Would you or would you, this is a test

[Fish]

About 13 years ago, when I worked at a shop near Lexington, a local
"businessman" came in and talked to the owner, wanting to know if
he left his push mower, could we sharpen the blade while he was at lunch, and he could pick it up in @ an hour.

The owner explained that we are real busy, etc., and finally gave in and
said that we would do it. So I go out with the p/u delivery guy to help him get the mower out of the trunk, as this guy was in a suit, etc..

He is standing there exclaiming" Easy now! Set it down real easy!".
We kind of look at him like is is a nut, I push the mower in the shop as he is driving off. I go to zip the blade off, and there is no resistance whatsoever
the bolt just fell out, broke...........

I looked at the bolt closely, it had some sort of glue on the broken end where
the guy tryed to glue it back up in there. The boss came back when he heard me laughing, and he got real pissed when I suggested that he was
going to try to blame us for breaking the bolt, which is no big deal normally,
he said "leave it sit!!!".
When the guy came back, the owner confronted him, and told him we were
going to charge him an extra $20 for extracting the bolt, etc...

The guy was pretty quiet and said OK fix it. I'll pick it up

The funniest part was that the remaining part of the bolt I spun out with my fingers while the boss was standing there, he charged him anyway........

 

[JJuday]

How would you have reacted, would you have taken it like he did, would you have bought another chain or would you been fussing and boo hooing and telling me to go f---k myself? Be honest with your opinion!!!!![/QUOTE]

That depends......how big a feller are you?

 

[stihlman32]

I've been on the other side of this one. Walked in to buy 2 spare chains, and drop one off. To my surprise the dealer made the two chains and had the other one sharpened before I left. After thinking about it, felt guilty not explaining that I was willing to come back for the sharpened chain....

 

[Paul001]

I'd have told ya to go piss up a rope

While walking over to the chain display to pick up a few...

 

[Rookie1]

First off I understand your busy and wouldnt ask you to do that. But if I was like that and you told me the wayt it is I would have at least bought another chain and would come back another day for more stuff when needed. I wouldnt even call you a name.

 

[smokinj]

I'd been happy you got it by 4 and bought another chain

 

[THALL10326]

About 13 years ago, when I worked at a shop near Lexington, a local
"businessman" came in and talked to the owner, wanting to know if
he left his push mower, could we sharpen the blade while he was at lunch, and he could pick it up in @ an hour.

The owner explained that we are real busy, etc., and finally gave in and
said that we would do it. So I go out with the p/u delivery guy to help him get the mower out of the trunk, as this guy was in a suit, etc..

He is standing there exclaiming" Easy now! Set it down real easy!".
We kind of look at him like is is a nut, I push the mower in the shop as he is driving off. I go to zip the blade off, and there is no resistance whatsoever
the bolt just fell out, broke...........

I looked at the bolt closely, it had some sort of glue on the broken end where
the guy tryed to glue it back up in there. The boss came back when he heard me laughing, and he got real pissed when I suggested that he was
going to try to blame us for breaking the bolt, which is no big deal normally,
he said "leave it sit!!!".
When the guy came back, the owner confronted him, and told him we were
going to charge him an extra $20 for extracting the bolt, etc...

The guy was pretty quiet and said OK fix it. I'll pick it up

The funniest part was that the remaining part of the bolt I spun out with my fingers while the boss was standing there, he charged him anyway........

LOL, shames on ya Fish. Then again easy with that bolt now,haha

 

[THALL10326]

How would you have reacted, would you have taken it like he did, would you have bought another chain or would you been fussing and boo hooing and telling me to go f---k myself? Be honest with your opinion!!!!!

That depends......how big a feller are you?[/QUOTE]

I'm just a little ole feller, Roy Mercer doesn't want any of me though,LOL

 

[THALL10326]

I'd have told ya to go piss up a rope

While walking over to the chain display to pick up a few...

You must be a dayummed ole Stihl dealer, dayumm pricks,LOLOL

 

[Wild Knight]

I live in a big city, so my perspective may be different than others, and I do not know how big a shop you have Tom. But, I know that just about anywhere here I can drop a small project off in the morning and have it back by the end of the day. I have taken rotors in and had them turned, have had tires changed and re-balanced, have had a new catalytic converted installed - all while I waited. I have done all three in the last four months and the guys had them done within 30 minutes: literally, every example I listed. Point being, time is money and on small metal work and jobs, you gotta move fast to get enough work done to pay the bills.

