What is it with some people?

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TrailBeast

TrailBeast

AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
Joined
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Maybe I have been doing computer services too long, so I don't know what the totally ignorant masses think is fair or reasonable?

At about 8:45 last night we get a call from an older woman who says, "What is my username and password to get into my email?"
(My wife handles the calls and appointment setting so these kinds of calls don't interfere with any work I am currently doing)
Part of her job is to turn customer calls with questions into paid appointments.

The wife says, "I'm sure we wouldn't know what your username and password are, since they are your personal information".
"Would you like for me to set up a service call to straigten this out for you?"

The woman says, Of course I do, but I'm not paying anyone anything this time, because I had him out here only about 6 weeks ago to fix my Internet". (she had a damaged and infected browser)
"Now my email is asking for my username and password and I don't remember what it is, so tell him to get back out here and fix this."
"I already paid you once, and I'm not giving you any more money."
And then basically telling the wife that she's going to tell her friends how much we suck if I won't do it.

I could probably recover that information for her through the usual methods, but it takes time, not to mention my fuel and all the other stuff associated with this type of in home service call.
But I'm damn sure not doing it for nothing.

I swear, do people really think that once they paid a company for something that every problem they ever have afterwards is that company's responsibility?
Even if it's only that they forgot thier username and password?
How does a person justify forgetting thier login information being a warrantee issue?

Or is it what I think it is and the person is just so cheap that they try to rip other people off by being demanding and threatening?

I think it's the latter, and I don't put up with it.

WTF?

BTW, I noticed these types of calls got more frequent as the economy dipped.
 
piss on them ... a good client maby ... but some person just demanding .... no way
 
Man, if you can go there and do it for her for free your a better man than I!

Personally I wouldnt do it and would tell her sorry she feels that way but your a dumb ***! Good luck with what ever decision you make.
 
TrailBeast said:
I swear, do people really think that once they paid a company for something that every problem they ever have afterwards is that company's responsibility?
Click to expand...

Own an auto repair shop for any length of time and you'll answer your own question.

"I was in five months ago and you fixed my brakes. Now my car is overheating! It didn't overheat before you fixed my brakes!"

Or apparently afterwards, either.

It just took five months.
 
ramenth said:
Own an auto repair shop for any length of time and you'll answer your own question.

"I was in five months ago and you fixed my brakes. Now my car is overheating! It didn't overheat before you fixed my brakes!"

Or apparently afterwards, either.

It just took five months.
Click to expand...

I owned and operated an auto repair business in CA before I moved to AZ, and had been a mechanic/service tech most of my working life.
It's pretty much the same with the computer business.
I knew the answer to the question already, but just wanted to ***** about people too cheap to pay for services during one of our slowest times of the year. :D
 
Did rear brakes on somebodies car once. 18 months later he called screaming that I better drop what I am doing and replace the water pump, parts & labor free because it was my fault it was leaking. He caught me right in the midst of rage fueled bi-polar melt down...didn't end well for him...
 
ramenth said:
Own an auto repair shop for any length of time and you'll answer your own question.

"I was in five months ago and you fixed my brakes. Now my car is overheating! It didn't overheat before you fixed my brakes!"

Or apparently afterwards, either.

It just took five months.
Click to expand...

Yep, been there, that's why I know longer have my business. I started to see the writing on the wall do to the economy. Years ago I did a state insp on a ford ranger, we're good loyal customers. I called got the best price on parts ect. I called the cutomer with the estimates and got the ok for the repairs in addition to new rotors. After the repairs I road tested o seat in the new parts. Customer came paid the bill was happy. 5 months later she stops and says the brakes squeal and has been doing it since the very next day she picked it up. I look on my computer and its was 5 months. I knew it was a while in the past but decided to set her up an apt to have a look. late apt the next day and waitied 1 hour after closing time, and no show. Before scheduling the check I question her why if the squealing started the next day why she didn't return and I knew she drove by my shop on her way to work twice each day and never stopped but drove it 5 months. Deer in the headlights look. She came back a month later for an oil change, which I did and never once mentioned about her brake noise and missing her check up appt. Since I closed up in 2009 I run into previous customers and its always the same question, when am I going to open up again and there is no good reliable shops around. Answer to question 1, no more and question 2 shoulder shrug. I don't miss it. people who do that wouldn't work for free but they expect you to.
 
