Does This Sound Right?

[edisto]

this would make sense but they never told me there would be a cost to look at it and i would think that if he calls before working on it, he wouldent of takin a look at it yet, if he called me, i would have told him all i needed was the carb tuned and i would go get it the next day to get it and pay. the situation is that now i go to get it thinking that nothings been done to it, and i find that they didnt call and are charging 20.00, i have 20.00, but not to give to a dealer who dosent hold his end of the deal. he didnt hold his end up (calling me) so i didnt hold my end up (paying for it) because i was going to take it to the good dealer to be done for free.

I suppose what I should have said is that I can understand why you feel the way you do, but I certainly would not feel that way myself. I'd have paid the $20 and thanked the man...but then, I wouldn't bring a saw in for a tuning either.

 

[Saw Bones]

well the whole story is that i brought it in to see if they knew how much it might cost to have it done, they said their mechanic wasent there and they didnt know. So the solution they come up with is that i leave the saw there and they will leave a note on the work order to call me on my cell phone, which i always have with me, before they work on it even though i said i could take it with me and come back when he is there.

this all happened on 4-6-09, and they tell me today it was fixed on 4-7-09. well yesterday i call them to see how long till the tech might take a look at it and he says that it is done and costs 20.00, so i am like what the ####? i didnt get a call before they worked on it or to tell me it was done. so i go in there to talk to the owner about the situation that i wasent called before they worked on it because if they were gunna charge me then i was gonna take it to my other dealer that said they would do it for free cause i bought a couple of my saws from them. the owners response is that it wouldent make sense for the tech to call me before he works on it because he needs to find out whats wrong. i tell him that i knew there waent anything wrong, it just needed to be tuned and that i wanted him to call me because i didnt want to spend more than 5-10 dollars, and then i found a person to do it for free so i wasent going to have them do it if they werent going to be fairly cheap. i know this sounds cheap but i am a customer that goes in and i will pay the price they have on a saw and the accesories, i dont haggle or anything so i thought they might cut me some slack since i bought a saw, a string trimmer and accesories from them that havent had any problems.

his response to that is the same thing he said before and we dont get anywhere, so after a while of this him not understanding he screwed up, he got pissed and our last words go like this:

him-"ok i will give you your damn saw but i dont want to see your ####ing face in here ever again, this is bull####"

me-"im sorry you feel that way but i dont have a problem spending money, but this is money that i wasent going to spend" and im sorry but at 16 with a gas guzzling truck and buying cool saws all the time, i dont have money to give away.

him- "well thats bull####" gives me saw "now get out of my shop"

so it may have been a smaller amount compared to a saw but i went in there and remained calm the wholetime, i didnt yell or even cuss so he lost his cool, and i wasent happy that he wanted me to pay up when he screwed up. also i will be going to a dealer 20 miles away but i bought my three big saws there and they are way better people. i know this was long and i may have wrote something wrong so ask me if you have a question

The guy isn't getting rich charging $20 for the mans time and knowledge. I agree maybe he should have called like he said he would.

I don't think loosing his temper, cursing at a customer and throwing you out of his shop is good business. One person talking bad about you does more to damage your reputation and good will than you can ever know. How many potential customers you loose you will never know.

We are all human and all have bad days. Life is too short to get po'd
put it behind you, take a deep breath and continue moving forward.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

this would make sense but they never told me there would be a cost to look at it and i would think that if he calls before working on it, he wouldent of takin a look at it yet, if he called me, i would have told him all i needed was the carb tuned and i would go get it the next day to get it and pay. the situation is that now i go to get it thinking that nothings been done to it, and i find that they didnt call and are charging 20.00, i have 20.00, but not to give to a dealer who dosent hold his end of the deal. he didnt hold his end up (calling me) so i didnt hold my end up (paying for it) because i was going to take it to the good dealer to be done for free.

Ah, see now we are getting somewhere.


You are 16, learning a little late that there is no free lunch. I learned it before I was 16, and at 23 it is imprinted in my mind permanently.

You being a consumer cannot EVER assume that someone will offer their time and expertise on a matter free of charge. Why should the tech take 25 minutes to tune your saw for free when he can take the same time to service a saw and charge 35 dollars? Why would you assume that just because it is a STIHL, that they have no attachment to, that they would repair it for FREE?

There is a difference between a customer that comes in expecting a bill, and weasels their way out of it, and a customer that honestly thinks the work will be free.