Again, I do not know your shop. I think a lot of guys would assume that sharpening a chain only takes minutes and is probably done by the kid behind the counter selling the saws and bar oil. I expect something that needs to be seen by the tech to require a day, but not something like sharpening a chain. It wouldn't even cross my mind to pay the guy extra; it's just a chain. I bet a lot of other guys might make this assumption too.

So, if the guy behind the counter had been a jerk about it, I would have taken my business elsewhere. I would have never expected sharpening a chain to cause any kind of angst, and I would have been caught completely off guard if the guy had been a jerk when I came to pick up the chain. Just like with anything else, if handled nicely with good communication, then everyone is happy and you earn loyal customers. JMO...

I do agree with space, if they guy saw that you were a one-man shop, then it might have been polite to simply write on the note, 'can you have this done by 4pm' and left a phone number.

Besides, don't you get stuff done for people in the time it takes them to run up to Wendy's? What's your beef?

 

[CentaurG2]

Well you know your market and you know your competition. Most small engine repair shops, gun/pistol smiths and marinas are very recession proof and asking the latter two to do anything on short notice will net you less than nothing.
If you have enough work, you can tell potential customers whatever you want or enforce whatever your stores current policy may be regarding the order in which repair work is given preference.

In my opinion, you did well for this fellow but if I was one of your other customers (who have waited patiently in line to get their equipment repaired) I might have a different opinion on the subject. Either way, I needs to get me a desk job like yours. An hour lunch, indoor plumbing, heat and you probably even have AC. It would be a sweet deal as long as I did not half to deal with Jon Q public. Cheers!

 

[TraditionalTool]

I would have called you out, and told you what a Big Prick you are, lol!:greenchainsaw: You ain't pullin' those Teflon Tom sales moves on me!

It seems that 'ol Teflon Tom pulled the wool over everyone's eyes...if you notice in the subject, "Would you or would you" ? Either you would buy the extra chain and accessories from him or you would...:monkey:

He sure hasn't lost his touch yet!

 

[matt9923]

Didn't read all of it yet but... If someone need's something done quick i will usually help them out, usually charge a bit more if I'm busy. A chain takes me 5 min so i cant cry to much... what's funny is someone brings me something that hasn't run in 5 year's and they want it on their way home or something. Fuel line's are falling apart in my hand carb has that varnish in their that you smell on your hands for days.... I wont do it if i have to get a certain thing done but will usually help out. Even if i don't ask they give me a bit extra $ sometimes.

I would have wrote on the card ill pay double...

 

[THALL10326]

I live in a big city, so my perspective may be different than others, and I do not know how big a shop you have Tom. But, I know that just about anywhere here I can drop a small project off in the morning and have it back by the end of the day. I have taken rotors in and had them turned, have had tires changed and re-balanced, have had a new catalytic converted installed - all while I waited. I have done all three in the last four months and the guys had them done within 30 minutes: literally, every example I listed. Point being, time is money and on small metal work and jobs, you gotta move fast to get enough work done to pay the bills.

Again, I do not know your shop. I think a lot of guys would assume that sharpening a chain only takes minutes and is probably done by the kid behind the counter selling the saws and bar oil. I expect something that needs to be seen by the tech to require a day, but not something like sharpening a chain. It wouldn't even cross my mind to pay the guy extra; it's just a chain. I bet a lot of other guys might make this assumption too.

So, if the guy behind the counter had been a jerk about it, I would have taken my business elsewhere. I would have never expected sharpening a chain to cause any kind of angst, and I would have been caught completely off guard if the guy had been a jerk when I came to pick up the chain. Just like with anything else, if handled nicely with good communication, then everyone is happy and you earn loyal customers. JMO...

I do agree with space, if they guy saw that you were a one-man shop, then it might have been polite to simply write on the note, 'can you have this done by 4pm' and left a phone number.

Besides, don't you get stuff done for people in the time it takes them to run up to Wendy's? What's your beef?

Good post. I had no beef with the man or his chain at all. I merely felt since he brought it in sometime between 2 and 3 while I was at lunch and then asking to have it done by 4 was ok too. However I wanted to make sure he understood thats not the norm and not to be making a habit of it. Seems from the way he reacted he already knew that. So all went well in my book. I never accused him of being anything but merely told him this isn't how it works. He understood and all went good.

