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  • Customer implodes!

    This is going to be a long one. Last week a young man whom I did some work last year on a Silvertone head, texts me. "Guru", he asks, "I never plugged that head in until now, it's not working, I think it's something easy to fix, and I don't have the money to bring it to you, so do you have any pointers for how to help me fix it?" A long texting session ensues. This guy is the worst texter ever, garbled, misspelled, shorthand, symbols, the worst. I try to explain to him how to plug the speaker into another amp, or another amp into that speaker, but he is having trouble with the concept. More long texts. This goes on for at least 30 minutes, and I am growing weary of it. Finally, after I figured I have given him all the info he needs, I just stop responding. I don'r hear back for some days, and forget about it.

    Then today, ding, there he is again. This time with another amp, apparently he didn't try my recommendations on the first one. He says it is a Silvertone 1421, and it needs the little tube because the others all light up, and do I have one or know where to get one? I look up the schematic and see it is a thin body 6AU6, so I google it and send him a link to thetubestore.com. He asks me how does a tube come out, by unscrewing, or does it slide out? I bite my tongue and explain the way to pull a tube. Now he wants me to drive over to his place to have a look and tell him how much it would cost to fix both amps, and what would I charge for that? I tell him I don't really do house calls. He says he doesn't want to have to haul them to my house if at all possible, because he drives a pickup and "it wouldn't be safe". I tell him he won't harm an amp transporting in a pickup if they are placed on something soft, especially on the flat nicely paved roads down here.

    Now he tells me he also has two Frontmans, a "commercial grade amp" (Peavy CS400 power amp) that don't work, "probably something simple", and two guitars to rewire, and could I give him an idea of how much that would cost, and maybe could we work out a flat rate for the whole lot. I explain my shop rate, and that I could not give him an estimate without having a look at each one. And no, I would not ever do a flat rate for something like this. OK, he says, how much would it cost for you to tell me about how much it will cost to fix everything? Didn't we just discuss this?

    So now I am really getting tired trying to deal with this with texting. I tell him how a bench fee works, sometimes it covers the cost of the repair, sometimes partially. I tell him I really do need to get back to work, and frustrated now, mention I don't get paid to text. He says it must be hard selling a service and not be able to predict the cost. I tell him I DO predict the cost, but not on gear I have never seen. The cost is predicted during the bench fee. He says that is unprofessional, why should he "pay money to pay money?" How if I were more professional I wouldn't be working in my garage (like that's a bad thing), and I really should hire someone to deal with customers, I would have more work, blah, blah, blah.

    Now I'm off. Look kid, I work in my garage because I want to, so I can be selective in who I have to deal with, like yourself. About every 3 years or so I get a nusance guy like you, who thinks he knows what's up, thinks nothing of wasting my time like it's owed to him, and then is offended when, after answering all his questions, ends up feeling wronged because I tell him after enough of it that I am a pro repair service, servicing mostly pro musicians, not a free advice column or a charity. So you think I am unprofessional, fine, I think you are clueless and I don't want your business, if that was even ever going to actually happen, so we are even. Please don't bother me anymore, you are blocked.

    He sent me a few more long texts, but I didn't read them. 68 texts in all, 68! And, I am going to guess they took about 90 minutes total, 90 minutes I will never get back. Maybe I let my irritation show after a fashion, but letting into this fool felt good, actually. Thankfully, incidents like this are few and far between for me, and I always try to go out of my way for my customers. And judging from how often I am tipped, thanked and praised, I think I am professional enough.

    But, what a knucklehead!
    It's weird, because it WAS working fine.....

  • #2
    Originally posted by Randall View Post
    This is going to be a long one. Last week a young man whom I did some work last year on a Silvertone head, texts me. "Guru", he asks, "I never plugged that head in until now, it's not working, I think it's something easy to fix, and I don't have the money to bring it to you, so do you have any pointers for how to help me fix it?" A long texting session ensues. This guy is the worst texter ever, garbled, misspelled, shorthand, symbols, the worst. I try to explain to him how to plug the speaker into another amp, or another amp into that speaker, but he is having trouble with the concept. More long texts. This goes on for at least 30 minutes, and I am growing weary of it. Finally, after I figured I have given him all the info he needs, I just stop responding. I don'r hear back for some days, and forget about it.

    Then today, ding, there he is again. This time with another amp, apparently he didn't try my recommendations on the first one. He says it is a Silvertone 1421, and it needs the little tube because the others all light up, and do I have one or know where to get one? I look up the schematic and see it is a thin body 6AU6, so I google it and send him a link to thetubestore.com. He asks me how does a tube come out, by unscrewing, or does it slide out? I bite my tongue and explain the way to pull a tube. Now he wants me to drive over to his place to have a look and tell him how much it would cost to fix both amps, and what would I charge for that? I tell him I don't really do house calls. He says he doesn't want to have to haul them to my house if at all possible, because he drives a pickup and "it wouldn't be safe". I tell him he won't harm an amp transporting in a pickup if they are placed on something soft, especially on the flat nicely paved roads down here.

