TheSnowman
New Member
I had this old guy come in about two weeks ago and drop something off, and I was out, so he left it with the secretary. He needed an "international" logo for his tractor. No problem, but I need some dimensions. It said 24" black letters on white background. Ok?
Does that mean the tractor is white, or does that mean he wants a giant white vinyl piece w/ black printed on it? I couldn't read his mind OBVIOUSLY, so I tried calling him a few times. He never answered, and didn't have voicemail, so I never heard back from him. He said he'd check back in 10 days or so.
So anyway, time goes by, I set it off to the side, well two days ago this dude shows back up. I'm with two other customers at the reception area, and he walks into my showroom (five feet to the right) and hollars "IS ANYONE HERE!!!!?" Well yea someone is here, duh, the door is unlocked. So I yell back from where I'm at with the customers, "be right with you!". 15 seconds later..."ANYBODY HERE!!!!?" just YELLING as loud as I've ever had a customer. My two customers I'm dealing with say "He'll be right with you!" So I hurry up and finish up with them, and run over to deal with this guy.
I had no clue who he was, so once he tells me, I go back and get his stuff he dropped off. I said, I had a couple questions on this, but I couldn't reach you on the phone, so I couldn't go ahead with the project yet. He starts acting ticked off and says "I just need INTERNATIONAL on both sides of the tractor!" And I said, ok, I realize that, but did you want individual letters cut out, or did you want a giant "sticker" to put on the side of the tractor. He says "WHAT DO YOU THINK I WANT! I WOULD LOOK LIKE HELL IF THOSE WERE INDIVIDUAL LETTERS! I'D NEVER GET THAT LINED UP RIGHT! OF COURSE I WANT IT ONE BIG STICKER!"
So after this delightful exchange of words with him, I take time to explain to him that they will install the exact same way regardless of which process I do it in, it just depends if he wants something nice and professional and clean, or if he wants it to look like a giant sticker. He informs me again that there's no way he'll ever get the letters straight and that it has to be on a white background. In the middle of this I had another customer come in, and is basically laughing at me, because he gets what I'm saying, but this old man just can't get it in his head what I'm saying.
Fast Forward to the end of the conversation, and he says "well, I've got one more thing I can go do, I'll be back in 30 minutes to pick it up!" I said, WAAAIIIIIT a minute, that's not how this works. I said, I've gotta find the artwork, or re-create this (AKA send to Eric) because this little 1/2" picture of the tractor that you dropped off sure isn't going to make this any easier. Then I've gotta print it, let it sit a while, and laminate it. The earliest I can have it for you is tomorrow. He says "THAT'S WHY I DROPPED IT OFF TWO WEEKS AGO!" I firmly remind him that I placed numerous calls to him, with no answer on his end, and he says again "I'll be back in 30 minutes to see what you've got!" I tell him again, I will have nothing to show him in 30 minutes, and the soonest I'll have stuff for him is tomorrow morning.
The old guy just turns around and starts walking out, had he grabbed his stupid "drawings" I'd have welcomed that, but I say as he's walking out "what do you want me to do with this?" and he says that I left him no choice and he'll be back tomorrow. So, of course, tomorrow comes, he doesn't show up. I just get a text from the secretary while I'm out that "some grumpy old man showed up to pick up his decals" and apparently he flipped when he saw how much I charged him for them.
I charged him $10 to recreate his stuff (because I had to pay Eric, and even if I didn't, he is paying for his artwork) and I charged him a minimum print cost I charge for all little things for $25. She said he FLIPPED when he saw I was charging him $35 for his project (even though by the end of his crap I probably had two hours in dealing with him, and his non-preparedness, and getting stuff around) and his words were "I'LL NEVER BE BACK HERE AGAIN!" as he walked out the door.
My only thought was, "well, that's handy...now I don't have to fire him next time he comes in, he just fired himself!"
Someone else tell me you deal with these kinds of people. The fact that he had two hearing aids in and was still totally deaf probably didn't help anything, but GEEZ he was the biggest jerk I've had in a long time. I try to respect my elders and assume they know what they're talking about, but this guy already knew it all, and I was a complete moron to him. I'm not putting up with too much more of that kind of crap.
