Business stress

[kaharthemad]

Ok so here is the thing. 5 months ago a customer purchases a computer from us. the system was supposed to be placed in as a company data computer. last week the owner decides to move it into his lab. The owner runs a hearing aide company. Those of you that know enough about computers know there are fans that go around and around on the computer.

Well, turns out the fans are now unacceptable for this computer. He calls up here yells at me and tells me to "get my ass out there and fix this because this is not what I paid for" . However it was, it was meant as a server not a lab system with noise reduction. After talking to the man and explaining a heatsinked quiet power supply will cost extra he then goes off on another tirade. He finally says "fix it or we will no longer do business with you".

Now in my opinion if they say the last phrase the chances of them doing any business with you again is slim and none.
Do I fix it and take 100.00 in the ass...
Charge him for the power supply?
Or cut our losses and tell the man in nice terms to ?

[Vincenti]

[Diekan]

Tell him to fuck himself. Chances are he's not going to use you again anyway. And, if you cater to his wants now, he'll just call again in the future thinking he can get something else for free.

If he's to stupid to understand what you explained to him - tell him to go buy a Gateway or something with a free subscription to AOL.

[Eldred]

As soon as he would have cussed at me, I'd have told him he just lost all chances of me helping him or even being civil. You are not his child or one of his employee's if he's to much of a asshole to do buisness the correct way then you have no obligation to treat him like a good customer. If he's going to act like that tell him that you will no longer accept any buisness from him, tell him to go to Best Buy and get their Geek Squad to come out and do it at 2x the price and the 75% chance they will fuck it up.

[Captain Insano]

Ok so here is the thing. 5 months ago a customer purchases a computer from us. the system was supposed to be placed in as a company data computer. last week the owner decides to move it into his lab. The owner runs a hearing aide company. Those of you that know enough about computers know there are fans that go around and around on the computer.

Well, turns out the fans are now unacceptable for this computer. He calls up here yells at me and tells me to "get my ass out there and fix this because this is not what I paid for" . However it was, it was meant as a server not a lab system with noise reduction. After talking to the man and explaining a heatsinked quiet power supply will cost extra he then goes off on another tirade. He finally says "fix it or we will no longer do business with you".

Now in my opinion if they say the last phrase the chances of them doing any business with you again is slim and none.
Do I fix it and take 100.00 in the ass...
Charge him for the power supply?
Or cut our losses and tell the man in nice terms to ?

GTFO. The smartest move we made as a company was to start turning away the shitheads. They cost you a fortune in lost productivity among other things.

[Jay]

The cost you incur from fixing his stuff and getting it over and done with is far less than what you will incur from bad feedback. Yeah, this guy is a douche, but that's life. Fix his problem, take a hit and ya know what, maybe he won't do business with you anymore anyways, but he'll be less likely to badmouth you as well. Statistically every person who has a bad experience with a company will tell 19-22 people. That's 19-22 potential buyers. Worth much more than a measly 100 bucks. From the front end, fix his problem, offer your support and make that jackass happy. From the back end, cut costs with used shit, cut corners so it goes quicker, and save yourself as much time and money as possible.

[Tikker]

I actually agree with Erodalak

If he continues to use you guys for business, slowly recoup that money over the next couple of systems

if he doesn't at least send him out with a neutral opinion


bad word of mouth can ruin any company, especially one in the tech field

[Phlegm]

Ok so here is the thing. 5 months ago a customer purchases a computer from us. the system was supposed to be placed in as a company data computer. last week the owner decides to move it into his lab. The owner runs a hearing aide company. Those of you that know enough about computers know there are fans that go around and around on the computer.

Well, turns out the fans are now unacceptable for this computer. He calls up here yells at me and tells me to "get my ass out there and fix this because this is not what I paid for" . However it was, it was meant as a server not a lab system with noise reduction. After talking to the man and explaining a heatsinked quiet power supply will cost extra he then goes off on another tirade. He finally says "fix it or we will no longer do business with you".

Now in my opinion if they say the last phrase the chances of them doing any business with you again is slim and none.
Do I fix it and take 100.00 in the ass...
Charge him for the power supply?
Or cut our losses and tell the man in nice terms to ?

Maybe he is not just an owner the company but also a user of its product. Get a megaphone and explain the situation to him.

[Tossica]

Tell him to move the machine back in to the other room and sell him a completely silent Winterm to RDP in to the other machine.

[kaharthemad]

update on the situation...I handed it over to the boss. He told him the same thing i did, but also gave him one word of advice. if he ever treated his Tech like that again he would personally drive over there and fit the computer somewhere where proctologists feared to tread. (but was done alot nicer then the fucker deserved). He also told him he was sending out the 15 hours worth of networking work I did over the last 2 months to him.

Since he was a customer and I had been trying to get more work from him I had done alot of networking for him. The bill had not been sent out yet, most times the bill is not sent till after the job is completed. Regardless the company had been mulling over cutting the bill by 75 percent because the customer had purchased multiple computers over the last couple months. Well the boss man sent out the bill at 65 a hour.

Anywho. The customer agreed he was in the wrong for yelling at me, and secondly he has agreed to unoplug the system and leave it sitting by the door. He has also agreed to pay for the new power supply since he never told us to build a silent system for huis second lab.

[Tikker]

nice


there's times when I hate working in a big company, and all teh bureacracy gets to me


but when you can escalate shit, and have your boss back you, and have the monkey back down, it always feels like a victory

[kaharthemad]

well as the second in charge I usually handle the assholes. what I did not know about this guy is that my boss has dealt with him in thwe past and he was a dickhead then.

[Minrott]

It's only nice when you know your boss will back you, or at least understand. Too often, they're simply managers with no real knowledge of the issue, and have no idea how real life works other than 'the customer is always right! make me a bonus!"

Where I am now, everyone in a management position was promoted from the machine shop, they actually walked the walk and will generally back us like that when we're right. It is a really nice feeling.

[Adivina]

Sometimes all it takes it bringing in the boss to show the customer you are not playing.

[Captain Insano]

In both business and life a rule that has always served me very well is this: Don't be a pussy.

[kaharthemad]

Im not. I just dont have the ability to tell the customer to Fuck Off and Die unless the boss gives the nod.

On a side note. dumbass called this morning. seems his dumb cunt of a secretary picked up the WMF virus....thats a four hour service call fer sure.

They told me this should be covered under warranty. the boss told him that it is only covered if he does not care about his information, and in that case...place the restore CD we made in the cdrom and boot the computer.

[Ouchyfish]

I have to deal with about 2-3 people like this..every...fucking....day. The Indians are becoming some of the worst to have to deal with. They pull these sleazy angles and then get all bullshit when you explain to them that their master plan to cheat you out of money won't fly...

"this is booshit!!!"

[kaharthemad]

well looks like next week I have a service call..4 to 5 hours billing at 65 a hour. They wanted it done today but damn...
/em looks at empty calendar
Im full up today. No chance till next week. I gave them the number to the geek squad in town, my boss agrees. Let them taste what a 150.00 a hour is like and no data mining before a total system wipe.