29 replies to this topic

[Scottthewolf]

Ok, I just don't get people sometimes.

This customer demanded an after 5PM call, so I went out of my way to accomodate him.

I get their promptly at 5PM, diagnose his range, inform him of how much he owes me for the trip charge and the diagnostic fee (the diagnostic fee gets applied toward the labor on the repair when we return with the part.) and he goes ballistic on me, tells me he's not going to pay for a damn thing and tells me to get the hell out of his house.

I just don't know where these arsehole customers come from. Like I'm going to come to his house using my van and gasoline and out of the goodness of my own heart I'm going to do it for free. HA!

I want to know what you guys do when a customer refuses to pay for the trip charge. Please tell me. He threatened to call the BBB on me. He's going to get nowhere with the BBB because he did not pay me a freakin dime.

I'm going to start a list of all customers like this and I will inform my competition about them. That way when they need their appliances repaired nobody will service them.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

I tell people up front, on the phone, what my service call/diagnostic fee is. I also tell them that payment is expected after the service is complete and I told him how they may pay: credit card, cash, check. So it's all clear before I even arrive at the house what the charges are and what's expected.

Now, I have had problems with customers that were bitching at the fee to complete the repair and in those cases, I simply said, "okay, you don't see the value of my service. Fine, I'll leave and you won't owe me a dime." I've learned that in those cases, it's not worth having the $55 service call fee just so they can go and bitch about me to other people.

[NCARepair]

I don't do 5:00 calls or weekends. Makes my life much easier. I jam as many same day calls into 8:00-3:00 in a tight service area as i can.

[Chat_in_FL]

I tell people up front, on the phone, what my service call/diagnostic fee is. I also tell them that payment is expected after the service is complete and I told him how they may pay: credit card, cash, check. So it's all clear before I even arrive at the house what the charges are and what's expected.

Ditto. Also try to weed out the calls before I arrive that will say "Bill my landlord," "I'm just house-sitting," "Mom and/or Dad won't be home 'till six," etc...

[nickfixit]

I had that feeling last week. The dillholes at whirlpool gave a concession on a front load washer tub job. The idiots sent the parts to the unit, not to the customer. The unit is over 50 miles away. Plus, they didn't order the basket, they just ordered the support. Getting those screws out is iffy at best, plust the rear edge of the basket rolls over the edge or the support. If you use a tool to pry the support off of the tub, you will dent or tear the thin metal tub. .

Whirlpools' laundry products have turned me into a hater. Their entire washer line sucks. They lack the skills to fix their bearing issues, and the entire management/engineering staff should be fired for the "serial comunication errors" and "heartbeat errors". No other company has these problems.

Unless they deal with these issues, they will fail just like Maytag. Maybe LG could buy them out?

[Scottthewolf]

The other brands are no better.

What IS getting ridiculous is the government, the EPA, EnergyStar is forcing the manufacturers to put energy savings before form and function.

The other thing is the manufacturers putting features and looks/styling before durability. Heaven forbid the customer should see a screw on the front panel of their appliance.

Not to be a pain, Nick, but you pretty much hyjacked my thread and got off topic. I was complaining about ungrateful customers expecting to get something for nothing, not about the manufacturers or the employees of the customer service departments.

[certified tech group 51]

Scottthewolf, I will try and get you back on track............Making a list and giving to my competitors has been in the back of my mind......I.E.....The customer sez to send them the bill and they do not pay ( got a few )..............The part that is difficult, is the competitors believing your list, ( Are you being difficult with the customers )....................... And you get a list from your competitors........... I would think that they would believe you, cuz they do not want to be stiffed also.............. I would like to see the face of an old, non-paying customer that no one will service... Out in this neck of the woods, If you think I am close to being pricy, call for service from Sears......That is sticker shock.....

