Small engine techs....lets talk.

[ropensaddle]

I'm with ya all the way. A regular that comes in all the time that needs some odd ball thing we don't stock I'll order no questions asked. If I've never seen this person before chance are almost 100% its gonna be pay first.

I got big black dude that comes in the shop all the time, he's funny as hell and all around good guy. He wants a 441 Artic. I go Anthony there probably isn't a 441 Artic in the entire USA. He goes I don't givea f-ck, you get me that saw. I call Stihl and sure enuff they are gonna have to go find one somewhere and send it to me. I didn't make him pay first because I know he's good for it, someone I didn't know, oh yes, they gotsa pay first,

Thall I figured with your experiance you could tell if a stranger
was pay first or trustworthy! I have went into places that have
never seen me and had them order without $ I guess I look to
trustworthy lol. It is like turning on the gas pump they usually
turn mine on before I pay but I guess I look good for it. I sometimes
get low on my account but never wrote a bad check that was not
a bank mistake! I had them put a deposit in the wrong account and
cause a problem but they made good for it. I still feel a handshake
should be as good as a contract but understand it is not at times!

 

[THALL10326]

Thall I figured with your experiance you could tell if a stranger
was pay first or trustworthy! I have went into places that have
never seen me and had them order without $ I guess I look to
trustworthy lol. It is like turning on the gas pump they usually
turn mine on before I pay but I guess I look good for it. I sometimes
get low on my account but never wrote a bad check that was not
a bank mistake! I had them put a deposit in the wrong account and
cause a problem but they made good for it. I still feel a handshake
should be as good as a contract but understand it is not at times!

Well true, I only have it happen a few times a year and its always with someone that seems upfront and honest. I try to trust people for I'm sure they feel when I say you need to pay first they probably feel I don't trust them and thats really not the case. I just don't want some odd ball part or item of some sort sitting around for years or have to discount the dayumm thing to get rid of it, to hell with that. Over the phone with a complete stranger yup I need that CC number.

Give me a call sometime Rope and try to order something, Stihl won't let me send ya anything but hell if your as good as ya sound I may send ya a Stihl hat. Course now your gonna have to talk me out of it, should be fun,hahaha

 

[flimflam]

I try to trust people for I'm sure they feel when I say you need to pay first they probably feel I don't trust them and thats really not the case.

Random person comes in wanting to place an order, yeah I DON'T trust ya! So what about it? who even gives a damn! This ain't love connection, this is business! You're gonna pay for it anyway, so pay for it up front. Even the ones that seem pretty decent that stops by every once in a while, we charge `em up front. If they don't like it, go somewhere else. We get people questioning you, "what, you don't trust me?" I tell `em "nope". They get all pissed off and either pay up or leave. I could care less. If you got the balls to question our practices, then prepare to get a cold response.

The only people we don't charge up front are our GOOD customers that have a long track record with us.

 

[rebel3.0]

Random person comes in wanting to place an order, yeah I DON'T trust ya! So what about it? who even gives a damn! This ain't love connection, this is business! You're gonna pay for it anyway, so pay for it up front. Even the ones that seem pretty decent that stops by every once in a while, we charge `em up front. If they don't like it, go somewhere else. We get people questioning you, "what, you don't trust me?" I tell `em "nope". They get all pissed off and either pay up or leave. I could care less. If you got the balls to question our practices, then prepare to get a cold response.

The only people we don't charge up front are our GOOD customers that have a long track record with us.

LOL
Its a shame that we have to do it this way be hey, dog eat dog right. You cant run a profitable bussness and keep everyone happy all the time.

 

[THALL10326]

Random person comes in wanting to place an order, yeah I DON'T trust ya! So what about it? who even gives a damn! This ain't love connection, this is business! You're gonna pay for it anyway, so pay for it up front. Even the ones that seem pretty decent that stops by every once in a while, we charge `em up front. If they don't like it, go somewhere else. We get people questioning you, "what, you don't trust me?" I tell `em "nope". They get all pissed off and either pay up or leave. I could care less. If you got the balls to question our practices, then prepare to get a cold response.

The only people we don't charge up front are our GOOD customers that have a long track record with us.