It's even worse when the work is free. We had a women clog her toilet three times in two weeks. Last Sunday morning I got a call sayying it happened again. The entire time I am running the snake this lady is standing there telling me I have never gotten the clog. I went as far as to pull the toilet to make sure nothing was caught in there. Of course it wasn't her fault she used half a roll of tp.

Or the people who call you at 2 in the morning to let you know that their heat hasn't been working for a month. Then you fix the problem and get called in the next day claiming it's not blowing hot. I showed the women the temp gun that was reading 110 and of course the temp gun isn't right.

It's gotten to the point recently where I don't even get a thank you. Just yelled at the entire time and told how to do my job by people that can't even change a light bulb.

It's been a fun day at work. Sorry!
 
I hear ya- I used to sell weber setups. Every person that bought one I specifically stated over and over. "you will have to come up with your own linkage"

Most people would say OK and all was well. Yet, every so often a guy would call and ***** that he couldnt figure out the linkage and wanted to send back a bunch of stuff that was now used and fuel soaked.
 
I call it the Walmartization of America, before walmart-- you had to have receipts,common sense /courtesy when issues arouse, now people demand everything for free or your supposed to give me the best friend deal.

Mind you this did not happen overnight entitled America:
my wife deals with it daily & doesn't understand how people think they are owed something just because they breathe!!

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwahotPj3XU"]Paul Harvey's warning to America - YouTube[/ame]

Paul Harvey 1965!!

Lawrence
 
So how does that work for a guy like me and my business? Had a guy I built an engine for, was out racing and missed a shift. The engine only had 1/2 season of racing, maybe 20-30 passes. Now it has a knocking noise. Wanted me to fix it for free because Im the builder and its my fault. I did fix it, but it was 100% nothing I did. Abuse, neglect or a part that breaks, how can I be held accountable for that? Now If I didnt torque his rod or used the wrong bearing, then yeah I f'ed up. Ill make it right.

Some say, "How can you abuse a race engine?" Well, sir, it was designed to do job "A", but if you use it for job "B", how the heck can I account for that?

Im sure all of us have been on both sides of the and have had trouble either way, I know I have.
 
Maybe it's time to write up a disclaimer statement when the work is done properly and have the customer sign off on it. You could also state that you are not responsible for lost or forgotten passwords. You could clean viruses from a computer and minutes after leaving, the customer gets back on their favorite **** site and picks up another infection.
(pun intended) tmm "cover thine own ***"
 
MRL Performance said:
So how does that work for a guy like me and my business? Had a guy I built an engine for, was out racing and missed a shift. The engine only had 1/2 season of racing, maybe 20-30 passes. Now it has a knocking noise. Wanted me to fix it for free because Im the builder and its my fault. I did fix it, but it was 100% nothing I did. Abuse, neglect or a part that breaks, how can I be held accountable for that? Now If I didnt torque his rod or used the wrong bearing, then yeah I f'ed up. Ill make it right.

Some say, "How can you abuse a race engine?" Well, sir, it was designed to do job "A", but if you use it for job "B", how the heck can I account for that?

Im sure all of us have been on both sides of the and have had trouble either way, I know I have.
Click to expand...

Yep, and if I would have been responsible for remembering her username and password, I would have gone and taken care of it. :D

I diagnosed a bad computer on a Cadillac one time and told the guy "DO NOT drive this car until that computer is replaced, or you will ruin the engine. (It was just pouring fuel through the injectors)
He say's "I just had it serviced, so I'll take it back and tell them they broke something".
I tell him again "DO NOT drive this car until that computer is replaced, and even had him sign the work order where I wrote, (you guessed it) DO NOT drive this car.
Guess what he did?
Then the next thing I know he's trying to sue me for a new motor.
The judge just didn't see his side of the excuses why he drove it anyway after the guy lied to the judge and then I produced his signature proving that he was told.

