How would you handle this customer !

[MnAllstarsTech]

Hi ! once again .

This time i come baring a nice story that happened today which took me by surprised when i got the email.How do you guys deal with customer that leave your shop all happy and giggly and then go hide behind their computers and email treating to report and all that nonsense.

I am so ****** at this point and you will understand why after ready the situation , i wanted to cool down before replaying and see how you guys would handle it.i am actually going to call the customer tomorrow and see whats the problem.

Here is the situation:

Had a customer who purchased a refurbished Dell Computer 3.GHZ with 1GB of ram and no HDD about 2 months ago from the shop i work at.Came in on Friday saying the computer didn't work and he wanted to return it.He installed his own HDD,added more memory and installed win 8 on the computer.I explained to him that the return/money back period had expired and that all we can do is honor the warranty that we give which is 90 days and whatever is wrong we would fix it for free if its covered by the warranty and it wasn't used error.

So my guys check the computer and all it was doing was giving the amber light in the front and it would not boot or do anything.So after checking all components changing power supply,memory and HDD they decide to use another machine same model and just transfer his HDD and memory to see what happens.

We transfer the components and the new machine works fine , boots up and everything no issued.We test everything ram,and hdd no errors no problems.So since we have hundreds of these machines in stock and its still under warranty we decide to just replace it for the guy and then we can check the original one and see what went wrong.

So customer comes in to pick up the computer.We tell him we tried to see what was wrong with the original machine,at first we thought it was memory problems because of the memory he had installed and the configuration it was in or power supply but it wasn't. Customer starts to check the computer and noticed that it was a 2.0Ghz instead of a 3.0 so he ask me if we changed it so i tell him at first no we tried to fix your original one but we couldn't so yes we ended up just replacing it with this one, i told him am sorry my guys didn't realize yours was a 3.0GHz and i see they gave you a 2.0 , HE ! and i repeat HE said oh no that's fine i have a faster processor which i will be installing anyways so its fine.Then he goes to check the version of the bios and says oh you guys didn't upgrade the bios.i told him no i apologize but we usually don't update the bios on these unless there is a problem and being that your machine was dead we couldn't see what bios version you had, again HE ! and i repeat HE said its ok i can do it myself.

So he checks the computer took about 10 mins going over everything and we were talking and cracking jokes everything was fine.He leaves the store takes the computer with him , everything was fine, Gone.

A few hours later we get an email from this clown saying that he was lied to that we are dishonest , that we told him his original machine had bad memory. that now we gave him a swapped out and i quote "PSUEDO" machine, and that he can get a better deal somewhere else. That he expects "Rebuttal" or he is going to report us to the BBB.

Now my thing is , if he had a problem with the machine we gave him WHY DID HE TAKE IT !! why he didn't ask us to make the changes , why did he say IT WAS OK the way it is, that he is going yo make changes anyways.

BY he walking out with the computer tells me he is OK with the replacement any complaints he now has with the computer are not valid since he knew before walking out with it.Why he has to be 2 FACE and act like everything was ok and then go hide and make threats via emails , why cant he call or speak up at the shop.

i will call him and explain to him that we have video of him checking the computer and taking it which clearly indicates he had no problem taking the computer we replaced for him.

 

[glennd]

Reply once and only once to the email. Tell him you're sorry he's not happy with the changeover. If he brings the machine back to the shop you'll be happy exchange it for a machine of equal value and/or spec as the one he originally purchased.

Do not engage in an electronic sh** fight. Don't respond any further, regardless of any threats. The BBB (better business bureau i presume) is just a cheap, vain threat, don't be sucked in by that.

"Rebuttal... " = irrelevant
"Better deal somewhere else ..." = irrelevant.
"BBB" = irrelevant.
Any further correspondence should not be entered into. Don't call him. You've made the offer to resolve it. Now wait for him to bring it back.

 

[nlinecomputers]

If he was adding and changing parts why was ANYTHING under warranty? Sounds like he broke his machine. How is that your problem?

 

[MnAllstarsTech]

Thanks for the input Guys !

Reply once and only once to the email. Tell him you're sorry he's not happy with the changeover. If he brings the machine back to the shop you'll be happy exchange it for a machine of equal value and/or spec as the one he originally purchased.

Do not engage in an electronic sh** fight. Don't respond any further, regardless of any threats. The BBB (better business bureau i presume) is just a cheap, vain threat, don't be sucked in by that.

