Is $5.00 too much

[THALL10326]

I took it much more serious than that now
the facts come out if he is with you for 10 years you all must be happy and your right some times the customer slideds sometimes the dealer does. for your sake i hope your not like the one here. an old lady couldn't start her lawn mower snowblwer etc. (it was a briggs 5hp etc) he pushed the choke in cranked it and charged her $20 Happened more than once.He did not get many credibility points. :yoyo:

That I wouldn't do to anyone. Had I not had to clean up all his mix off my floor I mighta let him slide like usual but once I had to get down on my hands and knees and wipe up the mess I thought this is worth 5 bucks. Charging a lady 20.00 just to start a machine is way over the line for me. In a deal such as that I'd charge nothing but would show her hows its done. If she looks real good I may offer to come cut her yard as well,haha. If she looks real, real good I may even give her my emer. number to call 24/7 in case she floods that machine,lol.......

 

[THALL10326]

This thread reminds me of a customer that came in a while back with a Dolmar PS-540 that he bought a year earlier.

Customer brought in his saw and said it won't start. Pulled it over a few times and it won't fire. I asked him what he was running for fuel & how old it was. He said it was about a week old with Dolmar Mix 50:1.

Anyway I dumped the fuel out added fresh gas and it started after 5-6 pulls. But it put out so much smoke I had to open Every Door & Window in the place! Then after a couple minutes he said he might of used a different gas can which he used with his crapsman trimmer gas that was a year old.

After that he said How Much Do I Owe You. I said $5, he came back and said That should be under Warranty

Steve

haha, I know the feeling. Its amazing at times what people think they are due. You can only bend backwards so far and so many times with such customers. They do make my day though I must admit...............

 

[Steve128]

My Take.

If it was my machine and you showed me for $ 5.00 I was doing something wrong, not warranty. I would be a happy customer. You would not have to call for a silly/cheap $ 5.00 charge; which I would happily pay instead of getting ripped off by a dishonest repair charge.

Hope he stays away with his negative energy to infect some other store.

 

[THALL10326]

If it was my machine and you showed me for $ 5.00 I was doing something wrong, not warranty. I would be a happy customer. You would not have to call for a silly/cheap $ 5.00 charge; which I would happily pay instead of getting ripped off by a dishonest repair charge.

Hope he stays away with his negative energy to infect some other store.

Very true, I could have easily told him he had messed it up and I had to fix it but I didn't and wouldn't do that to anyone. I was upfront and honest and I knew he would complain but I have to admit he fussed more than I expected. We have a big sign on the wall that says 15 minute min. Meaning no matter what we touch its suppose to be at least 15 minutes. We charge 45.00 a hour so he got off cheap. Took me 10 minutes to clear out his blower and clean up my floor. He paid for the clean up of my floor more than he did the blower. I just tiled that floor so by joe he had to pay...............

 

[shucksters]

Why didn't you charge $7.50? I think it was at least worth that much!

 

[THALL10326]

Why didn't you charge $7.50? I think it was at least worth that much!

haha, $5.00 about sent him into spasms. I'll try $7.50 the next time on him and most likely you should be able to hear him fuss from whatever state your in,lol....

 

[spacemule]

$5.34 just to be ornery.

 

[SmokinDodge]

I can relate with you somewhat. I work in my buddies motorcycle shop part time, we're a small shop only dealing in used bikes. Fella dropped off a 440 KZ, told us it wouldn't run right after a complete ignition upgrade. He was very worried about the bill, told him it shouldn't be much over an hour of labor to diagnose the problem, then we could give a solid estimate. Satisfied with that he left, only to call back in forty five minutes to ask if it is done!:censored:

 

[THALL10326]

$5.34 just to be ornery.

haha,good idea..............

 

[stihlatit]

Mr. Hall hahahahaha>>>I love it. One of your best capers yet. Hey tell me the customer is he a dutchman>>>>sounds like he has deep pockets like one. LOL.

 

[THALL10326]

Mr. Hall hahahahaha>>>I love it. One of your best capers yet. Hey tell me the customer is he a dutchman>>>>sounds like he has deep pockets like one. LOL.

The customer be a old guy I've dealt with for years. Samething everytime he comes in the door. Its either under warranty or I haven't hardly used it. I deal with his son too and even he tells me the old man is tight. Don't know if he's a Dutchman or not, only know for certain he's a tight sucker. Ya know now that I recall he had a old BG75 blower I worked on a year or so ago. Had to take it apart to tighten up everything on it. All the engine screws had come loose and I spent about a hour on it doing a complete do over and putting the engine back in the housing and tightening up everything. Think I charged him about 22.50, half of what I shoulda charged the old geezer. He complained about that too and I asked him if he wanted me to charge what I shoulda charged base on time and he changed his tune real quick. He wins most times only cause I let him but today I won. $5.00 worth,haha

 

[okietreedude1]

I think the old man got off cheap! If Id have brought something in that wouldnt start and the came back to pick it up, sure i would have asked what was wrong w/ it. Id too have been pissed but only at myself on that deal.

Last year my mower wouldnt start so I took it in. It only had a dirty air filter and I felt like an idiot. I dont remember now how much the bill was but it wasnt much.

