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

[ABLE1 <somebody@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

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!!"   He says, "No really what is your
mileage??"  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