LOL, yikes, you is a tuffie. Your telling them people what I think but don't say. Most times if they act like I'm yankin their chain about paying first I just tellem thats just policy around here, nothing personal. They slack off and seem to understand.

I've never really had anyone go postal over it, grumble some, yes, but if they do go postal I'll know what to tellem now,LOLOL

 

[rebel3.0]

It is funny how some people suddenly decide that they dont need somthing when you tell them they have to pay up front.lol

 

[spike60]

Random person comes in wanting to place an order, yeah I DON'T trust ya! So what about it? who even gives a damn! This ain't love connection, this is business! You're gonna pay for it anyway, so pay for it up front. Even the ones that seem pretty decent that stops by every once in a while, we charge `em up front. If they don't like it, go somewhere else. We get people questioning you, "what, you don't trust me?" I tell `em "nope". They get all pissed off and either pay up or leave. I could care less. If you got the balls to question our practices, then prepare to get a cold response.

The only people we don't charge up front are our GOOD customers that have a long track record with us.

This is a good post.

The answer to "What, don't you trust me?" is, "What, aren't you sure that you want it?"

I could go on and on all night sharing some stories in this nice theraputic thread. Here's one: Guy bought a lawn tractor and stopped in and told us that it seemed to blow some smoke every time he started it up, but was otherwise fine. He says, "So, what do we do, just swap it out for another one?" "No, we fix whatever the problem is." "Well, it's really not that bad."

Just this morning in fact we were discussing that we should change our Saturday hours to 11:30 to 12:00. Between 9:00 and 11:00, a bunch of people call and ask what time we are open til. Then they all show up between 11:30 and 12:00. "I made it!!"

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Dayumm Red your pretty sharp. I woulda said what the hell ya mean its not running right, it was when I gave back to ya,LOL

Ever get this at your place Red.

Few days ago I get a call. Man wants a FS450 clearing saw(huge weed wacker I call it), he wants the big fancy high dollar doulbe L harness and a extra blade. Bill came out to $1081.00. I tell this guy I don't stock those huge machines for I hardly ever ever get a call for one. He goes I understand, I've called all over and nobody has one in stock. He goes can you order it for me. I say hold on, let me make sure Stihl has one in stock for I doult they sell many. I look and sure enuff they got in stock all that he wants. I get back on the phone and give him good news and bad news.

I said yup I can getcha one in a few days. He goes great order it for me. I go not so fast. I need a credit card number first. I explained there is no way in hell I'm getting stuck with a machine like that. He goes I fully understand and he gives me his CC number and all the information I need. I go bill him and place the order.

Thursday the machine comes in late in the evening. I assemble the big boy, toss the long box in the dumpster. Everything is ready for him to pick up. I call him yesterday morning and tell him your machine is here for ya. He goes we need to talk about your re-stocking fee. I said buddy there is no restocking fee, this machine is a specail order for you, you've already been billed for it and besides that I tossed the box in the dumpster, I got nothing to send it back in. He goes you mean I'm stuck with it, I said you betcha. 45 minutes later he shows up to get his machine, real nice man. I go was you pulling my leg about sending that thing back. He goes no, I found a few guys hard up for work that would do what I planned on doing with this machine for less money. I said awwwwwwwwww ok and didn't give him a hardtime at all but no way was I sending that machine back.

Seems like several times a year someone will special order something and if its not too costly I'll do it without payment first and trust they come get it. Most times they do but a few times each year someone will not come get what they ordered. That schit really erks me. I've gotton wise now. If I don't think I can sell whatever is being ordered for someone to someone else its pay first. No more getting stuck with something I never intended on carring in the first place..

We stock saws up to the CS-670, and Trimmers up to the SRM-311, no brushcutters, just no demand for them, and there really isnt much you can do with an SRM-261 and a 8" tooth blade, and a shoulder sling...dont even really need the bike bars...some order them as well.
But if someone wants us to order something we dont stock...we require a card number, We run it, bill them, and place the order. It is nice being 20 minutes from the regional parts supply warehouse...hahaha

But we see it every so often, people get buyers remorse, as us if we can undo the deed...answer is always no, unless we feel we can move it.

