
>>
>> "I'm so sorry Deputy Whiplash, but I do not own an alarm system at
>> that location.  I believe that house is owned by Joe Schmuck.  You
>> need to speak with him about who he might have servicing any alarm at
>> that location.  Due to contract and account conditions I am unable to
>> provide any service on any alarm at that location or any location
>> owned by Mr Schmuck."
>>
>> Deputy Whiplash (angrily in his best intimidating voice), "So you are
>> refusing to do anything!"
>>
>> So sorry MISTER Whiplash, "But I have no obligation to provide any
>> service on a system that is not under service with me, and that system
>> is not only not under service with me, but it is against my policy to
>> provide any service due to contractual and account conditions which
>> may not be legal for me to share with a third party.  I suggest you
>> contact Mr Schmuck."
>>
>> Click!  I think I might have heard him call me an asshole before he
>> angrily thumbed the end call button, but Deputy Snidely Whiplash did
>> not call back.
>>
>>
>
> Very Very Good Stories Bob!!  Especially the Steel Delivery Guy!!
> I really don't think I would have been quite so patient.
>
> A number of years ago I was down near Philadelphia on my Honda Goldwing.
> It was a beautiful day to ride.  Ended up in a traffic jam in the left
> lane.  In the right lane beside me was a guy in this small sports car.
> He winds down the window and says.  "Excuse me!!"  Yes??  "Nice Bike,
> so what kind of gas mileage do you get on that??"
> I say, "It really doesn't matter!!"Â Â  He says, "No really what is your
> mileage??"Â  I say, "As I said "It doesn't MATTER, and the traffic is in
> you lane is moving!!"  I pulled ahead, way ahead!!  He was pissed and
> really did understand my comment.  Riding my Goldwing was more
> pleasurable than being concerned about the mileage!!
> So, it doesn't matter!!   :-)
>
> Les

A more positive story.

Many years ago I had installed a residential alarm for a hardware store
manager.  At some point I was asked to bid on an alarm system for a
large new store and processing plant.  I met with them and wrote it up
on the spot.  It was not a small system (for me) and had some involved
stuff to monitor the processing plant, but I had recently used similar
equipment on a smaller job.  When I handed the contract to the manager
he asked how long it would be until they had a quote.  He showed visual
surprise when I said, "That is the quote.  I can do it for that price."

Much later he told me that ADT commercial had some out to bid the job,
and they had been waiting for months for a quote.

I was able to provide all kinds of services for them as they asked over
the years primarily due to the constant improvements in service from
Arizona Security Controls which was my primary central station for over
20 of the 23 years I was in contracting.  (Maybe 22 out of 23.)

One day I got a call asking what they needed to do to cancel service
with me.  One of their VPs played golf with somebody from ShadowScan and
they promised to give all their business nationwide to ShadowScan.  I
was told their monthly rate was more than double what I had been
charging (I wasn't cheap for all the services they had), and they didn't
seem to know how to provide all the accessibility and services I was
providing.  Their service with me was still being cancelled, but they
needed to stay on service with me on a month to month basis until the
changeover.  They stayed on service with me on a month to month basis
for over a year.  I could be mixing up accounts in memory, but I seem to
recall I even linked in to reprogram it for them in the end.

I remained on good terms with the manager, and more than once or twice
he said he wished he was still on service with me.  That they still
didn't have all the features and services I provided with the help of Az
Security.

I played golf for a couple years, but I never made a deal on the golf
course, well except on my cell phone and obviously I could have been in
a pool hall or on a job site just as easily.  Maybe I should have taken
the game more seriously.  LOL.

--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff


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