The fact is 99.9% of people out there that have bought, sold, or worked on anything will know that you always assume there will be a charge, and you bring more money then what you think the max cost will be. If the work was done as requiested and it works properly, you do a courtesy not practised so much anymore...called "Tipping".

Customers that TIP will find that they get waited on with a bigger smile, their equipment is CLEAN when picked up every time, throw in a free chain sharpening just because you are here, etc.

Customers that balk at a simple minimum work charge over a mis communication...they get cussed at and kicked out and asked never to return.

If I have a saw on the bench, and I see what the problem is and it is a "call" saw...and I see there will be only a minimum repair fee charged with no parts used, Im fixing it.

 

[occ3377]

Ah, see now we are getting somewhere.


You are 16, learning a little late that there is no free lunch. I learned it before I was 16, and at 23 it is imprinted in my mind permanently.

You being a consumer cannot EVER assume that someone will offer their time and expertise on a matter free of charge. Why should the tech take 25 minutes to tune your saw for free when he can take the same time to service a saw and charge 35 dollars? Why would you assume that just because it is a STIHL, that they have no attachment to, that they would repair it for FREE?

There is a difference between a customer that comes in expecting a bill, and weasels their way out of it, and a customer that honestly thinks the work will be free.

The fact is 99.9% of people out there that have bought, sold, or worked on anything will know that you always assume there will be a charge, and you bring more money then what you think the max cost will be. If the work was done as requiested and it works properly, you do a courtesy not practised so much anymore...called "Tipping".

Customers that TIP will find that they get waited on with a bigger smile, their equipment is CLEAN when picked up every time, throw in a free chain sharpening just because you are here, etc.

Customers that balk at a simple minimum work charge over a mis communication...they get cussed at and kicked out and asked never to return.

If I have a saw on the bench, and I see what the problem is and it is a "call" saw...and I see there will be only a minimum repair fee charged with no parts used, Im fixing it.

i knew there would be a bill if it was done at that shop, so when i heard of the free shop, i wanted to take it there, but the first shop already serviced it, so now im having to pay 20.00 for something that should have been free to me, all because they didnt call. i am done arguing with you because you are just like the owner, you are rightand to hell with anyone who thinks diffrently. Have a great day

 

[husq2100]

you guys are making this way more complex than it is trying to justify your responses or the side of the fence your sitting on...

its very simple.

THE AGREED TERMS WERE NOT MET

THE DEALER TREATS CUSTOMER DISREPECTFULLY

now how many of you big bad chainsaw users would stand there and let a dealer swear at you and give you bad attitude...

Serg

 

[RED-85-Z51]

i knew there would be a bill if it was done at that shop, so when i heard of the free shop, i wanted to take it there, but the first shop already serviced it, so now im having to pay 20.00 for something that should have been free to me, all because they didnt call. i am done arguing with you because you are just like the owner, you are rightand to hell with anyone who thinks diffrently. Have a great day

Yes...God forbid the first shop should do what you brought it to them to have done....God forbid the technician should get paid for his time.

Should have shopped around...but dont complain about a dealer that is just doing their job...

I am jsut like the owner because I am seeing things from behind the counter. Ive been the customer in your case, and Ive been the technician in your case. And in this situation the dealer is not at fault...

You are just mad that you had to pay for something that you could have gotten free elsewhere...and that is really all this boils down to.

 

[husq2100]

Yes...God forbid the first shop should do what you brought it to them to have done....God forbid the technician should get paid for his time.

Should have shopped around...but dont complain about a dealer that is just doing their job...

I am jsut like the owner because I am seeing things from behind the counter. Ive been the customer in your case, and Ive been the technician in your case. And in this situation the dealer is not at fault...

You are just mad that you had to pay for something that you could have gotten free elsewhere...and that is really all this boils down to.

go back and read the agreement between the customer and dealer :monkey:

Serg

 

[RED-85-Z51]

go back and read the agreement between the customer and dealer :monkey:

Serg

I guess the dealer couldnt be expected to use common sense with a 16 year old....

 

[Brad101]

Sounds to me like the dealer had to deal with some smart azz 16 year old kid that thought he was gonna get something for free during the busiest time of the year. Try that shiz in my shop right now you might not get cussed but you wouldnt get much help either. Then again, you might still get cussed if you were to catch me in the right mood. I dont have any time for that kinda stuff. :jawdrop:

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Sounds to me like the dealer had to deal with some smart azz 16 year old kid that thought he was gonna get something for free during the busiest time of the year. Try that shiz in my shop right now you might not get cussed but you wouldnt get much help either. Then again, you might still get cussed if you were to catch me in the right mood. I dont have any time for that kinda stuff. :jawdrop:

End of thread.

