Typical crazy customer

[ftp2leta]

I like to share stuff with you guys about customer VS shop owner.

I'll make that short:

A guy e-mail me sating he is ready to buy a van I have converted some year ago (33K$), he ask me if I can re- activate AC. I say yes if the rest of the AC component are in working order. If everything is there and nothing as been remove i can.

Never heard back from that guy.

2 days later the van owner call me in panic... BEN, CAN YOU MAKE MY AC WORK!!!! If not, the guy won't take the van... I gave a deposit on a new RV and I may loose my deposit if the guy doesn't take my van (you should also have taken a deposit). Sure I can but I need time to built the AC hoses.

Another e-mail: Ben HELP ME. Faster please.

To help you with what? Being stupid enough to give a big deposit on an expensive RV way before you get you money for your "not really sold" vanagon.

Childish behaviour, at 56 he should know better,

I have no pity for people like that. I'm stressed enough already that I should not have to cope/deal with other people stress that anyway I didn't create.

If you could read French I would post his e-mail here.

As a shop owner who does 10K$ job I take a deposit for every single job, NOT REFUNDABLE! It's called a DEPOSIT, why the heck would I ask for one If I had to give it back if you change your mind... THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I ASK A DEPOSIT.

Please comment.... I'm ready.


_________________
Working with rust, grease, dirt and dust is a sad truth.
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[James 93SLC]

[Syncro Pilot]

Il est con, ce mec.
_________________
1988 Syncro Vanagon

The most important part in every vehicle is the nut behind the wheel......

[kamzcab86]

[Syncroincity]

Print this out on a big sign for your shop;

LACK OF PLANNING ON YOUR PART
DOES NOT CONSTITUTE
AN EMERGENCY ON MY PART.
_________________
Jerry McCavitt
'86 Syncro Camper AAZ swap in work
'04 Passat Variant 4Mo 5MT
'98 Jetta Wolfie
Vanagon Build: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=466866&highlight=

[joseph928]

[kamzcab86]

[Zeitgeist 13]

I build AC hoses in my sleep, and offer them for free to all the Macy's Christmas elves with proper credentials. What kind of Scrooge McDee doesn't? sheesh
_________________
--Casey
'89 Bluestar
"Endeavor to persevere"

[levi]

[thummmper]

33k and no ac?
_________________
todd


www.losthorizons.com
89 tintop [below]
90 suby tintop


soon to be driving a smooth mid engined vanagon again
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/vanagon-lhs/
http://www.ted.com/talks/garth_lenz_images_of_beauty_and_devastation.html

[GMByers]

Levi,
I think you misread Ben's comments. Ben isn't saying that he, himself put a deposit on an RV; he is saying the guy (in the email) who is trying to sell the VW put a deposit on an RV before his own VW was sold. Now the guy in the email is begging Ben to fix the A/C so he can complete the sale.
_________________
02 Eurovan (Eats $$$)
93 Eurovan (Left in PA)
91 Vanagon (Left in PA)
90 Vanagon (Left in PA)
83 Doka (Left in PA)
81 Double sliding door Transporter (Left in PA)
74 Thing (Left in PA)

[erdonline]

[ftp2leta]

[Gauche1968]

Quality, price, speed: pick any two.
_________________
1984 Vanagon GL
1984 Vanagon Westy

[insyncro]

OPP

Let Mr. RV Buyer figure it out on his own.

[Racerrojo]

[IdahoDoug]

Seems like you would be entitled to ask for an additional fee for "rush" work. FedEx charges more to get it there faster. Many shops here offer faster turnarounds for a fee. Time is money - ask me to conform my schedule to your suddenly accelerated schedule and that is an additional service not in the original deal we struck.

DougM
_________________
Two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2013 Subaru Impreza boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V

[levi]

[r39o]

It is a simple matter at when providing fee based service that there will be times when customers ask for service above what we might perceive as acceptable.

We ALWAYS try to understand the position of the customer and make their wishes come true.

You are simply going to have to adjust to accommodate then, if possible, and fulfill their needs.

Nobody says it will be cheap, though.

I deal with this on a daily basis. Our fee does go up sometimes when the urgency drives it. If we can fit them in, fine. If not, and we have to reschedule things, then the impact is born by the customer. This is not a car business.

When we did have an actiive shop: Making AC lines is a simple matter. We have the crimper and parts. No big deal. Ditto metal lines. Have a cutter, bender and various end shaping tools. Just a matter for fitting them. (I see no compressor there either so that needs fitting, too.) It is going to take a good day to do this job, me thinks.

I would try to fit the customer in, but let them know right away it will not be cheap to drop everything and do the job. He should have thought ahead and at $33K had the AC made functional at the install time.

I do feel for both sides. If I really could not do it fast enough, I would refer them to a good AC shop. We all have other shops we send business to. Might be less stress to send it to a shop that does this as a specialty.
_________________
"Use the SEARCH, Luke" But first visit the Vanagon FAQ!
1990 Multivan EJ 22 running well...

Click to see my ads for Cup holders, Subaru clutch fix and CLK wheels (no wheels currently)

[noganav]

Typical crazy rant. Recommend another shop if you can't do the work. This person is your customer, they put food on your table.