Never ASSUME

[sofadoc]

I delivered 2 chairs today. I knew the customer was home, so I unwrapped the chairs, lowered the tailgate, and slid the chairs to the end (of the tailgate) before I rang her doorbell. The woman was very cold to me as I brought her chairs inside.
When I got back to the shop, her decorator was on the phone relaying  her complaints about the "haphazard" way that I treated her furniture.
She ASSUMED that I had driven all the way to her house with the unwrapped chairs hanging precariously on the end of the tailgate. She was demanding that the decorator pay for a professional steam cleaning, since the chairs were "caked" in dirt and debris from the highway.
I called the lady, and explained that I had only unwrapped the chairs right before ringing her doorbell, she just said "Oh.... never mind then".
I said "So there really wasn't any dirt and debris, now was there?"
There was a long pause in the conversation (during which I was waiting for an apology). It never came.
I still have 2 more chairs to do for her. When I deliver them, I think I'm gonna' strap 'em to the hood. :D 

[Gregg @ Keystone Sewing]

That sounds really annoying that a customer would do that.  It totally breaks any trust or good feeling you have for them. 

[bobbin]

I absolutely loathe people like that.  They are nice as pie to you when they want something done, they ask you to explain things to them and you do so, fully and patiently.  You do the work professionally, thoroughly, and you meet the deadlines.  And then they turn into -ssholes, magically becoming "experts" and deliberately looking for something to carp about.  They nit pick and then lay down the trump card... witholding payment. 

Had one last year that did that to me with two toss pillows after I'd done a slipcover for her... figured she'd present me with a pre-written check for the amount I told her was the labor ESTIMATE only, it didn't include the notions or tax.  She was pissy when I pointed out that the check didn't cover the notions or tax.  I made her go into her wallet and make up the difference in cash after she told me she didn't have her checkbook with her.  Nice try, idiot. 

I have learned that refusing to get down in the trough with the little piggies is the best policy.  I simply stick to my guns and refuse to get rattled (at least they don't get to see me get rattled!).  But it does make me wonder what's wrong in their lives to make them behave that way. 

[Mojo]

I am always amazed at the attitudes of some people. I suggest you deliver her chairs to her next time wrapped. Put them in place and let her unwrap them. :)

I have run into people during my life that had attitudes like your customer. Whenever I do it re-enforces the belief in my saying, which is:

" Everyday forces me to add one more person to the long list of people who can kiss my
white Yankee born ass ".

;D

Chris

[gene]

I have worked hard to come up with this attitude, and sometimes I still have to work hard at it, but here's what I do:

I remind myself that I had to deal with this person for a very short period of time. They have to deal with themselves every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year of every decade of their entire life! I got a much better deal than they did, and I feel grateful that I did. I still find it amazing that people like this can evoke a sense of gratitude in me.

gene

[Grebo]

I have worked hard to come up with this attitude, and sometimes I still have to work hard at it, but here's what I do:

I remind myself that I had to deal with this person for a very short period of time. They have to deal with themselves every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year of every decade of their entire life! I got a much better deal than they did, and I feel grateful that I did. I still find it amazing that people like this can evoke a sense of gratitude in me.

gene

Nice one, I will remember that.

Suzi

[byhammerandhand]

I thought when Gene first told me this story, he was also happy not to be the the spouse (& family) of this person.

I've worked at homes where the husband intimated that if they didn't get things moved just right, they'd hear about it.


I had a doozie a couple of weeks ago.  I subbed with a handyman to swap a vanity.  The woman called me 4 times in an hour to complain.  He went back over at 7:30 pm to do an emergency repair.  He rang the doorbell and no one answered, but he noted two cars were there.  Finally he called from his cell.  She would not let him in to do the work and then just hung up on him.

A day or two later, the live-in boyfriend called and had two things he wanted fixed and he would be OK with the job.  He arranged for the girlfriend to be away from home for the duration of the repairs.   While my sub was there, he said she can be hard to live with in the 2 BR condo and at times he sequestered himself to the garage to get away from it all.   She'd come down to the garage and ask what he was doing.   [file under: don't ask the question unless you are prepared for any answer.]

[DBR1957]

I have worked hard to come up with this attitude, and sometimes I still have to work hard at it, but here's what I do:

I remind myself that I had to deal with this person for a very short period of time. They have to deal with themselves every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year of every decade of their entire life! I got a much better deal than they did, and I feel grateful that I did. I still find it amazing that people like this can evoke a sense of gratitude in me.

gene

Trouble is, they don't know that they're the problem.

[DBR1957]

One thing with people like this, they would not have a clue how to do the work we do.

Before you do the other two chairs I would call the customer and tell them there will be an additional charge to have the chairs cleaned before you work on them because you don't feel you should have to deal with their years of dust, pet hair, skin particles, body oils, etc. Funny how they don't think about that.

[bobbin]

The husband used to valet at a local restaurant with very limited parking.  He would greet patrons and park their cars and bring them up when they were ready to leave.  He saw it all:  plain old cheap, too drunk to remember to tip, just drunk enough to be a jerk, you name it.  And the gracious people who made his night with courteous behavior or small displays of generosity (the mint '55 Roadmaster with the great stereo on a night when the Sox were playing the Yankees). 

He maintains that the -ssholes "are put on this planet for our amusement".  And that with a deep breath and some circumspection you can underscore their foolishness while at the same time maintaining your dignity and displaying your sense of humor.  His droll perspective changed my life...

They're here for our amusement.  Indeed!