 

[spacemule]

you guys are making this way more complex than it is trying to justify your responses or the side of the fence your sitting on...

its very simple.

THE AGREED TERMS WERE NOT MET

THE DEALER TREATS CUSTOMER DISREPECTFULLY

now how many of you big bad chainsaw users would stand there and let a dealer swear at you and give you bad attitude...

Serg

End of thread. Dealers seem to forget that they are working on other people's equipment--not their own. "I'm not going to call even if it says it's a call ticket" is not being professional. If you don't call, don't promise to. Simple. Case closed.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

End of thread. Dealers seem to forget that they are working on other people's equipment--not their own. "I'm not going to call even if it says it's a call ticket" is not being professional. If you don't call, don't promise to. Simple. Case closed.

If you dont want it fixed, dont drop it off, simple enough.


i think sometimes customers forget that dealers are not storage facilities, we are not here for your amusement, we are not "not-for-profit" organization..

We are here for customers to buy parts or equipment from, and to render services for a cost....

 

[spacemule]

If you dont want it fixed, dont drop it off, simple enough.


i think sometimes customers forget that dealers are not storage facilities, we are not here for your amusement, we are not "not-for-profit" organization..

We are here for customers to buy parts or equipment from, and to render services for a cost....

You're missing the point. If you promise something, do it. That's a simple maxim that too many dishonest people can't comprehend. If you don't call before repairing, don't promise to. If you need to charge a diagnosis fee, be upfront about it. Don't just do what you want to with equipment that is not yours. That violates the trust a customer places in you and is neglecting your responsibilities.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

You're missing the point. If you promise something, do it. That's a simple maxim that too many dishonest people can't comprehend. If you don't call before repairing, don't promise to. If you need to charge a diagnosis fee, be upfront about it. Don't just do what you want to with equipment that is not yours. That violates the trust a customer places in you and is neglecting your responsibilities.

He is a minor, any verbal contract or promise would be deemed inadmissable/void.

Shop owner should have contacted the OP's parents/legal guardians.

In short, 16 year olds clearly dont fully understand protocol, and how a shop operates...

 

[spacemule]

He is a minor, any verbal contract or promise would be deemed inadmissable/void.

So, you're ok with lying to a minor then? Is that what you're saying?

 

[spacemule]

In short, 16 year olds clearly dont fully understand protocol, and how a shop operates...

Everyone can understand he was promised one thing but given another. You're saying that's shop protocol?

 

[RED-85-Z51]

So, you're ok with lying to a minor then? Is that what you're saying?

Everyone can understand he was promised one thing but given another. You're saying that's shop protocol?

You assume he was "promised" they would call before they touched it...I dont but that.

I think he was promised they would call if it needed anything more than a tune...

 

[Steveguy]

The thing I'm really upset about is that I actually looked through this thread and can't get the time back. And the kid still doesn't get it! BLAH BLAH BLAH

 

[spacemule]

You assume he was "promised" they would call before they touched it...I dont but that.

I think he was promised they would call if it needed anything more than a tune...

I guess it is your protocol:

If I have a saw on the bench, and I see what the problem is and it is a "call" saw...and I see there will be only a minimum repair fee charged with no parts used, Im fixing it.

Like I said, failing to be upfront is the shop's fault, not the customer's.

 

[occ3377]

red and steve, how ####ing stupid are you guys, i said i would take my saw and come back later, but then the DEALER SAID NO LEAVE IT HERE! so when i dropped it off, i was told it would not be worked on until i was called, before any work is done. this was all the dealers idea, i was gunna take it with me and bring it back later, but if they were wanting to do it this way, i was fine with it. you say i should of shopped around, i did i took it to the only dealer in town, and when i thought it hadent even been touched yet, i found another dealer that would do it for free, so i went to get it from the first, that based on our agreement, should not have been touched since i had not gotten a call, only to find they had fixed it and wanted to charge me for it even though they didnt call me like we had agreed on. Steve, what the hell is your problem? my shop guy screwed up and failed to hold up his end of the deal, and you are saying thats no big deal, right? well then why is it so bad that i wont hold up my end and pay him for something that he should have never done? if you tell me it isnt a problem to have the tech call before he works on it, which is what was agreed upon (not that he would call if more was needed), unless that tech talks to me, dont touch my ####ing saw and if it becomes a problem, call me to come get my saw, dont work on it without my consent and expect me to pay.