How Not To Rip Off A Company
Reprinted with permission from http://emperorbuz.livejournal.com/286140.html:
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So... Thursday, I get a call from a girl who claimed that a "bump" on Highway 190 in Mandeville where we are working caused her car to mess up and among other damages, bent her rim and caused a "clicking" in her rack and pinion. Well, I put her on hold and called the super up and he basically said, "out of 22,000 cars that pass that road every day, hers is the only one with damage, so there's no way we're going to pay any money to that money chaser." But he did tell me to get an estimate from her, and he'll have a look at it. So I clicked back over and told her to bring in an estimate and the super will have a look at it. I did add, "But I'm not sure if he's gonna pay it because you are the only person who claims damage was done to your car out of 22,000 cars that pass there on a daily basis."
Anyway. Later that day, I get a call from a man who's black dialect I can hardly understand, saying that "a bump on 190 in mandeville caused 700 dollars worth of damage to his car for which he wanted recompense because he paid for it out of his own pocket". I asked him when this happened, and he said it happend Monday. He brought his car immediately to the shop and had a reciept for the work and wanted us to pay for it. I told him basically the same thing. That out of TWENTY TWO THOUSAND cars that pass there daily, his (I didn't mention the other one because my instinct told me these were isolated incidents) was the only car to suffer any damage, and that for him to possibly have had any damage due to the "bump" on 190, he had to have been going well over the posted 35mph speed limit. Nonetheless, I suggested he bring in an estimate as well.
Well, friday, the guy shows up with his $700 reciept and by the repairs to his car (rack and pinion and steering repairs on a 93 for Taurus), I could tell that this repair was probably of no relation to the little "bump" on 190. I told him flat out that there was little chance that the super would pay this bill, and he immediately threatened to get "his lawyer" involved. I told him to do whatever he felt he needed to do, but frankly, he was only wasting his time as well as ours, but I took his cell phone number and told him I would have the super look over the estimate anyway.
This morning, the girl who claimed a bent rim and the clicking due to the "bump" on 190 brought her estimate and I told her that the super wasn't in, and she'd have to wait until he sees the estimate to know if he'll pay it or not. She gave me two numbers to contact her in any case, and then she left.
I called the Super to ask him if he wanted to tell these people the bad news or if he wanted me to do it. I let him know that I was not in favor of talking to these people at all. So he asked for the girl's phone number and the extent of her damages and I gave him that information. Then he asked for the other guy's phone number. That is when I noticed this little gem.
Two different people. Two different cars. Two different estimates. Same location of damage occurance. Two different body shops. Two different types of damages. Out of TWENTY TWO THOUSAND CARS that pass there daily:
Same phone numbers and contact information.
When I realized this, the super was still on the phone when I busted out laughing my ASS off. So in the middle of laughing and hearing the two people who were in here busting out (two applicants who were seated in my office waiting, heard me telling the super what was going on), I told the Super that out of twenty two thousand cars that pass that spot daily, these two people happened share the same phone numbers, and BOTH of thier cars were the ONLY ones damaged by a "bump" on 190 that was there for five days and had about.. 110,000 cars pass over it.
I told the Super, "So... do you want to call these people and tell them to fuck off, or do you want the pleasure of doing that?"
After laughing and stating that some people are just "unbelievable", he said, "You can do it, or when they call, you can tell them to call me, and I'll tell them what I think about it. Either way."
Some people....
Anyway... I just learned that I am not supposed to request an estimate in such matters, but that I should just refer those people to our main office immediately. The only problem with that is the main office might not catch little schemes like this as quickly as we can directly. So.. in the future I won't have the pleasure of discovering these little gems of humor.
Well. There it is.
End Transmission.
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So... Thursday, I get a call from a girl who claimed that a "bump" on Highway 190 in Mandeville where we are working caused her car to mess up and among other damages, bent her rim and caused a "clicking" in her rack and pinion. Well, I put her on hold and called the super up and he basically said, "out of 22,000 cars that pass that road every day, hers is the only one with damage, so there's no way we're going to pay any money to that money chaser." But he did tell me to get an estimate from her, and he'll have a look at it. So I clicked back over and told her to bring in an estimate and the super will have a look at it. I did add, "But I'm not sure if he's gonna pay it because you are the only person who claims damage was done to your car out of 22,000 cars that pass there on a daily basis."
Anyway. Later that day, I get a call from a man who's black dialect I can hardly understand, saying that "a bump on 190 in mandeville caused 700 dollars worth of damage to his car for which he wanted recompense because he paid for it out of his own pocket". I asked him when this happened, and he said it happend Monday. He brought his car immediately to the shop and had a reciept for the work and wanted us to pay for it. I told him basically the same thing. That out of TWENTY TWO THOUSAND cars that pass there daily, his (I didn't mention the other one because my instinct told me these were isolated incidents) was the only car to suffer any damage, and that for him to possibly have had any damage due to the "bump" on 190, he had to have been going well over the posted 35mph speed limit. Nonetheless, I suggested he bring in an estimate as well.
Well, friday, the guy shows up with his $700 reciept and by the repairs to his car (rack and pinion and steering repairs on a 93 for Taurus), I could tell that this repair was probably of no relation to the little "bump" on 190. I told him flat out that there was little chance that the super would pay this bill, and he immediately threatened to get "his lawyer" involved. I told him to do whatever he felt he needed to do, but frankly, he was only wasting his time as well as ours, but I took his cell phone number and told him I would have the super look over the estimate anyway.
This morning, the girl who claimed a bent rim and the clicking due to the "bump" on 190 brought her estimate and I told her that the super wasn't in, and she'd have to wait until he sees the estimate to know if he'll pay it or not. She gave me two numbers to contact her in any case, and then she left.
I called the Super to ask him if he wanted to tell these people the bad news or if he wanted me to do it. I let him know that I was not in favor of talking to these people at all. So he asked for the girl's phone number and the extent of her damages and I gave him that information. Then he asked for the other guy's phone number. That is when I noticed this little gem.
Two different people. Two different cars. Two different estimates. Same location of damage occurance. Two different body shops. Two different types of damages. Out of TWENTY TWO THOUSAND CARS that pass there daily:
Same phone numbers and contact information.
When I realized this, the super was still on the phone when I busted out laughing my ASS off. So in the middle of laughing and hearing the two people who were in here busting out (two applicants who were seated in my office waiting, heard me telling the super what was going on), I told the Super that out of twenty two thousand cars that pass that spot daily, these two people happened share the same phone numbers, and BOTH of thier cars were the ONLY ones damaged by a "bump" on 190 that was there for five days and had about.. 110,000 cars pass over it.
I told the Super, "So... do you want to call these people and tell them to fuck off, or do you want the pleasure of doing that?"
After laughing and stating that some people are just "unbelievable", he said, "You can do it, or when they call, you can tell them to call me, and I'll tell them what I think about it. Either way."
Some people....
Anyway... I just learned that I am not supposed to request an estimate in such matters, but that I should just refer those people to our main office immediately. The only problem with that is the main office might not catch little schemes like this as quickly as we can directly. So.. in the future I won't have the pleasure of discovering these little gems of humor.
Well. There it is.
End Transmission.