Sick as a DOG this Morning.

[Numb-nuts 1]

The do say that the best way to learn a lesson id the hard way. Well this morning I leant ar real hard lesson

I spent a full day putting a quote together for a quotation. I went out door knocking and and through a whole day odf rejectction this was the only positive interest I had all that day and it was raining.

 

I have just been into the garage and started to discuss the when the boss will be back in the workshop. Suddenly this customer of theirs pipes up 'what are you guys talking about?" to the the second in charge who then tells him, the man respond's "but my son does CCTV installation and cheaper than anyone else" I thought to myself if he didn't before he does NOW.

 

I could not be rude to the guy as I didn't know what he was now, a customer or what, but I wanted to swear and curse at him for being nosey. Fact it it was my stupid fault. Now I am kicking myself

 

I WON"T BE MAKING THAT MISTAKE AGAIN!

[fa chris 0]

You need to get your father out there to provide you with possible leads.

[ljarrald 0]

ouch.

what's the bet they get a useless Chinese system from ebay?

[Soundy 1]

So did you end up talking to the boss, or did you just leave at that point? Because that (leaving) would be the only REAL mistake.

 

Seriously, how many times do you think this garage owner has been in the same position - trying to sell someone on his professional services only to have some backyard mechanic pipe up about how he can do the same work for a case of beer?

 

And how many times do you think he's had the last laugh, having to clean up the "cheaper" guy's mess, and had it end up costing the customer more than it would have if he'd brought it to the shop in the first place?

 

Heck, I can think of a few times I've had to pay a shop to clean up my own mistakes on my own cars - I'm a pretty fair backyard mechanic myself, but when you get your oil pan partially swapped in your driveway, only to find you don't have the facilities (hoist) or tools to finish the job, and have to have the car towed to a real mechanic's shop with all the parts in a box in the back... well, that's when you come to appreciate why it costs what it does to have a pro do the work.

 

If this shop owner is a smart businessman, he's not going to simply jump at the first "my son is the cheapest installer ever!" that comes through the door... and if he does, well, he deserves exactly what he ends up with.

 

I hope you stuck with it - as I say, the only REAL mistake would have been to bail at that point.

[Numb-nuts 1]

It is now my policy to be quite blunt in future and not to discuss anything with anyone except the boss.

Yes I did leave because if I had started I would have been in a fistfight with the nosey customer, not a wise move

since he was almost half my age and double my size and it's not a great way to influence potential customers either.

I will go back when their boss is there and speak to him directly.

 

If he does end up with some grey import crap, he'll deserve it, but I have a feeling the boss knows better

than that as I told him the last 8 channel system I did with realtime recording at DI was £200o but his will be less I hope, he seemed okay with that.

 

In future I will not speak in front of anyone else, not even staff.

 

I never quibble about the cost, it's got to be done and I know the garage I use and know I can trust them.

[Soundy 1]

Personally, I think you're getting riled up over nothing - if anything, the customer is something I would have joked about with the second-in-command (after moving out of earshot, of course)... you know, something like, "Yeah, and I bet his son is the cheapest around to fix my car, too."

 

Besides, I see no problem talking about it with the owner's right-hand man - chances are he doesn't have any say in the final decision anyway, and if he does, he's probably equally unimpressed by the customer's rudeness.

 

Frankly, if it was me, I'd probably be unimpressed as well by this "professional" guy having a tantrum over it and refusing to talk to me any more, too - that's just rude and condescending on your part.

[tomcctv 187]

call back in tomorrow and just say you did not want to talk about his security needs infront of a 3rd party.

 

then ask can you see the other guys quote so as YOU can check if the customer is getting value for money.

 

we have not knocked on doors for over 12 years. it is hard work and you dont get to talk to the owner most of the time.

 

 

going back to talk might be a good thing.

[Numb-nuts 1]

Personally, I think you're getting riled up over nothing - if anything, the customer is something I would have joked about with the second-in-command (after moving out of earshot, of course)... you know, something like, "Yeah, and I bet his son is the cheapest around to fix my car, too."

 

Besides, I see no problem talking about it with the owner's right-hand man - chances are he doesn't have any say in the final decision anyway, and if he does, he's probably equally unimpressed by the customer's rudeness.

 

Frankly, if it was me, I'd probably be unimpressed as well by this "professional" guy having a tantrum over it and refusing to talk to me any more, too - that's just rude and condescending on your part.

 

I didn't have a 'tantrum' and I didn't refuse to talk to anyone, and frankly I find that comment extremely unhelpful and quite patronizing. I think I behaved with restraint and tact considering what happened.

 

My decision is that in future I will not be discussing my business in front of anyone other than the decision maker and certainly not in a workshop with other's listening on. I am entirely to blame and I should have known better to avoid such a situation.

 

I will be going in to speak to the boss there, he's off with a bad back at the moment so I'm not sure when he'll be in I'll telephone first. Door knocking is my only source of business at the moment and I don't have the budget to advertise or do emailings or surface mailings and I have not been trading as a supplier and installer that long.

[nDAlk90 0]

Maybe his son is also in the CCTV business. Everyone and their mother, brother, sister, and father seems to be a installer.

 

"but my son does CCTV installation and cheaper than anyone else"

[Soundy 1]

I didn't have a 'tantrum' and I didn't refuse to talk to anyone, and frankly I find that comment extremely unhelpful and quite patronizing.

Well that's certainly the way you made it sound - like you were barely able to hold yourself back from jumping the guy. From the way you've played out the story, everything was going fine until Mr. My-son-is-an-installer piped up, and from there you leave the impression that you just got in a snit about it and left. Apologies if that's not the case, but that's how you've made it sound.

 

I think I behaved with restraint and tact considering what happened.

Nothing "happened". Some clown overheard your conversation and butted in. Big freakin' deal, it happens all the time. It shouldn't be something to get so worked up about. Laugh it off and move on.

 

My decision is that in future I will not be discussing my business in front of anyone other than the decision maker and certainly not in a workshop with other's listening on. I am entirely to blame and I should have known better to avoid such a situation.

Blame yourself all you want, but NOTHING HAPPENED that's out of the ordinary. Unless it's business that requires confidentiality, there's no need to be so cloak-and-dagger about it.

 

I will be going in to speak to the boss there, he's off with a bad back at the moment so I'm not sure when he'll be in I'll telephone first. Door knocking is my only source of business at the moment and I don't have the budget to advertise or do emailings or surface mailings and I have not been trading as a supplier and installer that long.

Think of the alternative that could have happened in this scenario (and HAS happened for me, several times, in fact): Customer asks what you're talking about; shop guy tells him it's about their CCTV system; customer asks for your card because he's interested in setting up a system as well.

 

If you're trying to drum up business like this, you'd probably be better off to consider any avenue open.