avalancher
Arboristsite Raconteur
I reckon we all have had a difficult customer or two to deal with, but this entry is my candidate for the Nutbar of the year award.See if you can beat this one.
A month or so back I picked up a new customer. He gave me directions to his place, and after he realized that I couldnt understand him because of his speech problem he passed me on to his wife.Got the address from her and away we went.
When I got there I felt a little ashamed for charging them anything. It was apparent they didnt have two nickels to rub together,but business is business.After unloading he handed over the cash a bill at a time and we chatted for a few minutes then I was on my way.
A second trip ended up being on Christmas day, and I decided to give a helping hand.Although they ordered only one rick, I piled an extra dozen armloads of my finest hickory on the pile of year old white oak.When I got there we unloaded and when he paid me I handed back ten bucks and told him "Merry Christmas"
A week later I got another call back there,but on the phone the woman explained that she was kind of ticked.She had found three pieces of hemlock in with the oak and hickory.I explained that the wood was listed as "mixed hardwoods" and may include hemlock,oak,elm, etc.We dont guarantee just oak and hickory.
Kind of pissed me off, I gave a considerable amount of wood for free, and gave them a discount as well,but I blew it off.Once I got there I talked to the husband and he seemed just as irritated about the three pieces of hemlock.I again explained the same thing all over again.Its mixed hardwood.
This past Friday I got another call from them at four in the afternoon.I was busy at a job taking down a good sized oak and listened to my voice mails when I took a break. The woman explained that they had just thrown their last piece of wood on the fire and needed a delivery that night.The next three voicemails spaced ten minutes apart grew more and more heated. She described that they were now freezing in their home and I had better get over there right now.I called them back,but all I got was their answering machine.
Just as I was pulling into the yard, she called back again.I listened to her voice mail once I was in the house and the woman sounded hysterical.She said they were starting to freeze to death now, death was minutes away, and if either of them died from exposure then I would be responsible.Who ever survived the night would file a lawsuit.She also mentioned that her next phone call would be to 911 to have me arrested for killing them both.
That is my entry in this years contest, anyone got a better one?
A month or so back I picked up a new customer. He gave me directions to his place, and after he realized that I couldnt understand him because of his speech problem he passed me on to his wife.Got the address from her and away we went.
When I got there I felt a little ashamed for charging them anything. It was apparent they didnt have two nickels to rub together,but business is business.After unloading he handed over the cash a bill at a time and we chatted for a few minutes then I was on my way.
A second trip ended up being on Christmas day, and I decided to give a helping hand.Although they ordered only one rick, I piled an extra dozen armloads of my finest hickory on the pile of year old white oak.When I got there we unloaded and when he paid me I handed back ten bucks and told him "Merry Christmas"
A week later I got another call back there,but on the phone the woman explained that she was kind of ticked.She had found three pieces of hemlock in with the oak and hickory.I explained that the wood was listed as "mixed hardwoods" and may include hemlock,oak,elm, etc.We dont guarantee just oak and hickory.
Kind of pissed me off, I gave a considerable amount of wood for free, and gave them a discount as well,but I blew it off.Once I got there I talked to the husband and he seemed just as irritated about the three pieces of hemlock.I again explained the same thing all over again.Its mixed hardwood.
This past Friday I got another call from them at four in the afternoon.I was busy at a job taking down a good sized oak and listened to my voice mails when I took a break. The woman explained that they had just thrown their last piece of wood on the fire and needed a delivery that night.The next three voicemails spaced ten minutes apart grew more and more heated. She described that they were now freezing in their home and I had better get over there right now.I called them back,but all I got was their answering machine.
Just as I was pulling into the yard, she called back again.I listened to her voice mail once I was in the house and the woman sounded hysterical.She said they were starting to freeze to death now, death was minutes away, and if either of them died from exposure then I would be responsible.Who ever survived the night would file a lawsuit.She also mentioned that her next phone call would be to 911 to have me arrested for killing them both.
That is my entry in this years contest, anyone got a better one?
