Your Kidding.......Really......????

[Mojo]

The vast majority of my customers are awesome and great to deal with. Especially since I rarely talk to them on the phone. ( I hate the phone ) But this recent customer has been a nightmare from hell. I cannot count the vast amount of phone calls and e-mails I have gotten for a straight and simple two topper order. ( just give me the damn measurements and things will be perfect ). Nope call after call comes in.

They called me again today......... " Hi Chris, this is Jim ". ( That immediately got my gut into knots. ) " We got our shipment today but there seems to be a problem. As you know we were supposed to get two toppers - 150 " and the other 90 " ). Yes I remember. What seems to be the problem ?.......

" Well Jim says, it is only 46 ".

W H A T ?????? O M G............

I specifically remember packing that order and I know damn well I got the order right. I told him to give me 5 minutes and I would call him back. I really doubted my sanity at this point. I went back to the files and pulled his order and the ones before and after his job and there was no 46 " door awning I could of inadvertently stuck in the box.

I called him back. " Jim, I do not understand. There is no way you could have a 46 inch door awning in there. ".............and then he dropped the bomb on me with this explanation........

" Well Chris the box is only 46 inches tall so I am assuming the fabric is only 46 " long........."

REALLY ????? So you think the fabric is only 46 x 8 inches ?

Oh I am sorry. Next time I will ship you a 150 " awning in a flat 4 ft wide box using a semi freight carrier....

I explained to him the entire order is wrapped together and that the awnings are rolled against the length. He said he would open the box, measure and then call me back to be sure. He did and said " By Gosh you were right, they were exactly as you stated ".

No sh** Dick Tracy........ I packed the !@#&^%$& box.

Good gawd I hate my job somedays..............The guy took a year off my life with that phone call
and sent my OCD into valium territory thinking I may have screwed up.

Chris

[baileyuph]

That one is hard to believe!  It meets the definition of "nervous nelley".

Doyle

[JuneC]

O... M.... G.....!

Reminds me of a shipper about 6 months ago.  We got an order for a 30,000 pound boat lift to be shipped overseas.  Based on dimensions, we got a quote for shipping and ordered the thing direct to his warehouse for packing in a container.  They delivered it on a semi flatbed.  Next day - panicked call from the shipper to the effect "We can't ship this thing!  How are we going to get it in the container??!!"  Us - "Huh?"  Them - "It's 30,000 pounds!!!"  Us - "Uh, that's the CAPACITY, not the weight... - how do you think they got it off the truck?"

June

[scottymc]

Chris, You have to look at those things in a different way, to me that bloke is gold, an endless source of amusment.

[Mojo]

Scotty:  Give me your number and I will have him call you daily to amuse you.......lol......:)

Did I already tell you I hate phones ? Let me say it again. I HATE phones......lol.........:)

Chris

[sofadoc]

I'd rather talk to customers on the phone than spend half a day swapping texts with them.

I have a few customers that will text me a pic for an estimate, along with a bunch of questions. Rather than trying to text back a bunch of long drawn out answers, I'll just call them.......they absolutely WON'T answer. It's text or nothing. So I wait until the evening to reply (because I have WORK to do, and can't spend all my workday replying to texts). But if I don't respond in a timely manner, they impatiently text back a bunch of ?'s.

But it's still better than the old days, when I had to leave a message on those POS answering machines. Or depend on the husband to deliver the message to his wife (he NEVER did).

[Grebo]

I'd rather talk to customers on the phone than spend half a day swapping texts with them.

I have a few customers that will text me a pic for an estimate, along with a bunch of questions. Rather than trying to text back a bunch of long drawn out answers, I'll just call them.......they absolutely WON'T answer. It's text or nothing. So I wait until the evening to reply (because I have WORK to do, and can't spend all my workday replying to texts). But if I don't respond in a timely manner, they impatiently text back a bunch of ?'s.

But it's still better than the old days, when I had to leave a message on those POS answering machines. Or depend on the husband to deliver the message to his wife (he NEVER did).

Same here, why can't they  ' Just pick up the dam phone' ?

Suzi

[byhammerandhand]

I had a cleaning job a few years ago.   They lady pulled the piece near the door so that I didn't really have to go too far into the house.   She also didn't want me to use any "chemicals" in the cleaning -- hello?  Dihydrogen monoxide (aka water)

I told her I was going to use an natural fabric stain remover and that made her happy and she left me alone.   I didn't bother to explain it was a "remover of stains from natural fibers" not a "natural remover of stains from fabrics."

O... M.... G.....!

