What would you do?

[guest hs]

Customer comes in picks his boat up we had to order a new wheel and tire for his boat. The wheel had a small scuff on it from being shipped. I get accused of selling him a used wheel and tire. Which is not true. This all happened when he picked it up Friday on my day off. He comes in today and confronts me about it. He grabs me by the shoulders and starts shaking me like im not undestanding what he is saying. Im just flabergasted at him and had several words with him but kept my cool. I keep thinking how my Dad would of handled this and i know it would have went done much worse.

 

[hallett21]

Was there an agreement that you would have the wheel fixed for him?

Hindsight is always 20/20 but probably should have just sent the wheel back it sounds like rather than using it.

No excuse for him to put his hands on you. But If I was charged for a new wheel id expect no scuffs.

While were at it what did the "stuff" look like?

 

[bobbytheboozer]

The second someone would touch me like that when they are pissed, i would have grabbed his wrists as hard as i could, pushed his hands down to his sides, told him to bring his stuff back, took the wheel off and tire off and then told him to drag his shit out of there

 

[DEEZNUTS]

Just take the high road. On the street it would end differently I'm sure but in a business setting, remember your reputation. Make it right and send him on his way. Been there plenty of times.

 

[ArizonaKevin]

While it sounds like there may have been some issues on your side, physical contact with someone else during a business transaction is unacceptable IMO. Do what you can to make him happy and then I would tell him that his business is no longer welcome.

 

[River Runnin]

grab me like that and it would be a long time before the fucker could walk or grab anything! ... Start'n at the knee!

In AZ!... That might get him a piece of lead er two!

 

[fishing fool]

Who ordered the wheel? If you ordered a wheel and received it damaged it's your fault. You the business owner should have returned it to the sender as damaged.

Now we all know that everyone wants their shit fixed yesterday, so it the customer wanted his boat now and you know he would not wait a call should have been made to him on the damaged wheel. That way it's on him if he wants to wait for a good wheel or take the damaged one.

Just my $.02


This way the whole grabbing would never happened.

 

[JDKRXW]

Got video in your shop/office?
If not, go to Costco.

I wouldn't trust this guy further than I could throw him. He might have been looking to set YOU up if you defended yourself.
Was he alone?

 

[guest hs]

He was also upset I left his boat in our yard with the cover on it once we were done with it. I have more then 40 boats in service at any given time and only 5 service bays. I didn’t treat his boat any differently then anyone else’s or even my own I didn’t get a chance to rectify the wheel situation. I didn’t see the wheel was scuffed he had to point it out to me. I have no problem ordering a different wheel he just handled it wrong in my opinion.

 

[getreal]

Post his name, address, and phone number.
Mother Nature will take care of the rest.

 

[92 cole]

Just show him a receipt for the new wheel and tire(black out the price) and tell him he should be happy you didn't call him on a assault charge with the L.E.O. s . Pay the bill and get you and your'e boat out of here.

 

[hallett21]

He was also upset I left his boat in our yard with the cover on it once we were done with it. I have more then 40 boats in service at any given time and only 5 service bays. I didn’t treat his boat any differently then anyone else’s or even my own I didn’t get a chance to rectify the wheel situation. I didn’t see the wheel was scuffed he had to point it out to me. I have no problem ordering a different wheel he just handled it wrong in my opinion.

Was he promised the boat would be kept indoors?

 

[guest hs]

Was he promised the boat would be kept indoors?

Of course not if so I would have left it inside. Truth of the matter is how can I keep a completed boat in a bay that needs to be used to work on incompleted boats?

 

[RiverDave]

Honestly if someone grabs me, I'd hit them.. Then again I work for myself and that's self defense at that point..

For this situation, I would've likely diffused long before we ever got to that level, which honestly I'm pretty good at. If he came in upset at all, I would've started diffusing there and told him whatever it is, we are going to figure it out so just relax.

RD

 

[Albert]

material things can be replaced , I shake my head at people like that . No value on things that really matter.

 

[guest hs]

I would have handled it different but my initial contact with him was him calling me a crook for selling him a used wheel. Which I know I’m my heart it was a new wheel. I didnt even know it was scuffed until I asked him why he thought it was used.

