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Re: Cowboys still riding the range
appleelectrics wrote:im sure they must have a file on them !!
I expect you’ve bumped into them a few times as well I’m sure. 😉
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
I bet I have, I think they did have red vans at one stage, but now you say it, there are blue ones out there. They need room in the back in case a customer wants to buy the machine they are toting around ready to deliver on another call already arranged for later in the day.
I guess Somerset trading standards may know of them.
Alex
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
Alex wrote:
They need room in the back in case a customer wants to buy the machine they are toting around ready to deliver on another call already arranged for later in the day.
Is this seen as bad / dishonest practise within the trade?
If it is I should have my hand slapped, because its something I do regularly.
Where possible I carry a new machine ready for a quick sale. Its serves the customer with an immediate solution to not having a functional machine, prevents them from paying my call-out and saves them the hassle of going out to get one.
Win Win me thinks.
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
But you don’t tell them it’s for someone else, do you?
I keep an ISE AW23 in the van because I do occasionally make an instant sale.
Chris.
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
I do tell them that sometimes, but when its the truth.
I had a customer who said he didn’t want the one in my van because he didn’t know how long it had been ‘rattling around’ in there for.
I went away and……
took him one the next day, which was the same one. Should I feel guilty?Oh by the way the machine had been in my van less than 48 hrs.
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
i must confess i have used the “machine in the van but its meant for someone else” sales pitch a few times even had 1 customer offer me £50 extra to give it to him if he got it that day!!!
if i had a bigger van i would always carry one, nothing wrong and comes in handy more times than it causes bother!!
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
I think those of you that have a handy machine in the back depends on how you sell, for what purpose it is there and how often you pitch that line.
The lot I’m talking about do seem to have a lot of instances where it is lucky that there is a machine that is destined for another customer later in the day. We have heard it said many times of this company, and to me it looks like “let’s get another machine in there before hubby comes home”
All I’m saying is it looks dodgy, and fits the brief of the company concerned who have an extremely high write off rate.
Alex
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
Alex wrote:and fits the brief of the company concerned who have an extremely high write off rate.
And to a point where I suspect they take on calls they know either their engineer hasn’t a clue how to repair it (as in the last example I gave.:rolls:) or, and more likely as not, calls they take on knowing full well any chance of a repair is not in the customers best interests. And rather than telling them so over the phone on initial contact amble along with the sole intention of flogging them a new machine.
The unethical part of their devious process is that if the sale isn’t taken up by their customer from the outset they then sting them for the £59.99 ‘call-out fee’. Thus ensuring that they win both ways and the customer the loser every time.
Now the point of this thread is not to argue the case of whether or not you guys out there carry new machines on your van. As indeed many of you do and I’m sure all for the right reasons. But rather to emphasise that, and I reiterate at this point, cowboys like this firm in question have no scruples as to how they make their money and selling new machines for old and fitting parts (or protending to fit parts more to the truth) is their game.
They stop at nothing, fact!
Another example, a while back…..young mum, heavily pregnant with babe number 2. Babe number one in a high chair being spoon fed. Duff washer, blue van man calls because w/m not pumping. Pretends to change pump, charges £120 for replacing it but in fact just clears debris from pump filter. Customer tries m/c a while after he’s gone, it still don’t work properly, gets on the phone to head office, lots of agro, keeps getting fobbed off with excuses, engineer on holiday, now off work on the sick etc etc.. they keep cutting her off…she gives up, calls me out, pump knackered, clapped out in fact, original pump never ever been touched. She’s stumped up £120 and is well miffed…….and so on…you catch my drift.
The sad fact about every one of the examples I’ve given is that the customers haven’t the nerve to take them to court, cannot and will not even bother trading standards in spite of my encouragement. Don’t want the hastle, water under the bridge and all that jazz….all very sad and ATEOTD the sodding firm gets away with it every single time…… 👿
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
The sad truth is , is the fact that when one of these f**ktards do this to the public is really does tend to brandish us all with the same brush, thats what i find most annoying. They tend to go buy a new one rather than try another company/engineer, I strongly “personally” believe this is also why this trade is a dying one. ( aswell as cheap nasty crap they keep making and knocking em out at silly prices ofcourse ).
