"Cancel his appointment so I can have one!"

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

This a story from an automotive shop my uncle owns, this happened while I was helping him out for the day. I wasn't doing any official work so I didn't deal with any customers, but I was in the office (which is a small, doorless room behind the counter) when this unfolded.

This happened about 4 PM on a Friday, Shop is opened until 6 Fridays, 8-6 on Saturdays and closed Sundays.

A guy came in because he had something wrong with his car (I think some kind of engine problem) and needed it looked at immediately. This is how it went down:

E = employee at desk M = Manager SC = King of the douchebags

SC: Yeah I have (describes problem with car) and I need to get it looked at and taken care of tomorrow because I'm going out of town on sunday.
E: (checks computer) I'm sorry sir, we don't have any appointments available for tomorrow, earliest we can get you in is Monday afternoon.
SC: But I need something tomorrow, I'll be gone by monday.
E: We have nothing available tomorrow sir.
SC: Maybe you're not understanding me, I *NEED* to get this car looked at tomorrow.
E: I do understand sir, but we are are totally booked for tomorrow, we have no open appointments.
SC: (In a tone that made it easy to tell he wasn't joking) So cancel one and open me up a space!
E: Excuse me?
SC: Cancel one of your other appointments, tell whoever had it that the mechanic is sick or something and they'll need to reschedule.
E: Sir, I absolutely cannot cancel an existing appointment just to accommodate you.
SC: Well then get a manager who'll help me, as you seem completely unwilling to.
E: He will not make an exception for you either sir.
SC: I said get me the damned MANAGER!

M: What can I do for you?
SC: Yeah I've been coming here for years and--
M: No you haven't. I've never seen you before.
SC: I guess I usually come by when you aren't working.
M: Sir I am at this shop nearly every hour its open, if you were a regular I would remember you.
SC: Well I must've come here more when the previous owner was here.
M: I'm the only owner this shop has ever had sir.
SC: (BUSTED! He gives up on that and...) Well whatever, look I need my car looked at tomorrow.
M: I'm sorry we're all booked up for tomorrow, now my coworker just told me you had requested for us to cancel one of our current bookings so your car can be looked at??
SC: YES! I don't see why it's a huge problem, surely you have someone just getting some minor work done that can wait until monday. I *NEED* this car looked at tomorrow.
M: I can not and will not cancel an existing appointment just so we can look at your car sir. And--
SC: Well then come in early! Or leave a bit late! I don't care, I just NEED my car looked at tomorrow!
M: Sir I will not rework my scheduling simply because your car needs work, What I--
SC: Ohhh ok, I see how this works. Ok, fine. If you look at my car tomorrow I'll pay you an extra $100 for the work.
M: Are you trying to bribe me sir?
SC: No! No, not a bribe, just a....business arrangement.
M: You can call it whatever you want to sir but I will not take bribes from you nor will I or anyone at this shop look at your car tomorrow.
SC: Well the shop I used to go to did it for me before, lots of shops do it.
M: I don't think that's right sir...
SC: The hell it isn't! I'm the customer, I 'm always right, haven't you ever read your training manual?
M: I have read it sir and it states very clearly that I am not do anything illegal or fraudulent while working, which you've been asking me to.
SC: What kind of business are you running here?? I'm the customer! You have to serve me!
M: Of course we do sir, but after the other people who have already have appointments.
SC: FOR GOD'S SAKE, I *need* this car looked at tomorrow and you need to find a way to make it happen!!
M: If you really need it looked at by tomorrow there's only one thing I can do for you.
SC: Yes?? (in that hopeful "I just won this fight" tone of voice)
M: And that is tell you to go to another shop, because we're all booked up here.
SC: This is ludicrous, this is unfair, I'm going to report you to the BBB!
M: You can if you wish sir but at this point we've established we cannot serve you here so I'd like to ask you to leave.
SC: *mumbles something about how mechanics always screw the little guys and leaves*

M: (to coworker) You know when I started this job I thought people like that were few and far between. Now I realize there's way too many of them and that makes me fear for humanity. Do you believe the nerve of that guy?

My uncle has a lot of great sucky customer stories. One of his favourites (besides this one) is about a guy who showed up, said nothing, went storming into the shop itself (which is not only dangerous but an insurance risk) and berated one of the mechanics (while he was working on someone else's car) for some apparently shoddy work he'd done on this SC's car earlier. The SC was demanding he drop what he was doing on the current car and fix the SC's vehicle immediately. My uncle and and a coworker had to physically remove the guy from the shop because he was refusing to leave until the mechanic looked at his car. Then the SC threatened to sue them for assault and battery. At this point my uncle offered to help out the SC's cause by calling the police, which sent him hightailing it out of there really fast.

