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

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

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."  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.


--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff



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