Log Hogger
ArboristSite Operative
Miscommunication
Sounds like a lack of communication mixed with wildly disparate assumptions fueled this one. Customer effed up by telling you "get it running, fix whatever it needs and tune it up good," and you probably should have called him to get the go ahead before the bill topped $50 -$100.
Coming at it from the customer's point of view (not siding with the customer, just getting into his perspective):
1. It's an old saw. He doesn't know vintage from junk, all he knows is it's old and he's gotten more use out of it than he probably expected. In this disposable culture of ours, that saw is one sales pitch away from the junk heap.
2. The saw is only worth what he paid for it in 1960s dollars (or whenever he bought it). He's not adjusting for inflation in his head, that saw really cost less than a Wild Thingy new.
3. Newer is always better. Even if the new thing won't last like the old, it's loaded with technology that will finish the job easier, quicker, and funner. Remember, most customer's are informed through corporate marketing. Even if he's never seen a chainsaw ad, he's generalizing from other advertising to chainsaws.
4. There is some truth to the last point. Like all good propaganda, most advertising is based on a kernel of truth, however small. Even a box store Poulan will be lighter and have less vibes than that 041. Compare the 041 to an MS362 and prepare to be blown away.
5. Most customers have been screwed by mechanics several times over. It's so bad that whenever I have to take a car in, or go with a non-mechanically-inclined friend to a shop, I automatically assume that the mechanic is more crooked than a barrel of snakes and less honest than a carpet-bagging snake oil salesman. I recently found a small engine mechanic who's both knowledgeable and honest, and it was like Morpheus finding Neo.
Basically, the deck is stacked against the dealer. However if you do good work, keep the customer informed, and above all stay honest, you'll build an extremely loyal following. Also, it's not related to this thread, but always respect customers. Even if they can't put on a chain without getting it backwards, they may be skilled in some other work or profession. Ok not all of them, but you never know!
Sounds like a lack of communication mixed with wildly disparate assumptions fueled this one. Customer effed up by telling you "get it running, fix whatever it needs and tune it up good," and you probably should have called him to get the go ahead before the bill topped $50 -$100.
Coming at it from the customer's point of view (not siding with the customer, just getting into his perspective):
1. It's an old saw. He doesn't know vintage from junk, all he knows is it's old and he's gotten more use out of it than he probably expected. In this disposable culture of ours, that saw is one sales pitch away from the junk heap.
2. The saw is only worth what he paid for it in 1960s dollars (or whenever he bought it). He's not adjusting for inflation in his head, that saw really cost less than a Wild Thingy new.
3. Newer is always better. Even if the new thing won't last like the old, it's loaded with technology that will finish the job easier, quicker, and funner. Remember, most customer's are informed through corporate marketing. Even if he's never seen a chainsaw ad, he's generalizing from other advertising to chainsaws.
4. There is some truth to the last point. Like all good propaganda, most advertising is based on a kernel of truth, however small. Even a box store Poulan will be lighter and have less vibes than that 041. Compare the 041 to an MS362 and prepare to be blown away.
5. Most customers have been screwed by mechanics several times over. It's so bad that whenever I have to take a car in, or go with a non-mechanically-inclined friend to a shop, I automatically assume that the mechanic is more crooked than a barrel of snakes and less honest than a carpet-bagging snake oil salesman. I recently found a small engine mechanic who's both knowledgeable and honest, and it was like Morpheus finding Neo.
Basically, the deck is stacked against the dealer. However if you do good work, keep the customer informed, and above all stay honest, you'll build an extremely loyal following. Also, it's not related to this thread, but always respect customers. Even if they can't put on a chain without getting it backwards, they may be skilled in some other work or profession. Ok not all of them, but you never know!
