"Not Always Right" Customer Stories?

[Tcoat]

@themadscientist
I travel extensively for work and have heard some strange crap from people in hotels. It is not uncommon for me to literally bite my tongue to stay out of it (as I am so shy and restrained and all).
I have no idea how you guys take it.


"I called down for room service an hour ago and it still hasn't come"
"Ma'am we don't have room service. Exactly who did you call"


"What do you mean you have no rooms? We just drove for 6 hours"
"Did you have a reservation?"
"No, you should just keep rooms open for people"
"Well there is a convention and we are full"
"Just kick somebody out for something" (They were not joking)


Very drunk woman at 2am:
"What do you mean the pool is closed? You just won't let me use it because I am black" (She wasn't even close)


"You can't prove I smoked in the room" (While standing at the desk in the no smoking lobby with a burning cigarette)


And my very favorite that went on for over an hour:
"The airline lost my luggage and if you don't have it here in half an hour I am suing you" (obviously much more was said but that sums it up)

[themadscientist]

Oh wow, those are great!

It can be a PITA, but it's still got its moments where you can really rescue someone's day. Guests in hotels are usually far away from support structures and often in a new area or even country which is my case over here. When they have a legit need it's pretty stressful and important for them to resolve so to be able to be their hero offsets all the idiots asking me if I know who their husband is. (military thing)

[PhantomX]

Never had any of these issues in my computer service side business, but at the dealership...

Brand new $50,000 Tundra...
"I'll sign and buy it right now if you give it to me at $44,000 out the door. I discussed it with my husband last night and we feel that the truck is worth that much."
"Well, as you can see on the dealer invoice, we paid $47,500, and that doesn't include the engine block heater we installed. My manager's willing to not include the price of the engine block heater and give you $500 over invoice plus doc and DMV fees since the dealership has to make a little bit of money to keep our doors open. We're not in the business of giving cars away, after all. Even I can't buy this truck for that price."
"No. I want it at $44,000 out the door. I'm sure you have room for that."
"I'm not sure where you're getting your information... We're not like Dodge, GM or Ford. We don't have that kind of room to move and we don't do markups."
"Well, unless you can give it to me at $44,000, I'm walking out and I'm sorry to say this, but it would be one lost sale for you. Like I said, my husband and I discussed this and we feel that that's how much the truck is worth."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that our truck is worth to you only that much. It's a fine truck and certainly holds its value. It's too bad we can't get to a number we can agree to. All I can say is thank you for coming in and considering us, and let's part as friends."

This happens a lot. Even with holdback, it's impossible.

[themadscientist]

But,, THEY DISCUSSED IT!

I just picked up a little Subaru van at the same dealer that I ordered the the BRZ. It was a last year model with 4000 KM on it for ¥930000. I told the dealer "I need it to be ¥900000 out the door. This was the same dealer that I worked with on the BRZ. He played hardball. He said "How about ¥870000 and you give me another ¥30000 and I will start the 5 year service plan fresh?

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by PhantomX

Never had any of these issues in my computer service side business, but at the dealership...

Brand new $50,000 Tundra...
"I'll sign and buy it right now if you give it to me at $44,000 out the door. I discussed it with my husband last night and we feel that the truck is worth that much."
"Well, as you can see on the dealer invoice, we paid $47,500, and that doesn't include the engine block heater we installed. My manager's willing to not include the price of the engine block heater and give you $500 over invoice plus doc and DMV fees since the dealership has to make a little bit of money to keep our doors open. We're not in the business of giving cars away, after all. Even I can't buy this truck for that price."
"No. I want it at $44,000 out the door. I'm sure you have room for that."
"I'm not sure where you're getting your information... We're not like Dodge, GM or Ford. We don't have that kind of room to move and we don't do markups."
"Well, unless you can give it to me at $44,000, I'm walking out and I'm sorry to say this, but it would be one lost sale for you. Like I said, my husband and I discussed this and we feel that that's how much the truck is worth."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that our truck is worth to you only that much. It's a fine truck and certainly holds its value. It's too bad we can't get to a number we can agree to. All I can say is thank you for coming in and considering us, and let's part as friends."

This happens a lot. Even with holdback, it's impossible.

I get that too, just last week, I had a couple want me to sell them a Rav4 Limited (with the tech package) for 30k OTD, and that's with me showing them invoice pricing and third party fair market pricing. On top of that, the wife starts bashing on Toyota. Then WTF are you doing at my dealership!? Don't be an unrealistic cheap ass, and bad mouth my product saying that no Toyota is worth 30k.

I'm sorry, but if you straight up tell me that it's a car you cannot afford, then YOU'RE ON THE WRONG DAMN CAR! Pick a less equipped car that's within your so called budget.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

I'm sorry, but if you straight up tell me that it's a car you cannot afford, then YOU'RE ON THE WRONG DAMN CAR! Pick a less equipped car that's within your so called budget.

My wife works at a RV dealership and they get that all the time. People with massive debt loads come in and want to buy $100K RVs and then freak right out when she can't get them financed. She comes home in tears some times because some asshat or another keeps calling and ripping into her because no bank will loan them money.


People also seem to think that since something is expensive there must be a huge mark up and profit in selling it. They figure that a $2 item costs $1 wholesale so a $100K one must only cost the dealer $50K and leave the rest as profit. In reality (like cars) there may only be $4 or $5K in that sale and that still isn't "profit" as all the business operating expenses have to be paid out of that as well.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Wow. Tell your wife to just hang up on the douches who call and yell at her.

Yeah, and even if you show them what the markup is, they still won't believe you. (-_-)

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

Wow. Tell your wife to just hang up on the douches who call and yell at her.

Yeah, and even if you show them what the markup is, they still won't believe you. (-_-)

She would soon be out of work if she did that! She has to be nice to them but not the other way around.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

She would soon be out of work if she did that! She has to be nice to them but not the other way around.

In that case, she shouldn't give a rats @$$ about those idiotic people. Tell her there is no point in losing sleep over people like that.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

In that case, she shouldn't give a rats @$$ about those idiotic people. Tell her there is no point in losing sleep over people like that.

Easy to say, not so easy to do, for some.
If it was me I would be so politely sarcastic (ya I know it is hard to believe I can be sarcastic) they would never realize what was going on and then laugh my ass off later but she is just not wired that way.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Easy to say, not so easy to do, for some.
If it was me I would be so politely sarcastic (ya I know it is hard to believe I can be sarcastic) they would never realize what was going on and then laugh my ass off later but she is just not wired that way.

I was like her, but I guess having enough customers who act that stupid made me jaded. Would rather spend my energy on appreciative customers like those I had today.

I do like what you said, but I'm not good at being sarcastic. Lol!

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

I was like her, but I guess having enough customers who act that stupid made me jaded. Would rather spend my energy on appreciative customers like those I had today.

I do like what you said, but I'm not good at being sarcastic. Lol!

I have years of practice!

[PhantomX]

Some customers will pick up on the sarcasm and get further enraged. They see it as you being passive aggressive towards them.

Either way, no money in the world is worth taking that kind of abuse. I'm sure @Kaotic Lazagna would also agree that we get that kind of attitudes, and if you don't show that you won't take that kind of abuse, they'll just continue to take advantage of you. They think they're in a position of power when they act like they do, yet they don't realize they're walking a fine line of being shown the door and refused service.

[themadscientist]

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