    Now he tells me he also has two Frontmans, a "commercial grade amp" (Peavy CS400 power amp) that don't work, "probably something simple", and two guitars to rewire, and could I give him an idea of how much that would cost, and maybe could we work out a flat rate for the whole lot. I explain my shop rate, and that I could not give him an estimate without having a look at each one. And no, I would not ever do a flat rate for something like this. OK, he says, how much would it cost for you to tell me about how much it will cost to fix everything? Didn't we just discuss this?

    So now I am really getting tired trying to deal with this with texting. I tell him how a bench fee works, sometimes it covers the cost of the repair, sometimes partially. I tell him I really do need to get back to work, and frustrated now, mention I don't get paid to text. He says it must be hard selling a service and not be able to predict the cost. I tell him I DO predict the cost, but not on gear I have never seen. The cost is predicted during the bench fee. He says that is unprofessional, why should he "pay money to pay money?" How if I were more professional I wouldn't be working in my garage (like that's a bad thing), and I really should hire someone to deal with customers, I would have more work, blah, blah, blah.

    Now I'm off. Look kid, I work in my garage because I want to, so I can be selective in who I have to deal with, like yourself. About every 3 years or so I get a nusance guy like you, who thinks he knows what's up, thinks nothing of wasting my time like it's owed to him, and then is offended when, after answering all his questions, ends up feeling wronged because I tell him after enough of it that I am a pro repair service, servicing mostly pro musicians, not a free advice column or a charity. So you think I am unprofessional, fine, I think you are clueless and I don't want your business, if that was even ever going to actually happen, so we are even. Please don't bother me anymore, you are blocked.

    He sent me a few more long texts, but I didn't read them. 68 texts in all, 68! And, I am going to guess they took about 90 minutes total, 90 minutes I will never get back. Maybe I let my irritation show after a fashion, but letting into this fool felt good, actually. Thankfully, incidents like this are few and far between for me, and I always try to go out of my way for my customers. And judging from how often I am tipped, thanked and praised, I think I am professional enough.

    But, what a knucklehead!
    People like that have the special shop rate.

    nosaj
    soldering stuff that's broken, breaking stuff that works, Yeah!

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    • #3
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      ...especially knuckleheads.
      "I took a photo of my ohm meter... It didn't help." Enzo 8/20/22

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      • #4
        Helluva yarn Randall, earns you a thumbsup.

        Some 15 years back, had one of those days I just didn't want to answer the phone. I'm sure we've all had them. Had a stretch where there were more than enough fakers, rug cleaners, aluminum siding salesmen, trolls trying to pry my credit card numbers or begging my donation to the Foundation for Indecisive Police Captains. Just happened to be near the answering machine late afternoon when an angry sounding fellow rang up, hung up, rang up, hung up again, then started to leave messages that I answer the phone RIGHT NOW! "I have a Marshall that's all effed up!" of course never left a return number. Then later, only 5 minutes or so, another barrage of messages, accusing me of monitoring the phone line! Which of course, I was, and very glad of it. I figured Steamin' Mad Guitar Johnny would settle down & maybe try again the next day when we should be both in a better mood. No dice, never heard from that guy again. Just as well.
        This isn't the future I signed up for.

        Comment


        • #5
          I was doing TV repair in the early 90's including a few house calls. I remember walking up to a particular customer's door. He opened the door already pitching a fit and cussing at me. I politely told him that I was there to help him and I wasn't the one who broke his TV. I then told him I was going to close the door, knock again/start over, and if he didn't change his attitude, I was going to get back in the shop van and leave. I actually did close the door and knock again. When he answered, he still wasn't what I would call polite, but he did STFU.
          "I took a photo of my ohm meter... It didn't help." Enzo 8/20/22

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          • #6
            Hey Randall, I think I know that guy. Ok, not "him" but a guy just like him. I'm reminded that a very wise, older painting contractor once told me that the success of my business will depend greatly on the jobs I don't take.

