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Over the years I have learned to talk to the general public - my customers. Not that I haven't got a lot more to learn there. But more than once, someone in my shop has said, "Now I see why you talk in the way you do," after some odd encounter with...(bum-bum-bum-BAAA)... a customer.
Anyone who runs a shop has their stories, the stupid phone conversations come to mind. Phone: Hello, is my amp done yet?
Give me a clue.
What?
What amp are we talking about?
Oh. It's a guitar amp.
Can you be more specific?
It's black.
Do you know the brand.
Oh, yeah, it's a Fender.
Ah... OK then what's your name?
Bob.
(hand slap to my forehead.)
Recently I got a call from someone's gopher. He wanted to know if something I was working on was fixed yet. I told him, "No, the parts for it have not come in yet, expect them in Thursday." I then hear him turn to his boss in the background and say, "He hasn't looked at it yet."
Now I know these people. He wasn't accusing me of mis-representing things, in his mind hasn't looked at it yet and isn;t done mean the same thing. And when he asks "have you looked at it yet," he is really asking if it is repaired rather than have I inspected it. Of course all his boss back there hears that it is sitting here apparently untouched.
I used to have an organ repair guy working out of my shop, and I took his calls and booked the repairs. ANy number of times I'd get a call about 3PM on a Friday from the secretary of some church. "Yes, we need the organ repairman to come fix our organ for services Sunday. I've been meaning to call all week, but I get so busy..." yeah well lady, I guess we been meaning to come out there all week, but we get busy too. I then explain that the repair man came in at 9AM and picked up his orders for the day, and I won;t see him again until Monday. This was before the cell phone era, so no one expects everyone to be in touch immediately. "But we NEED it fixed for services SUnday." Sorry lady, he doesn;t work weekends, and you needed to call it in at least a day earlier. "Hmmph. Whatever happened to SERVICE?." (click)
Anyone who runs a shop has their stories, the stupid phone conversations come to mind. Phone: Hello, is my amp done yet?
Give me a clue.
What?
What amp are we talking about?
Oh. It's a guitar amp.
Can you be more specific?
It's black.
Do you know the brand.
Oh, yeah, it's a Fender.
Ah... OK then what's your name?
Bob.
(hand slap to my forehead.)
Recently I got a call from someone's gopher. He wanted to know if something I was working on was fixed yet. I told him, "No, the parts for it have not come in yet, expect them in Thursday." I then hear him turn to his boss in the background and say, "He hasn't looked at it yet."
Now I know these people. He wasn't accusing me of mis-representing things, in his mind hasn't looked at it yet and isn;t done mean the same thing. And when he asks "have you looked at it yet," he is really asking if it is repaired rather than have I inspected it. Of course all his boss back there hears that it is sitting here apparently untouched.
I used to have an organ repair guy working out of my shop, and I took his calls and booked the repairs. ANy number of times I'd get a call about 3PM on a Friday from the secretary of some church. "Yes, we need the organ repairman to come fix our organ for services Sunday. I've been meaning to call all week, but I get so busy..." yeah well lady, I guess we been meaning to come out there all week, but we get busy too. I then explain that the repair man came in at 9AM and picked up his orders for the day, and I won;t see him again until Monday. This was before the cell phone era, so no one expects everyone to be in touch immediately. "But we NEED it fixed for services SUnday." Sorry lady, he doesn;t work weekends, and you needed to call it in at least a day earlier. "Hmmph. Whatever happened to SERVICE?." (click)