It must be full moon soon, cause the customers are getting odder.
Had a lady come in with an old flat steel key desk lock.
L: Can you make a key for it and how much would it be?
Me: Yes I can. You would have to leave it for about a day and it would be $15
L: Oh I can buy those on line for $8.95.
Me: I don't think the Korean produced knock-offs have an offset key cylinder stem like yours. Theirs are centered with the bolt. You would have to re-cut the strike opening for them to fit.
L: Oh....... Well, can you make a key for $8.95?
Me: I'm sorry, my price sheet says $15 for fitting a flat steel key for a two wafer lock.
L: Can you take one wafer out? Would that make it cheaper?
Me: No, taking the lock apart would even be more work and would make it more expensive.
L: Well, who made the price sheet? Can I talk to them?
Me: My boss made the price sheet and he's out on service calls right now.
L: Here's my number, ask him and let me know. Do you think he would be more receptive if he knew he'd get the business either way?
Me: *blink, blink* Errr, I'll ask him. Bye now.
I'm thinking to myself if I tell him he has her business either way, what is the incentive to give her a discount.
Whatevs, I'll ask him, but I don't think he'll go for the discount.
-- Edited by no imagination on Tuesday 31st of July 2012 12:20:13 PM
She was all kinds of smart. It might make me a bad person, but I like to read this kind of thing when I am feeling bad about myself. It makes me feel better.
If I was the manager I'd say yes. We will make your key for 8.95 with a purchase of X$ or more. $50 maybe?
Or I'd have her purchase a gift certificate (not card) to make sure of her repeat business. I'd put an expiration date on the certificate. I'd rather have $58.95 in my pocket plus her goodwill than $15 and her thinking she could have done better somewhere else.
If she comes back and spends the certificate, in her mind it will feel like free money and I've got a happy customer who will come back again for that feeling. If she never comes back or loses the certificate I sold the key for almost 4x retail. Either way I'm happy and the customer is happy.
I've asked boss. He was still laughing as he was leaving to go home. I think that means a big fat no. Does not help, that we are the only place in 3 counties that will even deal with stuff like that. All the other 'old-timers' have either retired or died.
DGM, that idea is pretty smart. I'll run it by the boss in the morning, but this is a locksmiths shop. All we have is keys and locks. Your average consumer is hard pressed to need enough keys worth $50.
Talk about reverse logic, if YOU have MY address, why aren't YOU mapping it instead of calling me and wanting me to figure out how you should get to my place. I tell you that you would turn onto Highway A going towards Highway B. Highway B is a MAJOR highway in our city. You tell me that doesn't help you with attitude. Then you tell me about this mall, a large mall and say, if I'm coming out of that mall, which way do I turn? Umm, I kind of know where that mall is, it is about 18 miles away and haven't been out in that area in probably 2+ years so I don't know. I tell her, I don't go to that area often, well, "Where are you then?" is her smartass remark. I don't know lady, MAP it and you will figure it out.
Talk about reverse logic, if YOU have MY address, why aren't YOU mapping it instead of calling me and wanting me to figure out how you should get to my place. I tell you that you would turn onto Highway A going towards Highway B. Highway B is a MAJOR highway in our city. You tell me that doesn't help you with attitude. Then you tell me about this mall, a large mall and say, if I'm coming out of that mall, which way do I turn? Umm, I kind of know where that mall is, it is about 18 miles away and haven't been out in that area in probably 2+ years so I don't know. I tell her, I don't go to that area often, well, "Where are you then?" is her smartass remark. I don't know lady, MAP it and you will figure it out.
Oh dear Lord, don't even get me going on this. The # of people who call the business line asking for emergency services and they don't even have the slightest idea where they are make me so stabby I want to go find them and put them out of their misery. I end up having to resort to questions like, "Are you closer to Taco Bell or Bank of America?" "If you kept going would you be at Mt. Lassen or the ocean?" Gah!!!!
All righty!!! I've checked the calender and tomorrow is full moon. Gaahh!!
Now we have Mrs Honda cycle, she's already called 4 times. The first 2 times lowly me was too lowly for her highness to deal with. Apparently she has met the boss at some motorcycle event, years ago and considers him now a close and personal friend (boss does NOT return the feeling, or even remember her)
She has lost the keys to a mid '70's Honda cycle. Boss told her to look to see if there is a key code on any of the locks. She calls back, but I'm am still too inconsequencial to be trusted with this info. Then she calls back wanting to know why boss hasn't returned her call right away. "Propably because he is out on service calls and won't be back till this afternoon." She demands his cell phone number. "I'm not allowed to give that out, but is there anything I can help you with in the meantime?"
After she realizes that no amount of bitch-fit will get her that number (If she that close of a personal friend shouldn't she have it?) she gives me two key codes, I look them up, and only one is for a Honda cycle. "It is definitely what the other number says." "Then it is either an after market ignition with an un-puplished code, or maybe try looking with a magnifying glass. Sometimes the numbers fade over time." Oh boy, you'd think I've accused her of abusing babies and puppies while being blind.
We ended with me taking her number again and promising to give it to boss the minute he returns.
Some Dude came into the building and up to my desk not too long ago. There was a fire rescue and ambulance out front in the valet drop off area because one of the Dr's offices had a 911. He was harrassing me telling me to make the ambulance get out of his way...His dad had somewhere to go you know and he couldn't get around the fire truck and ambulance.... I was like really? You do realize it's against the law to impede or get in the way of an ambulance??? He still bugged me about it until one of the IT guys came and stood behind me.
Good Gravy, what's wrong with people??
-- Edited by Mary Zombie on Wednesday 1st of August 2012 01:38:48 PM
