Customer calls

[Enzo]

You see, Steve, that is the difference. My shop is an AUTHORIZED shop. And yours is not, hence...

[The Dude]

One peeve of mine is when they call and say they need it "right now". You bust a$$ getting it done and then they don't pick it up for months.

[Enzo]

Yep, the ones that tell you there is no rush on it are the ones who call the next day wanting to know if it is done. And the ones who just gotta have it the next day are the ones who find something else to use 10 minutes after they leave the shop.

[big_teee]

With Pickups, No one calls, then in spells everyone calls at once.
Is Amp Biz like that?
T

[Tom Phillips]

Many of your stories sound very familiar. I once had a call from a friend of an amp customer. He asked me to take a look at the Motorola radio out of his 1957 Ford T-Bird. He thought it may need "some new tubes and a little cleaning." Typical understatement but I liked his plan to keep the original electronics intact rather than have a chop shop replace the guts with a modern remote control radio module. He arrived in a beautifully maintained '57 T-Bird which enhanced my desire to help him out. Once I took on the job I wanted to finish it and I donated many hours of uncharged time for cleanup, research, repair and alignment. Otherwise the bill would have super blown the budget. We were both really happy with the final result but I did ask him NOT to send his car club buddies over with their radios. It was an interesting learning experience but also a lesson that I can't save everything. I'll stick with guitar amps.

Attached are before & after gut shots.

Cheers,
Tom

[Enzo]

But that was VINTAGE dirt...

[Tom Phillips]

But that was VINTAGE dirt...

I saved it all,of course, and gave it to the customer in a baggie so he could re-install it if he ever decides to sell the car to a serious collector.

[Mick Bailey]

I had a call from a guy who said his new amp had a funny smell. I asked if it was a burning smell. He said "no, like plastic". So I said "burning plastic?". He replied "Tell you what it smells like - just like when you get your daughter's doll and pull its head off and smell inside the body cavity". Yeah, just like.

and another;

"I've bought this amp and it doesn't work right".
What's it doing?
"It sounds all distorted, like there's a fuzz box on all the time"
Is there a channel switch on the front?
"hang on......yes"
What happens when you press it
"nothing. Dead"
Is the volume up?
"yes"
Is there a gain control?
"Two of 'em"
Are they both turned up?
"The first one is all the way down"
What happens if you turn it up?
"Hang on (hear guitar).......Cheers mate. Fixed. I owe you a pint"

[isaac]

Man these are classics... Loved the T-bird radio, NICE. Mick, that last one was so hysterical. ;-)

[frus]

Mick yours are hilarious

[Chuck H]

.

There is a tendency for small shops to take in anything for cash flow but I find it better to weed out customers who are likely not to be a good fit for the services we offered and referred them to people who might be a better fit......or to competitors who we wanted to bog down handling no-win situations with difficult customers:>)

+1
My good intentions have hosed me so often that I can't argue the logic.

[Chuck H]

I don't do repairs for a living. Any that I do are for friends and acquaintance. I usually only charge for parts. It's just something I do that most others can't so I enjoy the kudos. Ok... Story:

As a painting contractor I did maintenance on an elderly living apartment complex. I got to know many residents by name in my coming and going. One night (I often did this work at night as an aside from day work) the lady that played organ for the choir (Laura) told me that her old Baldwin had been acting up and the tremolo wasn't working anymore. She mentioned it to me because she thought I was a handy guy and hoped I knew something about it. As it happened I did! So I took a look and found a couple of dead tubes and bulging ORIGINAL filter caps. I told her I needed to order parts and would see her again in a couple of weeks. I ordered all new power supply caps and brought my "basic components" organizer when I returned. I was lucky to have the tubes she needed on hand. Having acquired them from cardboard boxes from a salvage house for a couple of bucks each. I rebuilt the power supply, replaced the bad tubes and a couple of badly drifted resistors on site in about an hour and fifteen minutes. She was so happy. Said it hadn't worked right in a long time (which could have meant a decade or more in this case!). She asked me what it cost and I said "Don't worry about it. I had the stuff on hand and I'm glad I could help." And she said "Wait here". She went into the back room and emerged with a small, leather bound maroon box. She said "I hope you'll accept this. My husband collected coins. They don't mean much to me but maybe they're worth something," She was so sincere that I had to accept. I was honestly just glad to help. I saw her perform with the choir a few times afterwards (I was always invited ) It turned out that there were two "commemorative" coins in the box. Minted by our own government and worth about $55. U.S. each at this time. Of course I still have them. Laura was a good lady and I knew her for many years. I don't know if the coins have continued to go up in value. It really doesn't matter as to whether I'll unload them. They're fine right where they are, with me. Laura is gone now. I don't know where all her collective "stuff" ended up. Other than her bitchin' Baldwin organ. Which she donated to the group and now sits in the Great room where the current (and ever rotating) choir practices. This was my favorite repair.

[Steve A.]

we get odd calls like..my friends says it's just a fuse that's blown so I've taken it apart so can you tell me what to do? yes, bring it in so a skilled tech can put it right for you..followed by the phone going dead!

When I used to do appliance repairs I would show up at a garbage disposal service call only to find it in pieces. "I helped you out by taking it apart first." Gee thanks. 9 times out of 10 it was just a matter of unjamming it which would take a minute or two tops. I called the office and explained the situation to the dispatcher who told me to pack up and go to my next call. I forgot if I was able to collect the service charge from the customer (this was for a home warranty company so the service charge was only $25.) Speaking of garbage disposals we'd ALWAYS get emergency calls right after Thanksgiving and Christmas for plugged kitchen sinks. You'd take out the P-trap only to fit it packed solid with one vegetable or another. It seems that friends or relatives helping to clean up would keep jamming crap down the garbage disposal thinking that they were helping.

Steve

[Steve A.]

Many of your stories sound very familiar. I once had a call from a friend of an amp customer. He asked me to take a look at the Motorola radio out of his 1957 Ford T-Bird. He thought it may need "some new tubes and a little cleaning." Typical understatement but I liked his plan to keep the original electronics intact rather than have a chop shop replace the guts with a modern remote control radio module.

Ever notice how good AM radio sounded on cars from the 50's? I'd tune an AM station in our hi-fi in the living room and it sounded like total crap, all buzzy and thin.

Steve

[Mick Bailey]

Last year I posted about getting a stereo switching socket for a Slash signature Les Paul. It took a fair bit of time and effort to track down the part and get them in stock.

I called the guy to arrange leaving the guitar with me and he said he wouldn't let me have it unless he supervised me changing the socket. I don't work like that and said he could go a walk around town and pick it up in an hour. He wouldn't, but I love what he said (in a thick East-European accent);

"My wife is very, very, beautiful. But I would rather leave her with you than my guitar".

I still have those sockets.