How do you handle unreasonable customers? how would you handle this?

[DynamicATL]

@Dano I suggested that only if he did not feel comfortable working on the customers vehicle. Say you have a feeling the customer is going to say you damaged something by removing the film. This way you skip the removal, offer 50% back to remedy the situation, and don't run the risk of it escalating due to false damage claims. You are still making decent profit at 50% since you should be profiting at least 80% on jobs. If you do the removal and full refund you just wasted the film, your initial time to install, and your time to remove...that equals zero profit with a lot of wasted time. If the customer is going to leave reviews, that is going to happen no matter the route you take so that doesn't matter. Just take care of your other customers, get them to write positive reviews so that a couple of negatives have no real impact. If you end up acting out just like the crazy customer you're complaining about, how are you any different?

[Dano]

I'll be the first to admit that I was buck wild back in the 90s. I'm not suggesting that I, he or anyone else should do that today. If his customer is going to leave a bad review anyway he may as well keep the money he earned. 

 

I've been following this forum for years and know that you are very professional and don't doubt your acumen at all. I just can't see giving away my lunch moneyto a bully if it's not going to better my position in the public sphere. His customer is wanting to burn him not be reasonable. I do appreciate your perspective, that's why I asked. I'm not trying to ruffle your feathers, my apologies if it was recieved that way.

[DynamicATL]

@Dano Not at all, the "you" at the end was not directed toward you, just meant generally, I apologize for that. I fully understand your position. I've offered only a few refunds after full removal is done, never a 50% refund. I was just thinking of one customer we experienced that we decided we were not going to touch their vehicle. We had a feeling he would try to claim we damaged the vehicle somehow. So the 50% idea came to me while I was responding.

Edited October 3, 2022 by DynamicATL

[Dano]

I appreciate it, thank you.  

I've done the 50% back way in the past before permanent reviews were ever a thing for the same reason. 

 

I for sure feel bad for someone doing good work and getting pushed to the mat for being good natured. I'd like to hear how he gets to resolution. I'll probably learn something. Everybody's input is valuable in assembling the big picture. 

[DnawrapsGa]

We all get those people eventually, just gotta keep pushin! Dont let them get you down, odds are he just had buyers remorse when his wife found out. Hit me for wraps in ATL, ppf, all that good stuff, Sweet discount for any forum member

Edited October 4, 2022 by DnawrapsGa

[AweSauce]

Everyone gets these customers and in my experience most of the time they are unreasonable because they are uneducated and expect unreasonable outcomes. One thing I have done in the past was told the customer that if they can have another shop do a better install then I would give them the money back but if I can point out the same issues then they are SOL and I have even had a customer come back to my shop and apologize to me because when they went to the other shop they could tell what kind of customer they are and they told them that if they did it chances are it would be the same ....of course this only works if I'm absolutely confident that the other shop could at best match my results....so far I have yet to refund one of these customers

 

[TintDude]

13 hours ago, AweSauce said:

Everyone gets these customers and in my experience most of the time they are unreasonable because they are uneducated and expect unreasonable outcomes.

 

 

[robraz]

On 10/27/2022 at 9:49 PM, AweSauce said:

Everyone gets these customers and in my experience most of the time they are unreasonable because they are uneducated and expect unreasonable outcomes. One thing I have done in the past was told the customer that if they can have another shop do a better install then I would give them the money back but if I can point out the same issues then they are SOL and I have even had a customer come back to my shop and apologize to me because when they went to the other shop they could tell what kind of customer they are and they told them that if they did it chances are it would be the same ....of course this only works if I'm absolutely confident that the other shop could at best match my results....so far I have yet to refund one of these customers

 

 

100% agree with this-i've done the same thing

 

refunding money is saying that you did not do the job correctly.  if you are confident that your job is done right, never bend to an unreasonable person.  if your reputation is good, a scumbag like that will not hurt you. 

[Tintguy1980]

On 10/3/2022 at 5:58 PM, DynamicATL said:

 

I've offered only a few refunds after full removal is done, never a 50% refund. I was just thinking of one customer we experienced that we decided we were not going to touch their vehicle. We had a feeling he would try to claim we damaged the vehicle somehow.

I have three scenarios that come to mind (all back before net reviews):

 

1. Regular customer accuses us of scratching his hood. After explaining we don't work at the front of the car (vehicles were always backed in and we didn't do visor strips in those days), nor do we f**k around on people's hoods. He stood his ground saying something about a newbie doing it. I was the one that tinted his car so at that point I told him to get the hell out of my shop. Yes, he got a freebie, but I never had to see his azz again.

 

2. A new hire did the fronts, I did the side quarters, she bitched about the side quarters, which led to a redo. I had the new guy redo the quarters and she bitched about his work. Third attempt was still a downer so I simply asked her to return and leave her car for another attempt.

 

She calls asking if the car is ready, I say yes ma'am. When her husband rolled in and she got out looking at her car and storming in, everyone in the shop scattered but me. She came in asking why we removed all the tint from her car and I simple replied with, "Ma'am, we couldn't [please you on three different occasions and felt we would not be able to meet your expectations on the fourth try, so here's a refund check plus $20 for the gas used to come back over and over; take your business to another shop. Thank you".

 

As she swung around to leave, she bumped her husband and he reached over and smiled with an extended hand to shake mine.

 

3. Naples FL, 1993, very affluent community; lady comes with her cadi saying the dealership explained that I would take care of it and pointing out something in every window. This was a dealership sent vehicle with high recommendations about our reputation. She stops me at some point and asks why I didn't look at the back window and I says well if its the same as the others there was no point.

 

Meanwhile my friend who owned a shop across town also walked around following us and shrugged his shoulders out here sight. I offered a full refund IF she had someone else remove it because I saw no reason to remove such a fine install. She did and came back for her refund with no tint and I asked what the dealership charged her ... $100 for that 4 dr sedan ... I says, well how about that, they gave you a deal because they didn't up-charge from what they paid me.

 

Details guys a couple doors down asked why I gave her money back ... She was looking at the inside pimpling of the film surface that was stuck to the black ceramic material around the windows, better to see her taillights heading away.

 

Moral of the stories told in this whole thread is, when you're in the business for years and are good at what you do, you pretty much can spot the customers that think installed film is suppose to look like factory glass and those who are lying through their teeth to get a freebie.

[pitu]

i once tinted a Chevy Malibu.he talked nice before the tint job.took a walk and when the car was ready for pick up..he saw all these whiteish dot matrix around the rear glass and got freak out the mad.what are these ?what are these? I explained to him and also showing him that every Vehicles have dot matrix  it has to show.that s normal..i showed him on my Van and there s a used car dealership next door..He just didnt want to listen and agree.It seemed like he wanted to get a free bee.He said I dont want to see any whiteish and aint gonna to paid.He though he s bigger guy than me and kept on trying.eventually he kept on saying he didnt want to pay.so I went you dont pay you aint gonna have my film on your car.I peeled everything off.seriously!He said F and droved off.sometime we as a tinter.we have to stay touch. if it s reasonable.we can give in.