It's very likely I would have had to replace the guy's motor if I hadn't made him sign that he was told.
 
I can truly appreciate your suffering from asset-holes.

Sorry for your troubles. The 15 year old in me would laugh at people like that without thinking about the self-employed consequences. In four more years I have the option of quitting, of walking away from megalomania/egomania tyrants unaccountable for their actions (within a few boundaries). Walking away from a pyramid structure of politics that was the most important agenda on the pedestal/altar. What did the CO tell the status-reporting-chief when we were deployed with a sailor with a ruptured appendix? "Is he dead yet? Then I don't want to here about it." It's a me me me world out there.

I can truly appreciate your suffering from asset-holes.

CYA {cover your ASSet) is a Navy mantra.
 
greymouser7 said:
I can truly appreciate your suffering from asset-holes.

Sorry for your troubles. The 15 year old in me would laugh at people like that without thinking about the self-employed consequences. In four more years I have the option of quitting, of walking away from megalomania/egomania tyrants unaccountable for their actions (within a few boundaries). Walking away from a pyramid structure of politics that was the most important agenda on the pedestal/altar. What did the CO tell the status-reporting-chief when we were deployed with a sailor with a ruptured appendix? "Is he dead yet? Then I don't want to here about it." It's a me me me world out there.

I can truly appreciate your suffering from asset-holes.

CYA {cover your ASSet) is a Navy mantra.
Click to expand...

Been there too (not Navy though), and some of the ego's were almost comical in proportion.
Some of them reminded me of the little black chicken that Foghorn Leghorn the rooster put up with in the cartoons. :D
 
I figured out decades ago i'm not a " people person". I've tried hard many times but always found life is better when I do my thing by myself.

over the years I've always had to sell off cars, horses, whatever, because I never had the money/ cash flow to be able to say " this is mine, its not for sale." so many itmes I would sell to some unappreciative jerk. a spoiled snot nose idiot or some egotistical wealthy backstabbing a--h----. LOL

not sure which is worse.... self employed dealing with the public, or working for corporation that considers you a piece of machinery ???

like is good now. don't HAVE to sell anything. make friends that deserve respect. enjoy my own company.......
 
TrailBeast said:
I could probably recover that information for her through the usual methods, but it takes time, not to mention my fuel and all the other stuff associated with this type of in home service call.
But I'm damn sure not doing it for nothing.
Click to expand...

Beast,
WHat do you figure the cost to you, would be if you went to fix it for her?
I'm not talking about your price, now. I'm talking about your actual, cost.

Your expenses to travel there and fix it for her.

I don't know how old you are, or how old the customer is, but it sounds like your typical older person, who really doesn't get it about computers. She was shown how to do email, and and maybe Facebook to keep up with her children and grand kids, but is really ignorant to computers.

My brother-in-law is that way. He's 68 years old, (3 years older than me), and has never being on the internet, except while looking over someone's shoulders.

This one sounds like it has the makings of being your "good deed" for the year.

It just a though, but unlike most of the "screw her" posts, it seems to me that this one might just be a completely uninformed person, who needs some help.

Just my 2¢
 
God bless your soul!

I deal with this day to day as a corporate advocate and get paid my salary regardless.

Some people can only point and click and have no business having a computer. These fools are in big business as well and should be fired for incompetence.

My rant for the day!
 
Frankie said:
Beast,
WHat do you figure the cost to you, would be if you went to fix it for her?
I'm not talking about your price, now. I'm talking about your actual, cost.

Your expenses to travel there and fix it for her.

I don't know how old you are, or how old the customer is, but it sounds like your typical older person, who really doesn't get it about computers. She was shown how to do email, and and maybe Facebook to keep up with her children and grand kids, but is really ignorant to computers.

My brother-in-law is that way. He's 68 years old, (3 years older than me), and has never being on the internet, except while looking over someone's shoulders.

This one sounds like it has the makings of being your "good deed" for the year.

It just a though, but unlike most of the "screw her" posts, it seems to me that this one might just be a completely uninformed person, who needs some help.

Just my 2¢
Click to expand...