 

[RiverDave]

I would have handled it different but my initial contact with him was him calling me a crook for selling him a used wheel. Which I know I’m my heart it was a new wheel. I didnt even know it was scuffed until I asked him why he thought it was used.

No matter what, if you are in sales you are in control of the conversation.. As they say it takes two to tango.

If he came in hot (which is sounds like he did) then start with calming and then figure out WTF is going on, and from there hopefully have a rational conversation.

Now granted there is always the douches out there that think if they come in hot and stay hot you will give them something for free. My personal policy on these fucks is "send em". "I'll get you your new wheel sir, and just an FYI this one was new as well, but I'm more than happy to rectify the situation to your satisfaction." After that's concluded when they come back.... "Nope."

RD

 

[River Runnin]

Agree 100% on things being handled differently! ... But he could have just as easily haymaker'd the op and did real damage... And some of these crazy drugged up fuckers out there now!...He could have just as easily pulled a gun and trigger!

But it's the physical assault trumps the other! (trying to defuse the situation before it gets lit!)... In the micro seconds of it unfolding!

 

[Bigbore500r]

I would say posting a call out thread on here will diffuse the situation pronto.....it always does

 

[Gelcoater]

What would John Wayne do?

 

[nrbr]

Maybe he should try a different wheel?

 

[Lumpy]

I would have handled it different but my initial contact with him was him calling me a crook for selling him a used wheel. Which I know I’m my heart it was a new wheel. I didnt even know it was scuffed until I asked him why he thought it was used.

Ego vs. Ego, Put your ego away when it comes to business. If he wasn't happy and a asshole then trust but confirm. If it was scuffed them tell him you're terribly sorry you "MISSED IT" and you would be more than happy to make it right so go ahead and run it till the new one comes in then we will make it right. Suck it up and put that feather in your cap. When he returns for something else...charge him double...ya double...what you should make plus the ASSHOLE TAX that he deserves for being a ASSHOLE when instead he could have said, "Wait a minute here take a look at this, can we work this out and make it clean?". People like that are a dime a dozen so don't let it bug ya....it may be the first but won't be the last. When it happens just role with it and work it to your advantage. Nickel and dime that fucker to death.

 

[Yellowboat]

The only way he should ever touch you is a had shake . No if and or but. At that point I would just refund him nd tell him too remove his property asap.

 

[guest hs]

I know how to diffuse the situations I’ve been doing this for 30 years. The thing that threw me for a loop was him putting his hands on me. The customer is not a member on here. He is a wake surfer.

 

[River Runnin]

What would John Wayne do?

Fill Your Hands you sonofabitch??

 

[Gelcoater]

Fill Your Hands you sonofabitch??

I call that bold talk for a one eyed fat man.

 

[highvoltagehands]

What would John Wayne do?

"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." Then he'd kick the shit out of the offending Pilgrim.

 

[Gelcoater]

"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." Then he'd kick the shit out of the offending Pilgrim.

 

[Rondog4405]

I know how to diffuse the situations I’ve been doing this for 30 years. The thing that threw me for a loop was him putting his hands on me. The customer is not a member on here. He is a wake surfer.

Definitely wouldve laid him out then!!

 

[Moody]

was it 2FF?

 

[lbhsbz]

Customer comes in..... He grabs me by the shoulders and starts shaking me like im not undestanding what he is saying.

He would be picking himself up from the floor at that point if I allowed him the wherewithal to do so. The police would be called with a report of assault and measures taken in self defense. The only time a customer is allowed to have personal contact is with a handshake.

 

[lbhsbz]

Who ordered the wheel? If you ordered a wheel and received it damaged it's your fault. You the business owner should have returned it to the sender as damaged.

Now we all know that everyone wants their shit fixed yesterday, so it the customer wanted his boat now and you know he would not wait a call should have been made to him on the damaged wheel. That way it's on him if he wants to wait for a good wheel or take the damaged one.

Just my $.02


This way the whole grabbing would never happened.

Regardless of who's fault it is that wheel turned up "damaged" with a scuff...you walk into my place of business and grab my by the shoulders shaking me...you'll likely not walk out under your own power. You are no longer a customer at that point.

 

[rrrr]

I think the posters with the "customer's always right" posts don't realize this dickhead got physical way before there was a chance to defuse the situation. The OP had no idea what the guy was flaming over and was grabbed before he had a chance to figure it out.

