Another hard lesson learned

ken D

With my blood now boiling and Mad dog now coming out of his dog house, I told the tech to go back in, tear up the check for half the bill, and tell them since they were still not satisfied, and had questioned our honor, and integrity!, the whole job was on the house!

Wow!!!! Who could have handled the situation better than this??!! Who could have showed more honor, more integrity, more ... You radiated something that is often so lacking on this website!! That was the best possible reaction that I could ever possibly conceive of!!! So much from this website on customer relations has an immature and childish ranting to it; even the videos on dealing with customers, though there be much good in it, is littered with unprofessionalism--but this example is well, golden! You had an opportunity to shine forth and exemplify your character in a way few others are able to achieve! You should be set forth on a pedastal of honor and be praised for such a great example you demonstrated. And even though you lost a large amount of money, look at it as an investment in character proving, an opportunity to walk in your integrity, and I'm sure you've earned the respect of all who view this thread. Great job! Great example!

Mad Dog

Men of Honor are few and far between.........

From time to time, I get a hard lesson is business sense. My most recent, lesson came from not putting an estimate in writing. Goy a call several weeks a go to add a steam rad in an attic. We usually charge a trip-charge (thanks Hot Rod)if the customer did not come from a recommendation or is not a regular. However, this fella was right in town, so I figured, what the heck. Checked out the job, and quickly calcualted the job: XXXX for materials and XXXooooo for labor. I told the man, right then and there: "...ok, sir, we have xxx for materials and xxoo for labor (I guess I had to add for him...actually the real numbers were 300 and 325). Sounds great he said (should have repeated myself, I guess)..when can you do it.???? So, the tech gets there that day, gets the job done- and takes care of 2 other jobs that he thought we could do.."while we were there." The ho was thrilled with the quality and speed of the job. The tech presented the bill and the fireworks flew: "Your boss told me it was $325.00 for the radiator job!!!!!" No, sir, that is not what he told you!!!!...the radiator and supplies themselves come to $300.00....how can we do a job for $25?????. "I don't care...this is not right!!!!!...I wan't your boss over here now!!!!!!!. The tech got me on the radio, but I was about 40 miles away on another job. I politely tried to explain, that indeed ...didn't he remember, the price????? NO! , he didn't, and he was NOT A LIAR!!!!!! With the extras, the bill came to over $700.00. He was willing to pay half. I apologized for the misunderstanding and said, that would be fine. But, as the tech was leaving the house, the berating began again, now from the wife too!!with threats of making comnplaints to the better business bureau. When my tech got outside, he informed me of this latest development in an already unpleasant situation. With my blood now boiling and Mad dog now coming out of his dog house, I told the tech to go back in, tear up the check for half the bill, and tell them since they were still not satisfied, and had questioned our honor, and integrity!, the whole job was on the house! They feigned embarrassment, and insisted...."we want to pay you...you'll be getting a check in the mail...balh b;ah blah." We''ll its been almost 2 weeks...no check...no phone call. I didn't think they would because the several times that similar things have happened, these crusty types NEVER do the honorable thing. If they did send it, it was going back in person and ripped in to pieces (fantasy I guess!!!). Lesson learned: Put it in writing, and review the cost the day you do the job, get signitures ALWAYS!!!!!!...Many said that I was stupid to "eat" the whole job, but my honor is paramount. Unfortunatley, a handshake and looking another man in the eye no longer consititutes a deal....Oh how I miss the good old days..........Mad Dog

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Paul Mitchell

with you. no one can be trusted and i love the can you do this while you are here trick. gotta fill them in right out of the hole "sure i can the additional charge will be..". the crazy weather hasnt even started and people are losing there mind.

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Mad Dog

It don't come easy....you know it don't come easy............

a lot of predators out there. The public loves to paint us as such, but there are many unscrupulous folks out there that will do anything not to pay. MD

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Don Walsh

One way to respond

Mad Dog and any others who have this "theft" of services now and then, I send them a 1099 at the end of the year. Your work done without being paid is unearned income to them. Send the 1099 for the whole amount and they will have to pay taxes on it as ordinary income. Ask your accountant about it.

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Mad Dog

hee hee hee....i love that idea................................

thanks bud, hey any relation to joe????? Md

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jim_14

wouldnt you need

their SS #?? I would love to see there faces when they opened the envelope that contained the 1099

Mike Murray

That sucks, MD!
I got burned on two like that this past spring for similar amounts and one right after the other during "hungry time" of spring thaw. Cotton rocksuckers!