 

[BIG JAKE]

Stupidity isn't free

I can see Bob's side of it but on the other hand it's either under warranty or it isn't. You've got to make a living too. If that was me I'd have paid you the 5.00 an been happy. Throw em' a bone here and there but I doubt you'll get much bad PR out of it. If he tells anyone about that two things'll happen: He'll get laughed at for being a moron and then the guy laughing will probably bring his stuff over to you. Everyone's got to make a living and you aren't going to do that by doleing out charity work all day long. The best case would be he keeps coming back but now realizes warranty doesn't mean "stupidity is free"-maybe he'll pay better attention in the future.

 

[THALL10326]

I can relate with you somewhat. I work in my buddies motorcycle shop part time, we're a small shop only dealing in used bikes. Fella dropped off a 440 KZ, told us it wouldn't run right after a complete ignition upgrade. He was very worried about the bill, told him it shouldn't be much over an hour of labor to diagnose the problem, then we could give a solid estimate. Satisfied with that he left, only to call back in forty five minutes to ask if it is done!:censored:

Awwwwwwwww we get alot of them too, I'll be back this evening, look up a hour later and there they stand asking if its done. Had a guy one time tell me one morning I'll be back tomorrow to pick it up. I said ok, no problem. Three times during the day he came back saying he was just checking. I told him all your doing is wasting gas, it will be ready in the morning,haha. I have to say this though, all customers I appreciate, they are my paycheck and I realize that to the extreme. Some though are more fun than others, especially the ones I see coming and think to myslef oh schit, look who's coming. I treatem all good and thats why they keep coimg back over and over and over. Many of the pita's all know me well and try their damnest to pull one over on me. Most time I letem have their fun but every once in awhile , like today, it was the other way around. I didn't rip the ole guy off at all nor did I get all riled up with him. I just told him he flooded it and thats not a warranty deal. I coulda let him go free, no doult. When I was on my hands and knees wiping up all that mix off my new tile floor I made a decision, he has to payyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.,haha. $5.00 won't break him or run him off, he'll be back for more like he always do. Sometime I think some customers come in just to see if they can get ole daddy here on a good one or just to get some bull. Bull I given plenty for free, I do have a over supply of that, Just ask SugarBush, the first thing he will tell you is I'm full of schit,hahahahaha. My customers love the bull. Rarely does one leave without laffing and carring on. The ole geezer today does as well when he gets something for free. Had I charged him .25 he would have groweled so its no big deal. Just another fun day at the shop I thought I would share with all yaw...........

 

[THALL10326]

I can see Bob's side of it but on the other hand it's either under warranty or it isn't. You've got to make a living too. If that was me I'd have paid you the 5.00 an been happy. Throw em' a bone here and there but I doubt you'll get much bad PR out of it. If he tells anyone about that two things'll happen: He'll get laughed at for being a moron and then the guy laughing will probably bring his stuff over to you. Everyone's got to make a living and you aren't going to do that by doleing out charity work all day long. The best case would be he keeps coming back but now realizes warranty doesn't mean "stupidity is free"-maybe he'll pay better attention in the future.

Hey Jake talking about warranty I had a guy bring in a 066 Mag a few months ago. Fried cylinder but the saw looked new. I called him beforehand and told him what it was going to cost to replace the jug/piston. He said go ahead. When he came to pick it up he said that should be under warranty. I said how ya figure, the saw is four years old. He said thats true but I only used it one time and set it aside and never got around to bringing it in. I said you waited four years to bring it in, you shoulda brought it in the day after it stopped running and warranty would have probly covered it. He goes so your saying its not under warranty now. I said you got it. He just looked at me. I said if your car blew up the day you bought it would you have waited four years to take it back to the dealer. On that note he paid his bill and left smiling cause he knew dayumm well I was right. Another one of those customers that makes working in a shop fun and interstingto say the least.............

 

[belgian]

Five bucks is a pretty cheap lesson but do you think he really learned anything? Sounds like no matter what you do this guy won't like it. You made five bucks and got rid of a PITA...pretty good day.

agree. I can't believe the guy refused to pay 5$ for it. It is obviously no warranty case, so he should be happy to get charged only 5$. I do not like to work for free, so do not expect others to do the same.
Even if he's a regular customer, he should understand. If not, you will never be able to keep him happy.
just my 2 cts.

 

[carvinmark]

Five bucks

All of us in business have been used up at one time or another.I have tried the "customer is always right" and it usually works to everyones advantage.I find that people like this guy are known to be a pita by almost everybody they come in contact with.Sometimes you gotta say "WHEN". Now was your time to say"WHEN". I probably would have done it sooner. Might not be right, just my opinion.

 

[SmokinDodge]

THALL, It's sounds like you have the perfect personality to deal with the customers! I guess I don't get a majority of the people. The KZ I mentioned earlier that was supposed to have all new ignition didn't. Not one thing on that bike had been touched since the factory. A three dollar condensor had er goin in fine fashion, which would have been replaced if they had done what they said! :angry2:

Somedays, I'm glad I'm only part time.

 

[Mr.]

Those are the guys you make buy you lunch.

Don't let them say one word. Complain the whole time, then tell them you like your job.

Then, shazamm. They are too afraid they'll have to sit through lunch with you again to give a fight.

Fred

 

[toolmaker]

I'd be willing to be he is a pain in the ass everywhere he goes.