[RegUS_PatOff]

...Making a list and giving to my competitors

if there was a web-site you could post that list to...
for your competitors and the customers on the list to view
Kind of like posting the "bad checks" on the wall in your store.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

if there was a web-site you could post that list to...
for your competitors and the customers on the list to view

How about this one? I could create a new forum where we posted our deadbeats and black list customers for other techs and their customers to view. Kind of like a Hall of Shame.

[RussTech]

I walk on customers that flip on my est for repair and try to beat up my pricing, its only happened to me a few times. One time I went ahead with the repair even though I told the guy I would reassemble and leave with no charge just because I didn't want an unhappy customer. That got me my first bad review ever. So, now I walk, tell em to have a nice day and head to the next job, no matter what.
I also make my pricing VERY clear over the phone at the time of booking the call.

On the bad custy list tip, I grade all customers and all jobs. Its worth keeping records on, IMO

Edited by RussTech, 24 July 2012 - 01:49 PM.

[NCARepair]

I don't bill AT ALL. I get a debit/credit card upfront or I do not do the call. Run the card,scan the invoice and email it all.

[nickfixit]

What got me going was the belief that the worst customer is the ones that get the concessions. They get something for nothing and still bitch. Plus, they will never buy a service plan if some peckerhead gives them free repairs.

plus the idea of homicide did sound like fun...

[Chat_in_FL]

the worst customer is the ones that get the concessions.

And the customers who deserve a break don't get the concessions from OEM's... Squeaky wheel gets the grease I guess...

[wobiii]

It dosen't happen often but when I run into one of these I post them here ratemycustomers.com It's not a great site and I don't think anyone else will ever see it but it makes me feel better that someone else may not get stiffed because of it. I'd like to see a forum on here to post them up to. If I knew they stiffed one of my competitors I wouldn't go out to them. I'd love to hear them after I said "no thanks, you have an outstanding debt to . . . "

The bad checks I can work with, we all make mistakes and the DA's office will eventually take care of it if need be. It's the refusals and stop payments that really get to me.

Edited by wobiii, 03 August 2012 - 08:32 AM.

[RegUS_PatOff]

... ratemycustomers.com It's not a great site and I don't think anyone else will ever see it

and let the customer know it's posted wherever ..
... and is it removable by the original poster ?

[wobiii]

and let the customer know it's posted wherever ..
... and is it removable by the original poster ?

Just checked the site and there is not much to it. Didn't even see a way to contact them other than to post a complaint or compliment on someone.

[tpoindexter]

Swear this is a true story:

 

A good friend of mine is a plumber. Had a customer with a water leak outside. He quotes the guy a new line from meter to house.

The guy never blinks tells him to get it done. He installs new line. Oh yeah, this guy owns properties and this place is a rental with tenant.

Anyways he takes the bill buy to collect and the guy tells him he'll mail him a check on Friday.

My friend is a little put out but what can you do?

Anyways 3 months later he still getting the run around, so, he gets pissed. Gets in his 3/4 ton van loaded with heavy plumbing parts goes over to the rental digs the line up at the meter, turns water off, cuts line, ties onto it with his van and takes off.

About 100 ft of line comes out before snapping. He stops, cuts it up, throws it in the van and leaves.

Man takes him to court, judge laughs and tells the guy he had every right to retrieve his property.

Edited by tpoindexter, 13 February 2013 - 01:51 AM.

[telefunkenu47]

my attorney can put a lein on a hse for 100 dollars. Easy peasey...

[RegUS_PatOff]

my attorney can put a lein on a hse for 100 dollars. Easy peasey...

I'm not a lawyer, but if I'm not mistaken,

that would only cause the owner problems, if and when he was going to try to sell the house ...

[telefunkenu47]

THAT, OR A REFI. EITHER WAY, ITS GONNA HAVE TO BE DEALT WITH EVENTUALLY, WITH COSTS AND INTEREST OF COURSE. NOBODY PUNKS ME AND GETS AWAY WITH IT. PERIOD.

Edited by telefunkenu47, 17 February 2013 - 03:15 PM.