I would have reacted in a manner that assured he was no longer going to be a customer if ya know what I mean.

 

[rrrr]

Who ordered the wheel? If you ordered a wheel and received it damaged it's your fault. You the business owner should have returned it to the sender as damaged.

Really? It wasn't damaged, it had a blemish. He has 40 boats at his shop and multiple employees. Is he supposed to inspect every item shipped to his shop when its unboxed? That's hardly practical.

 

[fishing fool]

Really? It wasn't damaged, it had a blemish. He has 40 boats at his shop and multiple employees. Is he supposed to inspect every item shipped to his shop when its unboxed? That's hardly practical.

Really??? He may not inspect it but someone must have seen it.
By no means am I saying that the dickhead was right by doing what he did. My point is if the shop received a blemish wheel ( I'm sure 99% of the inmates would demand nothing less) it should have taken care of before anything.

Let's go back to the boat owner who took his boat to a shop and it sat for some time before being looked at. After being looked at it was discovered that it would take longer to repair. If said business looked at it when it first got there repairs could have been made to have it done by said time.

 

[4Waters]

I would say posting a call out thread on here will diffuse the situation pronto.....it always does

Maybe the customer is a member here and it is a call out thread, unknowingly.

 

[2FORCEFULL]

was it 2FF?

my deal happened on the dock at mead...

 

[buck35]

Maybe there was no blemish when it left the shop the first time ....
if I order a wheel and tire for the boat im fairly certain I'd have, a looky before I drove off because I do a walkaround anyway before getting underway.

 

[2FORCEFULL]

Customer comes in picks his boat up we had to order a new wheel and tire for his boat. The wheel had a small scuff on it from being shipped. I get accused of selling him a used wheel and tire. Which is not true. This all happened when he picked it up Friday on my day off. He comes in today and confronts me about it. He grabs me by the shoulders and starts shaking me like im not undestanding what he is saying. Im just flabergasted at him and had several words with him but kept my cool. I keep thinking how my Dad would of handled this and i know it would have went done much worse.

you should have sang him this song

 

[guest hs]

was it 2FF?

You kidding me I wouldn't mess with ole Steveo that guy can scrap!

 

[was thatguy]

I already did it.

 

[DrunkenSailor]

Good job not laying him out. Sounds like you were more confused than anything. All that would have happened is more drama. I bet this guy cruises up and down the lake with full ballast on a boat filled with 8 dudes. They probably spray people in the channel with squirt guns and blast gangsta rap all day long.

I agree with Lumpy A-hole tax from here on out.

 

[Flyinbowtie]

Make it right, and that sounds like what you are doing even tho you did nothing wrong to begin with. Then make it very clear to him that he was way, way, out of bounds putting his hands on you and that he is henceforth 86'ed from the business, that he called you a liar and then physically assaulted you and there won't be a second time. Have a witness with you when you have this conversation. I agree with those who say installing video surveillance is a excellent idea in this day and age.
I commend you for keeping your cool, I would have responded otherwise and frankly done so involuntarily, planting his ass before I even had time to think about it.

 

[wsuwrhr]

Well now, we are getting somewhere.

He is a wake surfer.

 

[dribble]

When I worked for BAR, the hardest complaints to get handled were the ones where the customer did shit like that or threw a tantrum in front of other customers. The people would then get mad at me for not getting the issue resolved and I would tell then next time they have a problem with a business, conduct yourself like an adult.

As far as I'm concerned, screw this guy. He got to throw his tantum so now he can eat shit. I've investigated over 5000 auto repair complaints and I never did shit for people who acted like this. I let the shop decide what they were going to do or not do.

 

[wsuwrhr]

I have had to fire a few clients in the years I have been in business. Some of them could have been prevented, others were just because I was dealing with idiots. Either way, life is too short. The physical threat always made me laugh though.

"You are in MY shop pal, I am not a big guy, you think it will end well for you?"

 

[Mini Kat]

I have had to fire a few clients in the years I have been in business. Some of them could have been prevented, others were just because I was dealing with idiots. Either way, life is too short. The physical threat always made me laugh though.

"You are in MY shop pal, I am not a big guy, you think it will end well for you?"

 

[wsuwrhr]

Funny, but, Doubtful.