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
had a call from a city customer this morning the lady was looking for her mothers washing machine.
it was uplifted two weeks ago with a £50.00 deposit.
she has been all morning looking for the guy because her mum cant remember who she phoned.when i asked what was wrong with the appliance she said the guy said it was the timer and the machine was a creda he priced the whole job £110.00 for a recon timer and labour .
it only takes 20 minutes at the most to diagnose the problem and change the timer the old lady is 79 years young theses people don’t need ripping off 😡garn…
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
simonb wrote:Yes it is frustrating, ill tell you what gets right up my nose if the motor only needs brushes, in some cases im not rewarded for my honesty here, im told that £38 to £48 all in for changing brushes is over priced and goodbye, or even better thanks for coming ill get od job down the road to change them instead, or thanks for the quote ill get back to you on that one, next they phone every man and his dog for the best price for changing brushes, i get them on the phone “how much does it cost for brushes changed on a ….hotpoint etc” so i reply how do you know its the brushes? then then they say well i had an engineer out and hes quoted a lot for just brushes” when you ask how much its normally a reasonable price for the job.
I got sick of this and now quote the customer for a “motor service”, brush change(gen carbs), comm stick and clean up of old carbon dust and insulation test. still charge the same.I hate being dishonest in anyway its just plain bad for business, but sick of dishonest customers.I think yes there out there rough traders i want to see a new tv program called rough customers as there just as bad.
couldnt of put it better myself! right on the nose you got it in one.
some right cheeky bast*rds around ya know.Re: Cowboys still riding the range
It’s actually quite sad, you have to assume these days that the customer is trying to play you or the situation first and foremost.
Simply because a lot of them are.
Equally, probably more so however, they’re not.
On the phones the other week it was all too evident that many think that complaining or whining about a part delay will get them a new machine from a certain insurer and a particular manufacturer. Do I really think that they’d act any differently from A.N. Other company?
No.
I am sure that the company that Alex and Martin are on about are indeed perhaps not the best, probably even taking the proverbial but, I don’t assume that these days that the previous repairer was wrong, acting in anything other than good faith or just doing the job. First I assume the customer is either lying through their teeth to get what they want or they simply don’t get anything or how stuff works in this industry. On the strength of evidence I may change that opinion.
It’s a pity that some in this industry assume the customer is being entirely truthful, nail the repairer to hang on the cross and never, ever apologise when they get it wrong on the back of a customer’s comments.
Maybe I’m just jaded. 😕
K.
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
reading the last few pages i am glad i went back to the commercial machine market…. the customer realizes you are the person with the knowhow… and all you collect is signatures as the office do all the paperwork
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
Martin wrote:
appleelectrics wrote:
im sure they must have a file on them !!I expect you’ve bumped into them a few times as well I’m sure. 😉
just the other week in fact, Hygena washer dryer no spin, the customer couldnt wait for us as we were fully booked so they called THEM out, they quoted on motor and module or a new machine (the price they quoted was actually very reasonable for the machine) the customer wasnt happy as the engineer had only been in the house 2 minutes, we went out a few days later at her request, it needed a 20uf capacitor £8.65 for parts plus labour…
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
appleelectrics wrote:
Martin wrote:
im sure they must have a file on them !!I expect you’ve bumped into them a few times as well I’m sure. 😉
just the other week in fact, Hygena washer dryer no spin, the customer couldnt wait for us as we were fully booked so they called THEM out, they quoted on motor and module or a new machine (the price they quoted was actually very reasonable for the machine) the customer wasnt happy as the engineer had only been in the house 2 minutes, we went out a few days later at her request, it needed a 20uf capacitor £8.65 for parts plus labour…
funny i had a call yesterday, guy had been out and quoted for motor and module but said parts were obsulete and tryed to punt them a new machine, cust wanted a second opinion and phoned us out.
exact same fault needing a 20uf cap…..do these guys not know how to diagnose or at they just chancers????
ps my “guys” are not the ones you speak of just appear to be of a similar mould….
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