::heh heh:: I like the tax idea, though! I'm gonna run that one by my acountant!

Mad Dog

You feel bad because the honorable suffer......................

You know how it goes: "ok Mrs Jones how will you be paying???will someone be there to pay us?" Good honest folks get insulted a little: "why, of course, I Always pay my bills." To be honest the guy seemed like a pia from the first phone call, we usually weed them out very well, but this clinker slipped through. Mad Dog

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Don Walsh

ssn#

No you really don't need to have their ssn#. You mark in that space "refused to provide" Boy does that throw up a red flag to the IRS!! It might take the IRS 3 or 4 years to catch up with it all, but it will usually result in a hell of a lot of paper work for your dead beat customer. We used it twice in the last few years, and it sure did get the HO's attention!

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Danile Workerbee

If someone was not going to pay, could you not take your materials back and call it even. Just a thought.

jim_14

funny story:

the company I work for, before I started working there had a lady claim that one of our guys scratched her glass table while on a job for her and now she wanted money to buy a replacement table.

So when the paperwork cleared and she was issued a check, the supervisor went over their with about 2 or 3 big guys and the check made out to her.

The lady was given her check and the supervisor said "Ok fella's take the table". The lady who made the claim said "wait what are you doing thats my table!!" and they told her that they had just bought the table since they handed her a check to buy a new one.

And they carried the table, which was a heavy solid piece of furniture, back to the locker room and used it!!

Apparantly this lady was full of **** and thought she could get over and make a few bucks but she wound up with out her kitchen table for a few days!

Sometimes people get what they deserve!

Mad Dog

I should know the exact statute, but i believe that by doing

that I would IIIIIIIIII!!!! would now be breaking the law UNLESS I put back what he had there previuosly (actually he was "heating" his attic with 1 1/2" black [pipe with a vent on the end) had there. I didn't want to lose any more time or $$$$. From what I have read, I would be leaving him without heat or a toilet or whatever it happened to be. Unfortunatley, my top tech was there, not me. It probably is better that I wasn't, because this fella was getting mighty obnoxious and aggressive. I really didn't want Mad Dog to come out...I'd be in County lock up right now. I'm getting wise with age....Dan has helped me in this category . Mad Dog

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Mad Dog

Thanks Ken, I've been called a \"throwback\" my whole life

I wear it as a badge of honor. I don't tolerate liars and manipulators. I'd rather eat the cost than prostitute myself. Mad Dog

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Terry St.james

What goes around comes around

You did a good thing there MD. They will get their own. It is a fact...What Goes Around Comes Around....that's why the world is round...everything u do will eventually slap someone in the back of the head or pat you on the back.
When we give estimates and then arrive on the job many customers try to slip in a few extras while we are there and do not expect to be charged. You did ok...just sit back and have patience...something will slap them on the back of the head....Terry

Joel_3

Feeling your pain....

I don't get people they complaign they can't get someone to come ,then they complaign that they can't get someone who's good at it, then when they finally do they complaign about what it cost. How about this one I gave a lady a WRITTEN quote for 1100.00 this summer she said go ahead. After we do it she says ,"Well my husband says it really wasn't that much work and your guy was here for X hours and we think the material costs about X so we are willing to pay you 425.00$ !!! I said to her "but mam we had a written contract, sure maybe your husband could have done it but you chose to have us do it instead! . It was your choice, just like mowing your lawn you could do it but choose to pay somebody instead." she said she'd send 425.$$ but that she loved the work and wanted to still be on our list so we could service her units if they broke this winter!!!! Can you believe it!! A written contract. What am I going to do take her to court for 600-700$? right like I've got time for that. I said fine send 425 but if her unit breaks this winter she's gonna be very cold and I will laugh with glee.

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jim lockard

I took the

Bastxxd to court and I won.The customer was having problems with his heat pump the contractor who installed it had died,I troubleshoot a defective heat pump mispiped from the factory proved it to the satisfaction of the manufacturer. The manufacturer agreed to give the HO a new heat pump I told the HO from the getgo he was responiably in writing for the labor. Delivered the new heat pump to his home presented my bill for troubleshooting and a proposal for labor to install the new heat pump he said no let the manufacturer pay you. Fine dude got back in my truck, returned the heat pump to the supply house went to court had a trial, was awarded judgement filed a lien against the guys home interest rate on judgments in Virginia is 9% and he will not sell his house til he pays me. If I get tired of waiting for my money I will file against his bank accounts to forbid him access. how do you like me now?