Reminds me of a shipper about 6 months ago.  We got an order for a 30,000 pound boat lift to be shipped overseas.  Based on dimensions, we got a quote for shipping and ordered the thing direct to his warehouse for packing in a container.  They delivered it on a semi flatbed.  Next day - panicked call from the shipper to the effect "We can't ship this thing!  How are we going to get it in the container??!!"  Us - "Huh?"  Them - "It's 30,000 pounds!!!"  Us - "Uh, that's the CAPACITY, not the weight... - how do you think they got it off the truck?"

June

[Mojo]

I do not mind an occasional phone call and actually some of my customers I have talked to I have enjoyed. But every now and then I get a customer like this could who will drive me nucking futs. I have had 3 and 4 phone calls in one day from them asking silly questions.
The nicer I am the more they call. He calls. Then his wife calls. Then she calls again. Then he calls again.

The upshot is this. Because of my health I have a few productive hours a day that I have the energy to move work out the door. I cannot spend my most productive hours on the phone answering questions that I could have answered via e-mail. For the vast majority of my customers, I never talk to them. And they prefer that. Many are retired executives who spent a career on the phone and they hate them as much as I do. For them they send e-mails only and those I answer at night. Even Miami Mike has learned to e-mail me knowing I do not have time to spend on the phone. I do call him to place all my orders but other then that we correspond through e-mails.  :)

I get 3 or 4 customers a year who will call me daily, asking questions and needing answers. I move their order right to the very front of the schedule, knock it out quickly just to rid myself of the phone calls.

Texting ? Never happens. My customers are all seniors who can barley see a phone let alone text a message. :) I myself just started texting a couple years ago after having my wife and kids nag me. If it wasnt for them I would be using a rotory dial phone still. :)

Chris

[sofadoc]

When a nagging customer calls, I'll immediately add their name and # to the contact list on my I-phone. Then when they call back, their name pops up, so I have a few seconds to prepare my answers before talking to them. Or if they're REALLY REALLY nags, I have the option of letting my voicemail pick up. Then I'll respond later with an e-mail.

But for the most part, I really don't mind taking phone calls. My feet are killing me, so I relish the opportunity to sit down for a few minutes.

I'd rather talk to them on the phone, than follow them outside to their truck just to look at a piece of furniture. And stand there in the hot sun, while they tell me the complete history of how they came to own that piece.

"Mah Daddy rocked me in that char, back in 19 hunnert and 42".

They don't understand that I've seen thousands of chairs, and they all have story behind them. I'm really not interested in hearing them all. 

[scottymc]

I get 3 or 4 customers a year who will call me daily, asking questions and needing answers. I move their order right to the very front of the schedule, knock it out quickly just to rid myself of the phone calls.



Chris

Chris, you know there is an RV forum somewhere with a thread that go's like this:

1st.poster; I really like those toppers that Chris guy does, such good quality, but he's so busy you have to wait months sometimes  to get them they have become so popular.

2nd poster; Hey my fellow RV'er Just get on the phone to him as he seems to like the personal connection, I phoned him 2 or 3 times a day and really got involved in my order and showed real interest and asked questions, because Chris loves his toppers, that's why they're the best, because of this he had them delivered to my door within 10 days of first contact.

1st.poster; Thanks for the heads up fellow RV'er, I'll be on the phone first thing monday to place my order.

3rd.poster; Well I will also ring to order, but I'll leave it till after lunch, cause no doubt you will have a lot to chat about with Chris.

4th. poster. :(s'pose I'll have to wait till Tuesday to phone in my order. ;)

[Mojo]

There goes my phone.......to the bottom of the Gulf. :)

Chris

[Mike]

I try to remeber to save all my customer cals to cintacte weather just a wuote or contract somtimes i loose a written nimber and want to call the. Back   
And i will text a customer somtimes when the job is done. Somtimes they may be in a meeting or dos tors waiting room.   And times even slow texting it can be more easy then speaking   I had some calls where i had to hand the phone to my brother as the caller didnt hear me   

But with. Ell phone now when i cAll a. Usto er then they dont awnser   I k ow its. Cell and on there side. So ill try a text like a isais perhaps they cant take a csll   
Awnser machinee was mentioned the old land line ma hines were good
I had to get a homepbone with my internet and cables it has voi e mail and it i get a message i do t k oe untill i go to make a call and here beeb bee. Beeb in my ear.   Not a beeb  a d red light. When i enter the room.
Dumbest thing.

[Mike]

I likdd the old days before cells.
I was out of work and gone cor the weekend.  Now if im on my boat fishing ill get a call. Even if i dont take it i still have to look

[Mojo]

Good to know this. I will make sure I call you next time your fishing just to bother you. :)

Chris