Sorry for the rant, but heck, I feel way better now!
Does that mean the tractor is white, or does that mean he wants a giant white vinyl piece w/ black printed on it? I couldn't read his mind OBVIOUSLY, so I tried calling him a few times. He never answered, and didn't have voicemail, so I never heard back from him. He said he'd check back in 10 days or so.
So anyway, time goes by, I set it off to the side, well two days ago this dude shows back up. I'm with two other customers at the reception area, and he walks into my showroom (five feet to the right) and hollars "IS ANYONE HERE!!!!?" Well yea someone is here, duh, the door is unlocked. So I yell back from where I'm at with the customers, "be right with you!". 15 seconds later..."ANYBODY HERE!!!!?" just YELLING as loud as I've ever had a customer. My two customers I'm dealing with say "He'll be right with you!" So I hurry up and finish up with them, and run over to deal with this guy.
I had no clue who he was, so once he tells me, I go back and get his stuff he dropped off. I said, I had a couple questions on this, but I couldn't reach you on the phone, so I couldn't go ahead with the project yet. He starts acting ticked off and says "I just need INTERNATIONAL on both sides of the tractor!" And I said, ok, I realize that, but did you want individual letters cut out, or did you want a giant "sticker" to put on the side of the tractor. He says "WHAT DO YOU THINK I WANT! I WOULD LOOK LIKE HELL IF THOSE WERE INDIVIDUAL LETTERS! I'D NEVER GET THAT LINED UP RIGHT! OF COURSE I WANT IT ONE BIG STICKER!"
So after this delightful exchange of words with him, I take time to explain to him that they will install the exact same way regardless of which process I do it in, it just depends if he wants something nice and professional and clean, or if he wants it to look like a giant sticker. He informs me again that there's no way he'll ever get the letters straight and that it has to be on a white background. In the middle of this I had another customer come in, and is basically laughing at me, because he gets what I'm saying, but this old man just can't get it in his head what I'm saying.
Fast Forward to the end of the conversation, and he says "well, I've got one more thing I can go do, I'll be back in 30 minutes to pick it up!" I said, WAAAIIIIIT a minute, that's not how this works. I said, I've gotta find the artwork, or re-create this (AKA send to Eric) because this little 1/2" picture of the tractor that you dropped off sure isn't going to make this any easier. Then I've gotta print it, let it sit a while, and laminate it. The earliest I can have it for you is tomorrow. He says "THAT'S WHY I DROPPED IT OFF TWO WEEKS AGO!" I firmly remind him that I placed numerous calls to him, with no answer on his end, and he says again "I'll be back in 30 minutes to see what you've got!" I tell him again, I will have nothing to show him in 30 minutes, and the soonest I'll have stuff for him is tomorrow morning.
The old guy just turns around and starts walking out, had he grabbed his stupid "drawings" I'd have welcomed that, but I say as he's walking out "what do you want me to do with this?" and he says that I left him no choice and he'll be back tomorrow. So, of course, tomorrow comes, he doesn't show up. I just get a text from the secretary while I'm out that "some grumpy old man showed up to pick up his decals" and apparently he flipped when he saw how much I charged him for them.
I charged him $10 to recreate his stuff (because I had to pay Eric, and even if I didn't, he is paying for his artwork) and I charged him a minimum print cost I charge for all little things for $25. She said he FLIPPED when he saw I was charging him $35 for his project (even though by the end of his crap I probably had two hours in dealing with him, and his non-preparedness, and getting stuff around) and his words were "I'LL NEVER BE BACK HERE AGAIN!" as he walked out the door.
My only thought was, "well, that's handy...now I don't have to fire him next time he comes in, he just fired himself!"
Someone else tell me you deal with these kinds of people. The fact that he had two hearing aids in and was still totally deaf probably didn't help anything, but GEEZ he was the biggest jerk I've had in a long time. I try to respect my elders and assume they know what they're talking about, but this guy already knew it all, and I was a complete moron to him. I'm not putting up with too much more of that kind of crap.
Sorry for the rant, but heck, I feel way better now!