[mariamousie1]

My God, who does that guy think he is?
That last guy must have had a warrant out.

[smileyeagle1021]

I get the same thing with hotels all the time "well, it's after six just count someone as a no-show and give me the room"
umm... no, that's not how it works... if it's after 6 the person is paying for the room whether or not they show so we will hold it for them... and if they don't show, well that's said, but they still paid for it and if they wanted to pay for an empty room that's their problem not mine.

[Record Store Tough Guy]

Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.

[pile of monkeys]

I get that a lot at the spa- "can't you cancel someone else? I really need that time!" or my personal favorite: "Can't you see if someone will switch appointments with me?" So, I'm supposed to start making calls at random to see if someone wants to delay their service for a total stranger, all because you didn't plan in advance?

[JLRodgers]

Last time my family had an emergency for a car, like when the car's working fine no problems or anything, but we're leaving on a thousand+ mile round trip we have it checked just in case -- and something BIG turns up as being wrong, we'd either reschedule our departure time or go to another place that could fit us in.

Fortunately, however, every time it's happened the place we went to could fix it that day or next.

[greensinestro]

I think I lost all faith in humanity with this thread. Who the hell does that guy think he is anyway? He actually wanted your manager to cancel someone else's appointment so he could be accomodated, then tried to throw in the proverbial "The customer is always right" quote? You know, I have a feeling shit like this happens at the doctor's and dentist's offices as well.

If that guy has been other places where they accepted bribes, why is he even at this place of business? Probably he has done it before at those places, and now no mechanic wants to work on his piece of shit anyway.

I loved the part where the manager saw through his lies about going there for years and saying he knew the "previous manager" of the place. That's a classic.

[Astrokitty]

Cancel the Appointment

So he threw a tantrum like the spoiled brat he is. The mind reels. I had a guy like this when I was working as an apartment manager try and get me to cancel the deposit that one person had put on an apartment just so he could get it. There were plenty of apartments, he just wanted that one. When I refused, he demanded the person's name and phone number so he could try and bribe him. Um...No.

[Whyme]

It's interesting dealing with people who have never been told "no" in their lives. They just refuse to believe anyone is more important than them and can't believe you are actually telling them "No.". It can be quite amusing.

[marasbaras]

Jerk: I am the customer ... you MUST bow to ME.
Me: Sir, the other people are customers, too. And they were here before you.

[tropicsgoddess]

Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.

Amen!!! Who the hell did that dude think he was, the emperor?!! No way would any business just up and cancel a current appointment or reservation just to accommodate asshats like him,not even if there was a bribe. That's NOT how it works, but apparently it does in his pecan sized mind and planet numb nuts.

[myswtghst]

Jerk: I am the customer ... you MUST bow to ME.
Me: Sir, the other people are customers, too. And they were here before you.

*DING DING DING* We have a winner.

This was my thought exactly while reading the thread. No one customer is more important than another, and the customer who planned ahead gets precedence. Not exactly a shocker to those of us with brains, who weren't spoiled so badly that we believe we're the center of everyone's universe, instead of just our own.

[Peppergirl]

I don't know about you guys, but (while I'm sure this guy has ALWAYS been an ass) I think that other spineless managers are probably to blame for the guy acting like this and being so utterly shocked that he wasn't coddled.

I'm a firm believer that all this 'customer is always right' BS is a HUGE reason that customers are getting more and more nasty and entitled as time goes by.

It's common knowledge that in certain places, if you act like a big enough ass and throw a big enough tantrum, you'll get your way.

TOTALLY sucks. I weep for our society. Seriously.

Edit: Good on the manager for not caving, and thereby sticking up for his employee/co-worker.

[StevieJD]

Check the SC Motto listed below.

[protege]

Ugh. What a bastard!

...and I thought I had it bad with the MG! That's been in the shop for over 3 years now. Some of it, was simply because the car required major work (bodywork, new paint, rebuilt engine, etc.) some of it was simply because of getting parts.

What annoyed me though, is that at times, the shop seemed to be more interested in working on race cars...rather than *my* car that had been sitting around for awhile. That changed about 2 months ago--I told them to get it running for spring, and I'd finish it.

However, I never ripped into the shop manager, nor did I hassle the employees. Why make trouble? They have the experience and tools to fix it--if I'd told them to "fuck off" would my car get fixed? Probably not.

Speaking of last-minute type things...I had one of my own last Thursday. As I was leaving my parents' house, I noticed something silver sticking out of the Corolla's front tire. Somehow, a large screw found its way into the tread! Once home, I called up the dealer, and they said to "bring it on down." They were more concerned about me having a blowout than over someone waiting a few minutes. Needless to say, I was in and out in less than 15 minutes.