So today, Dude comes in with his phone. He explains that he was at another store, and his phone wasn't working properly, and the employee there printed up driving directions for the guy to our store, telling him, "We've had very little problems with this model phone. It's been very reliable. Therefore, I think your phone is just a bad phone, and if you take it here, they will give you a new one."
Well, the issue that was wrong with his phone is a speaker was out (required a flip replacement) and the download applications were missing that would allow him to download newly purchased games. (This would require a 5-minute download of the appropriate application.) I explained to Dude that his phone's issues were fixable, and it wouldn't require replacement. "But THEY said you would just replace it, that it was a bad phone!" Ugh. We reassure him this is not the case, but he seems a little weary.
The search commences for the replacement flip. Tech just got in a new shipment, so it took us a moment to find the flip we needed. In the meantime, I looked up his account and Tech noticed he didn't have the service plan. So he explained to Dude that the repaires would could $55. (Flips are NOT cheap. They cost us anywhere from $100-$200 a part. In some instances, the flip costs half as much as the phone would cost us.)
Well, Dude hits the roof. "THEY said this wouldn't cost me anything." Tech looks at the address where Dude drove from. Another indirect store, one that didn't have a service center, had sent him.
Tech explains how the service center works: We are privately owned, so the cellular company makes us buy everything outright, then they will reimburse us only the difference of what it cost us minus the fee we have to charge, unless the customer has the service plan they offer. Otherwise, we're out a lot of money if we don't follow this policy. We cannot place the claim to get the broken part replaced with a working part.
Doesn't matter, Dude just keeps repeating "Well why did the guy tell me that you'd replace it?"
Tech says he has no idea, and tries to explain again. Dude interrupts with "You don't have to argue with me. Just tell me why he told me that you'd replace it? I mean, I wouldn't have drove all the way to the middle of f*cking nowhere to this place if I'd known you wouldn't do anything for me."
Tech consults Boss, who says nope, nothing we can do about it. Not good enough for Dude who goes on, and on, and on about how far he drove (25 minutes) and how the customer always "get sh*t on." Finally he makes some remark about "the guy hiding out back there" so Tech offers to have Boss come out to talk to him.
There was more, but I didn't hear, as I went on filing and doing other paperwork. Boss talked to Dude, who finally realized that in no way could we do anything for him for free, left announcing he would be going back to the original store to demand gas money from the manager there.
Boss phoned the area manager to have that store talked to.
The kicker? After he left, Tech told me while he was working with the guy, it came to light that Dude owned a restaurant. So Tech decides to use an example:
Tech: "Let's say some customer came in and said the manager at some other restaurant said you would give him free food?"
Dude: "That's not the same thing."
Riiiiiight.
Well, the issue that was wrong with his phone is a speaker was out (required a flip replacement) and the download applications were missing that would allow him to download newly purchased games. (This would require a 5-minute download of the appropriate application.) I explained to Dude that his phone's issues were fixable, and it wouldn't require replacement. "But THEY said you would just replace it, that it was a bad phone!" Ugh. We reassure him this is not the case, but he seems a little weary.
The search commences for the replacement flip. Tech just got in a new shipment, so it took us a moment to find the flip we needed. In the meantime, I looked up his account and Tech noticed he didn't have the service plan. So he explained to Dude that the repaires would could $55. (Flips are NOT cheap. They cost us anywhere from $100-$200 a part. In some instances, the flip costs half as much as the phone would cost us.)
Well, Dude hits the roof. "THEY said this wouldn't cost me anything." Tech looks at the address where Dude drove from. Another indirect store, one that didn't have a service center, had sent him.
Tech explains how the service center works: We are privately owned, so the cellular company makes us buy everything outright, then they will reimburse us only the difference of what it cost us minus the fee we have to charge, unless the customer has the service plan they offer. Otherwise, we're out a lot of money if we don't follow this policy. We cannot place the claim to get the broken part replaced with a working part.
Doesn't matter, Dude just keeps repeating "Well why did the guy tell me that you'd replace it?"
Tech says he has no idea, and tries to explain again. Dude interrupts with "You don't have to argue with me. Just tell me why he told me that you'd replace it? I mean, I wouldn't have drove all the way to the middle of f*cking nowhere to this place if I'd known you wouldn't do anything for me."
Tech consults Boss, who says nope, nothing we can do about it. Not good enough for Dude who goes on, and on, and on about how far he drove (25 minutes) and how the customer always "get sh*t on." Finally he makes some remark about "the guy hiding out back there" so Tech offers to have Boss come out to talk to him.
There was more, but I didn't hear, as I went on filing and doing other paperwork. Boss talked to Dude, who finally realized that in no way could we do anything for him for free, left announcing he would be going back to the original store to demand gas money from the manager there.
Boss phoned the area manager to have that store talked to.
The kicker? After he left, Tech told me while he was working with the guy, it came to light that Dude owned a restaurant. So Tech decides to use an example:
Tech: "Let's say some customer came in and said the manager at some other restaurant said you would give him free food?"
Dude: "That's not the same thing."
Riiiiiight.
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