We did have a guy want a Simp. Cobalt, fully optioned, lights, ROPS, the big deck, etc..ordered it, asembeled it...he calls us and says something big came up, he was very sincere, but asked us if there was any way we could not charge him for it....

Still got it on the showroom floor...draws customers like flies to a zapper.

What we have had some problem with is people buying saws, paying with a check...and the check ends up being bogus. 2 CS-520's we lost due to that crap. Oh well, now we dont take checks on anything bigger than some pick-up items. All equipment purchases must be made with certified check, cash, or credit Card...with the exception of our large business clients.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Guy brought us a Big old John Deere tractor, I dont recall the model, but it was as big as a current Cab tractor, with no cab...think 4010 sized.

So he says it's losing coolant, he wants us to replace the pump. We order the pump, we put it on...and it's still leaking coolant around the pump area.

We call him, he says "well just fix it then". So we start looking around, and when the motot got hot, a very very tiny crack opened up in the thermostat housing/nexk on the front of the block, it would just barely seep coolant...but it was a long enough crack that it wasnt going to seal with bars leak.

A NEW housing...from Deere was over 500 dollars...yikes.

We called him and I swear to you he came this far off the ground...

He said he wanted a used one put on..so we started looking for a used one, found a few on Ebay for under a hundred, but he didnt trust ebay...go figure. After 5 months of having it sit up at the shop, my boss called him and told him to come get it, pay the bill current, or let us find a prts to fix it right. He starts yelling at boss man over the phone, so he got clicked...:jawdrop:

Guy runs up there and comes in ranting, sits down in front of my boss...and keep in mind this was mid summer...pretty good traffic through the front. Guy yells "(bosses name) IM NOT F**KING HAPPY RIGHT NOW"

And without missing a beat, without batting an eye my boss replies "WELL BUD, I DONT GIVE A SH*T".

He says he isnt paying, so my boss tells him to sign the tractor over to us so we can sell it to levy the bill...that changed his tune.

Bill was not a whole lot, and the pump had been leaking, but it was not the source of al leaking...so he pays it, with a check...My boss jumped in his truck, went to the guys bank and hammered that sucker before he could cancel it...

-----------
One thing customers hate, is when they bring in something yo uhave recently repaired, thinking they have you right where they want you...and after a quick once over, yo uare able to not only explain how you are not at fault, you are able to explain to them what failed, how it failed, and what their reaction to the failure was, that resulted in further damage...haha

 

[rebel3.0]

What we have had some problem with is people buying saws, paying with a check...and the check ends up being bogus. 2 CS-520's we lost due to that crap. Oh well, now we dont take checks on anything bigger than some pick-up items. All equipment purchases must be made with certified check, cash, or credit Card...with the exception of our large business clients.

No checks for us unless they are bank certified.

We do all kinds of work at my shop. We even do jet ski watercraft type.

this guy brings in a jet ski that he says he got it for a real good price. only payed 1500 for it, but it doent run quite right. brought it in tore it down needs a new rotory valve and the crank is bent lol. So now he has a major repair bill. the guy decides after seeing the job break down he doesnt want to fix it (too much money for what the boat is worth) and now hes gonna dump the thing on us, along with the dear down costs:greenchainsaw:

so even if we decided have it signed over, we would have to put a new short block in it (which would be more cost efective) we will never get our time and money out of it:monkey: :monkey:

 

[ropensaddle]

Well true, I only have it happen a few times a year and its always with someone that seems upfront and honest. I try to trust people for I'm sure they feel when I say you need to pay first they probably feel I don't trust them and thats really not the case. I just don't want some odd ball part or item of some sort sitting around for years or have to discount the dayumm thing to get rid of it, to hell with that. Over the phone with a complete stranger yup I need that CC number.

Give me a call sometime Rope and try to order something, Stihl won't let me send ya anything but hell if your as good as ya sound I may send ya a Stihl hat. Course now your gonna have to talk me out of it, should be fun,hahaha

Only if it's a camo cowboy hat lol I always give them cc#
if I order and pay with check on arrival if they will accept
a check and all have that I deal with! The stihl dealer accepted
mine even though I was out of town of course my rep has always
been good and credit is too good