Ever been in these shoes?

April 12, 2005

About a month ago, a couple who we have tinted numerous cars for, wants an estimate on their home. I go out to do the estimate, these people are in their 70's and live in a townhome in a prestigious community with rigid CC & R's. (J'ville, for those of you who live here) She tells me she had a masectomy about a year ago, and had to spend alot of time in her room, she is scheduled to undergo another one this summer, and will be in her room alot again. She tells me the room was very hot (2nd floor of apt.) and she doesn't want to deal with all that heat. I ask her if she wants to leave the light or reduce it. She says she wants to darken it as well, as the light bothers her some as well. She has drapes and sheers and roller shades, so she definately has privacy, that's not what this film is for. She wants to cut the heat and some light. She has double pane low e glass, and lives in a community that won't let her have reflective film. And, she doesn't want to spend much money. Ok...so I give her Drei (70% heat reduction, 35% film) for 1/3 the normal price as I feel sorry for her, and want her to have a film that will best suite her needs, without causing her to be in violation of the cc and r's. I show her the film, hold it up to the glass, do a heat and UV demo for her, show her several other films as well. She decides that this film will work for her and several weeks later we do the job. When Brian does the job she looks at it after he's done with the 1st window. She asks if it can be darker, he explains that we have darker films, but they will either have shine or break her glass, and this is the best we can do for her to enable her to have heat cut and still be in compliance. Mind you, her big issue with me, was all about heat initially. She figures if that is as dark as we can do, that that will have to work. Two weeks pass, and I get a call from her, very irate that I sold her the wrong type of film, that she is dying, fighting for her life and I promised to make her room dark and I did not. Her neighbor has dark film, and she doesn't and why can't she have what her neighbor has? (I've no idea what her neighbor has!) Now she is going to have to have something else done, I offer to put up black out shades at cost, she says she has to do something and I need to refund her money so she can buy something else. I tell her the blinds aren't going to cut heat like the tint, if I pull the tint off, she's now back to a heat problem. She's adamant that I've screwed her, taken advantage of her and now will be responsible for hastening her demise and making her uncomfortable because I didn't do what she asked me to do. So, I offer to take off the film and refund her money, as she is sure someone else can provide her with a product that will meet her needs. Today I am supposed to do exactly that, but I've changed my mind and don't think I owe her anything. I did what she said she wanted, she had a chance to stop the job if she wanted to, and now that film hasn't turned her room into a cave, the heat is no longer a problem, apparently this is all about light. I could have one of my guys put silver 15 on top of the drei, the drei will reduce the shine on the silver, the windows are small so, shouldn't be a breakage problem, but I can smell seal failure. This was a $1050 job, but did it for $600 to try to help her out. What should I do? I have to meet her today at 2 pm. What's the saying? If you go out of your way to help someone, your going to get screwed? Oh yeah! Doing it dry!

April 12, 2005

Sounds to me like you went way out of your way to accomodate her. I think I would stick to my guns. I don't think you will be able to make her happy.

You addressed the issues she mentioned. Perhaps someone in her situation will never be happy with anything. For her to accuse you of screwing her over after you gave her such a great deal is ridiculous. :dunno

April 12, 2005

first, never give ANYONE a discount---especially old people. you WILL get screwed for your generosity. :dunno

second, show her the original bill and tell her you'll only listen to a complaint once the full price is paid.

third, stick out your middle finger on your right hand, and tell her to sit and spin.

April 12, 2005

Oh, I can't be that nasty. I will go there and do demos again, showing her what the film is doing, and offer to put another layer of S15 over top, but will only do so, if she agrees to sign a paper releasing me from all responsibility for her seals, breakage or cc & r issues and anything else that may arrise. I really don't want to give her one dime back, and that I won't do. I am really getting sick of people. The last few months have been filled with stuff that has been messed up.

It will be a great day for a heat demo, considering it is snowing at my house right now, ground is all white at the moment. Yesterday it was in the mid 60's. Go figure!

April 12, 2005

Oh, I can't be that nasty.

[*]275155

I can. but your way is a much better way.

there's 2 reasons why 80% of my business is repeat customers.

1-I run off any new customers who come in with bullshiat.

2-once they do let me do work for them, they realize the good work I do is worth putting up with my fukked up attitude. :lol2

I'm a horrible salesman. (because I'm honest) and I tend to come across as "griping and complaining" when I'm really not. it's just the way it comes out.

whatever it is I'm doing, I take it seriously. and I get a little aggravated at people that don't take it as seriously as I do. so I have a tendency to tell people to "fukk off". this is why I will never be financially successful at what I do.

I just need someone to hire me and stick me in a shop and lock the doors and sound proof the walls. :dunno

April 12, 2005

I wouldn't go back..if she was that bad the first time,could you deal with her again? Some people are never satisfied no matter what you do.

Mr paladin · April 12, 2005

? What's the saying? If you go out of your way to help someone, your going to get screwed?? Oh yeah! Doing it dry!

[*]275137

that is the way it always turns out ,anyway remind her that you only charged 1/3 and that when they were installing it she had the opportunity to backout out and chose to continue with the installation,BUT WHAT EVER YOU DO STICK TO YOUR GUNS do not give her any money back,and do not do anymore business for her including blinds wash your hands clean of her and move on,Good luck :dunno

April 13, 2005

So what happened?

April 14, 2005

Oh I continued to get screwed! When I got there, she had picked up a piece of drie that Brian had dropped, she showed it to me telling me she didn't know what it was, but somehow it was there, and if we had used a material like that, it would have worked, but the film we used was way lighter. I pulled out a sample of drei, and wonder of wonders, it was the same film. But now, she decided her scrap was way too light as well. She told me she had wanted a cave and that she didn't even care if she could see out. I offered to put a layer of silver 15 on top of the drei, showed her what it would look like, she said it still let in too much light, just wanted her money back. I offered to let her use the money she had paid me for the tint towards putting in black out shades at my cost, that was not good enough either, just wanted her money back and was going to go to pennies. As I was getting ready to leave, I told her I was sorry I was not a miracle worker or a mind reader and was unable to solve her problem. I stated I wished she would have been clearer on what her needs were initially, as I would have gone a different route from the beginning. She starts up hysterically carrying on that I am trying to make her get even sicker, and am I trying to make her feel bad by doing this to her and on and on and on. I tell her I'm sorry, I'm not trying to hurt her in anyway, but I am the one that is going to be out time, material and labor on this and that hurts me, in more ways than just my feelings. She then tells me I'm going to have to pay for hurting her, and I'm being very mean, I let her know I'm already paying and have paid and wish her a good day and walk out. She still thinks I am going to refund her money. But I am not. I'm going to write her a nice little letter, short and sweet, detailing the chain of events and tell her that as she really doesn't want to fix the problem, but availing herself of blinds at cost or double layer of film, it seems like she just wants something for nothing and we aren't going there. Well, not quite like that, a little nicer of course. The lady is just nuts, she can't remember what she asked for, what she agreed to, or anything else. She thinks its perfectly acceptable for her to demand her money back and me to gladly and willingly hand it over. Not going to happen. I don't care if she takes me to court or turns me in to the bbb - the woman can't be pleased. If she calls and wants me to get her shades, after she gets the letter, I'm going to tell her she's too late, she had her chance, and turned me down without even listening to the options I tried to give her, so no no and no. GrRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!