Alright Frankie, is this woman your sister or something. :D
To answer your question, it would cost me the fuel and time, so figure a 25 mile round trip and about an hour or so total. (20 min each way and probably 20 to recover everything)
Normally it would be coming up on 80 bucks. (If it were a std paid service call)

Then next time she needed something and stomped her feet and threatened us she would expect me to do it again, and probably even tell her friends she found somebody they could get to fix things for nothing if they threatened us enough with bad publicity.
Right now the worst thing she can honestly say is we wouldn't come out and help her for free.

I don't do well with threats and demands without at the very least being payed for it, and even then it's get the job done and I'm gone. (may not ever go back either)

You are correct that she is an older woman with little knowledge and needs help, but that isn't my problem when the trade off is taking from my own family.
Tell ya what, send me 75 and I'll go do it for her and tell her you felt for her.:D JK:)

We don't do this for fun or entertainment, but to pay our own bills, and customers will do what you teach/allow them to do.
Karma isn't accepted as payment at the bank so far.

Like I tell my wife "This is not a customer, because customers pay for services."

This is not my normal nature, but it IS what I have had to learn to do to pay the bills and not get taken advantage of.

But I hear ya.
 
For 12 years or so of my time with the USPS in Phoenix I went outside at 3 pm to empty the collection box. Met a lot of nice folks. Sadly for every 1 nice individual I ran into 5 a-holes. My file had a dozen or so complimentary letters as well as a few this guy is bad news.
Wish I had a dollar for every time I got blamed for the price of postage, a mortgage/credit card/auto payment being late etc. Every time the stamp price went up I would catch hell for it....my standard reply became "seen the price of ammo lately?"
At least once a week I was sent out to dig thru the mail looking for someones phone/keys/wallet etc. Was 118* when I was sent out to help a customer. He dropped, or so he said, 32 letters without stamps. I spent the better part of an hour digging thru about 30K letters. I found 31. He was certain that he dropped 32. I gave up. I was walking back into the building when he started yelling for me....he found the 32nd in his car.
I would often have a customer give me a hard time. Most days I did not argue with them. but when I did they would often ask for my bosses number. I would always pull out my cell phone and dial the number, waiting til I heard my bosses voice before giving the customer my phone. Did this at 2 dozen times, not once did anyone speak to my boss. People are strange....[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoYWqi5XVGY"]THE DOORS - RARE LIVE TV SHOW - PEOPLE ARE STRANGE - YouTube[/ame]
 
part of the problem is greed-(which is most of the problem)

greed 97% out-n-out Jerks 2.9% Fear .1%

but part of the problem is fear

some people hear stories that travel as fast as gossip about getting ripped off-people want to stand up for themselves against loss and other people learn from such behavior

acting like a bully, or differently like a tough-guy is their coping mechanism for facing fear

others aren't directly greedy, they enjoy confrontation
 
Not everyone who comes thru your door is a customer, sometimes the best thing you can do for your business is send someone to your competitor and let them put THEM out of business. Having said that it costs about $1000 to create a new customer and they are worth about $1,000,000. in lifetime income from their friends and relatives.
 
In today,s world,it,s easier to blame some one else for our problems than look at our selves and say we are to blame,because we did not spend any time to try and under stand the problem and fix it our selves.It cost may be a few hundred buck,s to take a PC course and a high school/collage and learn some thing from a expert,or go to a licensed auto and spend a hour or two to explain the basics to them and ask as many questions you can think of and give them some coin for there time.Are we to lazy to pick up a book and read the dam thing, for some of us it,s the gospel truth.Some believe that they should believe the friend of a friends fifth cousin about there PC or car,the info they get,but not spend money on some thing that every one needs or money on a item that is the second largest cash investment in there lives,or there first largest investment of there lives a house,they would never buy a book to get some type of knowledge from a 30$ book to protect there 200-300,000$ house when the brother inlaw is a handy guy with tools,and knows some thing about plumbing and electrical,GOD forbid.Take 100% responsibility for your self and don,t be a A-hole in life,and blame the world for your ****,that you caused,mrmopartech
 
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