            I guess the only hitch with dropping him is that his position on the matter is that he hasn't used the amp you repaired until now and it doesn't work. Which smells like BS all the way to my place on the other side of the country, but it is what it is. If you offer a timed warranty maybe you're good? Otherwise you may end up having to deal with that amp. If that happens I'd suggest kissing up a little and keep him feeling like he's in some control. If he suggests other work you have to say something like "We'll see. Let's finish this one first." That sort of thing. Once he signs off that the amp is working you can kick him to the curb without courtesy. Just consider the ass kissing a tool to get you through the work in the fastest, easiest way.
            "Take two placebos, works twice as well." Enzo

            "Now get off my lawn with your silicooties and boom-chucka speakers and computers masquerading as amplifiers" Justin Thomas

            "If you're not interested in opinions and the experience of others, why even start a thread?
            You can't just expect consent." Helmholtz

            Comment


            • #7
              Not worried about that. When he brought me the head, it didn't power up because it had no fuse or fuse holder cap. I replaced those while he waited, and it powered up. Guess what he said? That should be good, if there is anything else wrong, it's probably simple and I can probably fix it. I only charged him for the parts, maybe $10, no labor as a gesture of good will. Plus, I raised the question of the dodgey looking speaker cable, but he opted out of doing anything more. This is squarely on him. he's not really a musician, I think he is coming at it more from how can I make a buck on this stuff, when I really don't know what I'm talking about. But, I got a guy! Fuck that.
              It's weird, because it WAS working fine.....

              Comment


              • #8
                I think I have told it before, but...

                Had a guy bring a Fender Rhodes rig to my shop with some basic problem. He wanted to know when I would work on it. I told him we were pretty well caught up and would work on it in the next day or so. He then said "No, I mean when exactly are you going to work on it?" Then added, "I want to come in and watch to make sure you don't charge me for work you didn't do."

                I then peacefully suggested he take his instrument with him right now and leave. No charge.


                I never liked working on Rhodes anyway.
                Education is what you're left with after you have forgotten what you have learned.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Enzo View Post
                  He then said "No, I mean when exactly are you going to work on it?" Then added, "I want to come in and watch to make sure you don't charge me for work you didn't do."
                  Did he know he said that crap out loud? That's a guy with too much time on his hands and trust issues. What a social retard! The kind of guy that always has trouble because of how he negotiates himself and always blames others for his problems. Same with Randall's case... Riddens.
                  "Take two placebos, works twice as well." Enzo

                  "Now get off my lawn with your silicooties and boom-chucka speakers and computers masquerading as amplifiers" Justin Thomas

                  "If you're not interested in opinions and the experience of others, why even start a thread?
                  You can't just expect consent." Helmholtz

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I call that straight diarrhea of the mouth. I guess these moronic customers make it easier to practice the art of saying no to certain repairs.
                    When the going gets weird... The weird turn pro!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Yeah, then it's the threat of negative word of mouth. So far, I don't think I have been affected by that, considering the source(s).
                      It's weird, because it WAS working fine.....

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I don't fix amps for anyone but myself (so far) but if I did, I would have cut the guy off a bit sooner, and told him (very nicely in writing) if you want the amp fixed leave it with me, and there will be a bench charge. Then I would go stone cold in my responses and not pay attention or read any of them.

                        Good Job Randall, You've done the 100% right thing shaking him lose, and you have every right to feel good about it.

                        Some people just need to talk, argue, an annoy others. You are not there to support his bad behavior, as nothing is owed to him. It's rude for him to continue to pester you, and he has to grow up in that respect, regardless of his age. Time is money.

                        The flip side of the coin is someone who providing a service that has no patience, no personality, too big an ego, and will refuse answer even the most basic questions from a single email or telephone call. When I am a customer for such a service provider, I drop them in the same manner, stone cold, and look for another person to help me with my reasonable questions / requests. A reasonable amount of questions to me means no more than four or five short questions, and if it's a call, wrapped up in less than 3 minutes. Recently I contacted a real estate lawyer and the first words he uttered back to me were a correction of my initial statement, and of my grammar... in a manner that made me feel like I was back in elementary school, no joke as it was quite terse, condescending, and totally out of line. Needless to say, I dumped him before we even got started. Next Lawyer I contacted was a gem, and our call lasted all of 3 minutes. As soon as I strike a deal with a buyer, he's my lawyer, it's that simple.
                        " Things change, not always for the better. " - Leo_Gnardo

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Chuck H View Post
                          .....the success of my business will depend greatly on the jobs I don't take.
                          Everyone doing repairs should have that printed on a sign hung up by the phone.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Mick Bailey View Post
                            Everyone doing repairs should have that printed on a sign hung up by the phone.
                            And one of these.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Randall View Post
                              Yeah, then it's the threat of negative word of mouth. So far, I don't think I have been affected by that, considering the source(s).
                              If 1 weirdo says you are a jerk and 100 other people thought you were helpful and fair, I bet you will still be in good standing around town.

                              I try to look at it this way, to me having a normal job is annoying and can be stressful. I started doing repair so I could get money and not be annoyed and stressed. so therefore if you cause me these feelings you must go.

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