Just today I repaired a MS210 on the spot, a older 029, a newer 290, a old 026, a old 017 and one FS250 trimmer. I repaired all them while the customers waited. I got no problem doing that at all. In fact I like being able to do that but I'm not putting them on hold over a chain sharpening, that can wait. Matter of fact I got a MS460 sitting that came in before all those units did. It needs what, a chain sharpening, I'll get to that in the morning providing there are no units coming in to be fixed on the spot. Units come first, chains are dead last because a dull chain is the best selling tool in the world for selling new chains, I sell quite a few chains,hehe

 

[spacemule]

chains are dead last because a dull chain is the best selling tool in the world for selling new chains, I sell quite a few chains,hehe

Why you old rotten no good so and so! Man, I tell you, it's a good thing that not really Abe Lincoln on those pennies, cause you would have beheaded him a long time ago with your pinching.

 

[TraditionalTool]

Why you old rotten no good so and so! Man, I tell you, it's a good thing that not really Abe Lincoln on those pennies, cause you would have beheaded him a long time ago with your pinching.

Wait a second, how is not wanting to sharpen the chain being cheap? I mean, that is what you imply by his pinching, isn't it?

Teflon Tom is just lazy, that's all...he ain't cheap...well maybe he's cheap too! :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[willsaw4beer]

Ya know I had a customer come in yesterday with a FS90 trimmer. Didn't run worth a dayummm. I got 3 others I'm selling too and this cat is standing there waiting. I go whats wrong with that thing while still dealing with my 3 other customers. He goes it won't rev up. I said step out the door and fire it up so I can hear it. He does, the machine sounds awful. I go here put a tag on it and I'll get to it as soon as I can. He writes up his tag and then tells me I'll be by in the morning to get it. I'm thinking hmmm will I have it ready.

After I got everyone cleared out the shop I popped a new coil on that machine and she was perfecto. It was ready 1 hour after he had left it. Why did I jump on his machine. Because he's a landscaper, buys alot of Stihl from me and he needs his machine to make his living, thats why.

Lol, reminds me of a similar situation.

The bossman bought a fs130r from the local shop a few months back and it started ####in up on the second day of me runnin it. We both gave it a quick lookover but nothing obvious so instead of ####in with it we took it back at the end of the day. (My guess was a fuel line, my boss wagered a carb problem)
By the time we got to the shop it was after closing time but my boss had called ahead and the shop owner grabbed the trimmer and started tearing down the carb. (He suspected water in the carb but my boss and I are pretty sharp about our mixed gas)
After that didn't fix the problem we traced down the fuel line to the tank and noticed where the hose goes into the tank was not seated properly(problem from the factory.) The shop owner billed it warranty work and had us out of there in 15 minutes.
I've bought my bar and mix oil there for awhile and actually bought a used Husky 254 there for really cheap (another story) but customer service like that is almost unheard of in the modern day big box store world we usually see these days.

 

[THALL10326]

The only time you have a big prick is when you try to sharpen a chain.

OR when, how is she Space, she walking ok today, LOLOL

 

[THALL10326]

He's gonna need it once he discovers the cutters aren't really supposed to be that blue.


.

Woodie for you I would burn every single tooth, cut the depth gauges clean off and punch out a few rivots half way so your chain breaks the second you rev your saw. Why would I do all those things to you, cause your ma frend,:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Paul001]

Lol, reminds me of a similar situation.

The bossman bought a fs130r from the local shop a few months back and it started ####in up on the second day of me runnin it. We both gave it a quick lookover but nothing obvious so instead of ####in with it we took it back at the end of the day. (My guess was a fuel line, my boss wagered a carb problem)
By the time we got to the shop it was after closing time but my boss had called ahead and the shop owner grabbed the trimmer and started tearing down the carb. (He suspected water in the carb but my boss and I are pretty sharp about our mixed gas)
After that didn't fix the problem we traced down the fuel line to the tank and noticed where the hose goes into the tank was not seated properly(problem from the factory.) The shop owner billed it warranty work and had us out of there in 15 minutes.
I've bought my bar and mix oil there for awhile and actually bought a used Husky 254 there for really cheap (another story) but customer service like that is almost unheard of in the modern day big box store world we usually see these days.

The service exists, problem is for many years people were not to concerned with it. Business was good and equipment expendable. Why pay $500 from a strong servicing dealer when you could buy something for $425 from a box store...

"see that no good so and so dealer with good service was trying to rip me off"!

Now days people are starting to remember service is king.