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I work as an car installer at a big box electronics store. I came in to work one day; I was working the closing shift. Our installation bay keeps the same hours as the main store, which would be closing at 10 that night.
Earlier in the day, the morning installers had put a new head unit and a pair of rear speakers into a Saturn. The vehicle had been dropped off early and was expected to be picked up later in the day, which is fairly common. The customer still owed for parts used during the head unit installation, as well as a labor charge for the speakers; about $65. He was given the estimate copy of his work order; standard procedure. I pulled the finished car out of the bay and locked it up outside; I noticed that the key was newly cut, but that's not all that uncommon either.
I was working alone after a couple hours, and the car remained in the parking lot. It was a busy day and about an hour before close I noticed that the car was gone. I didn't believe anyone had stolen it; we've never had that kind of problem at our store, but the work order and key were still hanging by my counter. I thought it most likely that the owner had come and picked it up, especially when no one else came to claim the vehicle before close. We had a name and address on our work order, as well as a contact number. We also record license plates of all vehicles we work on. I called the number, and no one answered; I left a message for the owner to call us back regarding his installation. No details, nothing about money still owed. I told my manager what was going on then I left for the night.
I worked again the next afternoon, and wonder of wonders, the customer called back. He had called in the morning and spoken to another installer, but that installer didn't know the story and could only tell him when I'd be in. He called me shortly after I arrived for work.
KZ: Mobile Installation, this is KaeZoo, may I help you?
SC: Yeah, I had that Saturn yesterday that you guys put the rear speakers and CD player in. You left me a message last night.
KZ: Okay--
SC: I was telling your guy this morning, I don't know what you're talking about. I got a receipt right here that shows I paid for everything.
KZ: Really? Because I'm looking at your work order right here, and nothing's been printed on it.
SC: Well, somebody screwed something up then, because I came and picked my car up last night, and I paid for everything right then.
KZ: Okay, that's odd. I've got the blank work order still, and I've got a key right here which is the same one I used to drive your car last night.
SC: Nope, can't be my key. I picked up my key last night. How would I be driving my car right now if I didn't have my key?
KZ: Okay....
SC: Anyway, there's nothing I can do about it now 'cause I ain't even in the state any more. I'm on my way to Wisconsin, I'm in the military and I gotta get back to my base.
It went on in that vein for a little while, and he even had the gall to complain about the speaker install. The cheesy speakers he picked had some neon lights built into them, and we hadn't hooked them up (it would have taken some custom wiring to make them work, and he hadn't asked for it). I ended up just telling him I'd get with my manager and we'd decide what to do, knowing he was just a scumball thief but not wanting to call him one outright. I figured we'd probably eat the loss, since I doubted the managers would think it worth the trouble of pursuing him. I passed on the information to the manager and spent the rest of the day grumpy.
The next morning, the same guy called to complain to a manager (different one). He didn't appreciate my insinuations that he might have ripped us off. He refered to me as "the kid who called me". I'm in my mid 30's, but the installer he'd dealt with at dropoff was much younger.
That apparently was too much for my store manager. He grew a spine, got the customer's information off the work order, and called the cops. The cops called the number and ended up talking to this guy's mom. She freaked, called her son; her son called us back and was just shocked that we'd be such jerks as to call the police without any warning. He worked a deal with my manager that he'd mail us a check and we'd mail him back the actual receipt. And that's the way it turned out. We received his check a few days later; we processed the sale, printed the receipt and mailed it to him.
I'm still annoyed he wasn't prosecuted, but at least he didn't get away with his little scheme. I pray daily that he'll have a problem with the audio system and try to bring it back to me for warranty work.
Earlier in the day, the morning installers had put a new head unit and a pair of rear speakers into a Saturn. The vehicle had been dropped off early and was expected to be picked up later in the day, which is fairly common. The customer still owed for parts used during the head unit installation, as well as a labor charge for the speakers; about $65. He was given the estimate copy of his work order; standard procedure. I pulled the finished car out of the bay and locked it up outside; I noticed that the key was newly cut, but that's not all that uncommon either.
I was working alone after a couple hours, and the car remained in the parking lot. It was a busy day and about an hour before close I noticed that the car was gone. I didn't believe anyone had stolen it; we've never had that kind of problem at our store, but the work order and key were still hanging by my counter. I thought it most likely that the owner had come and picked it up, especially when no one else came to claim the vehicle before close. We had a name and address on our work order, as well as a contact number. We also record license plates of all vehicles we work on. I called the number, and no one answered; I left a message for the owner to call us back regarding his installation. No details, nothing about money still owed. I told my manager what was going on then I left for the night.
I worked again the next afternoon, and wonder of wonders, the customer called back. He had called in the morning and spoken to another installer, but that installer didn't know the story and could only tell him when I'd be in. He called me shortly after I arrived for work.
KZ: Mobile Installation, this is KaeZoo, may I help you?
SC: Yeah, I had that Saturn yesterday that you guys put the rear speakers and CD player in. You left me a message last night.
KZ: Okay--
SC: I was telling your guy this morning, I don't know what you're talking about. I got a receipt right here that shows I paid for everything.
KZ: Really? Because I'm looking at your work order right here, and nothing's been printed on it.
SC: Well, somebody screwed something up then, because I came and picked my car up last night, and I paid for everything right then.
KZ: Okay, that's odd. I've got the blank work order still, and I've got a key right here which is the same one I used to drive your car last night.
SC: Nope, can't be my key. I picked up my key last night. How would I be driving my car right now if I didn't have my key?
KZ: Okay....
SC: Anyway, there's nothing I can do about it now 'cause I ain't even in the state any more. I'm on my way to Wisconsin, I'm in the military and I gotta get back to my base.
It went on in that vein for a little while, and he even had the gall to complain about the speaker install. The cheesy speakers he picked had some neon lights built into them, and we hadn't hooked them up (it would have taken some custom wiring to make them work, and he hadn't asked for it). I ended up just telling him I'd get with my manager and we'd decide what to do, knowing he was just a scumball thief but not wanting to call him one outright. I figured we'd probably eat the loss, since I doubted the managers would think it worth the trouble of pursuing him. I passed on the information to the manager and spent the rest of the day grumpy.
The next morning, the same guy called to complain to a manager (different one). He didn't appreciate my insinuations that he might have ripped us off. He refered to me as "the kid who called me". I'm in my mid 30's, but the installer he'd dealt with at dropoff was much younger.
That apparently was too much for my store manager. He grew a spine, got the customer's information off the work order, and called the cops. The cops called the number and ended up talking to this guy's mom. She freaked, called her son; her son called us back and was just shocked that we'd be such jerks as to call the police without any warning. He worked a deal with my manager that he'd mail us a check and we'd mail him back the actual receipt. And that's the way it turned out. We received his check a few days later; we processed the sale, printed the receipt and mailed it to him.
I'm still annoyed he wasn't prosecuted, but at least he didn't get away with his little scheme. I pray daily that he'll have a problem with the audio system and try to bring it back to me for warranty work.
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