"Rebuttal... " = irrelevant
"Better deal somewhere else ..." = irrelevant.
"BBB" = irrelevant.
Any further correspondence should not be entered into. Don't call him. You've made the offer to resolve it. Now wait for him to bring it back.

That's why i came here and gave myself some time to cool off because you are right its just stupid and irrelevant statements from this guy.

If he was adding and changing parts why was ANYTHING under warranty? Sounds like he broke his machine. How is that your problem?

That's what i told the shop owner in the first place, but we try to make things right and this time it came back to bite us in the rear.
I hate dealing with these what i call "Frustrated Techs wanna-be" , he is taking a machine and adding all these over the top parts like its a custom gaming machine .its like taking a Honda and trying to replace its parts with Ferrari's.

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Tell the guy that you assumed by him taking delivery of the system that he was satisfied with it. Furthermore, when clients attempt to take apart, or repair their own machines, the warranty is voided as you can't help what they were doing. But that you took the first one back as a good faith effort to make him happy. Customer stated he had a faster cpu to install, you can't help that they are trying to install other parts not designed for the system and that warranty does not cover damages caused by that.

 

[Mercenary Roadie]

Laptop doesn't boot and he did a BIOS update.

Hmmmmmm.

Sounds like he messed up the BIOS update and bricked it.

 

[glennd]

nline has a valid point, it's not what you sold him and so is not your problem. you probably should have ended it right there.

It's looking more like the customer is taking advantage of you as a way of fixing up his own cockups. It's pretty easy to fry a motherboard when messing with ram chips; i've done it and i've also bricked a motherboard trying to update the bios so i reckon that's probably what's happened. however, you committed to getting it working so you gave him another machine in good faith. you just gave him one with a different spec to the original. if you now commit to resolving the situation by exchanging that for one of the same spec as the original you should be done with it, you've got hundreds right? you might have to suck this one up. Oh and be absolutely explicit that the original warranty has expired and there is no new warranty starting afresh with this second machine.

so i think my original comment stands, make the offer and wait for him to come to the shop, don't get caught up in an email war or a shouting match over the phone.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Your boss learned a valuable lesson. Never give warranty for customer altered equipment. It was obvious that he fraked it up and was trying to blame you. There is NO way that is going to ever come out well. And he fraked it up again when he probably for the second time tried to put in his wrong cpu into the machine. Hence the flame mail. Do as @glennd suggested.

 

[gadgetfixup]

We tried to sell barebones in the past and stopped quickly for this exact reason. You're selling an incomplete product and any problem encountered while making it a complete product will reflect poorly on you. We sell only complete products and any alteration to the hardware voids our warranty.

These wanna-be gamer techs will take you to the cleaners, buying parts and barebones, trying this, trying that and demanding replacement or refund for every item they damage. Send them to Egghead, Fryes or Tiger and never regret they're gone. We don't even refund parts the customers purchase and try to install themselves. You install it, you have an issue, you contact the manufacturer. We're sort of hard core about this but we've been burnt so many times with customers damaging hardware and us eating the costs.

 

[ChrisTech]

For all you know, he could have picked up enough static to fry the motherboard before he started messing around in there. As far as I can see, you have been reasonable with him, so leave it at that.

Any more aggravation from him is simply him being a you-know-what

 

[MnAllstarsTech]

nline has a valid point, it's not what you sold him and so is not your problem. you probably should have ended it right there.

It's looking more like the customer is taking advantage of you as a way of fixing up his own cockups. It's pretty easy to fry a motherboard when messing with ram chips; i've done it and i've also bricked a motherboard trying to update the bios so i reckon that's probably what's happened. however, you committed to getting it working so you gave him another machine in good faith. you just gave him one with a different spec to the original. if you now commit to resolving the situation by exchanging that for one of the same spec as the original you should be done with it, you've got hundreds right? you might have to suck this one up. Oh and be absolutely explicit that the original warranty has expired and there is no new warranty starting afresh with this second machine.

so i think my original comment stands, make the offer and wait for him to come to the shop, don't get caught up in an email war or a shouting match over the phone.

So the owner decided to call the customer himself , I will wait and see what's the out come , but am glad I gave myself time to cool off and not engaged in a email war or phone match with this ediot. It just gets me mad that a person has to go hide behind a computer and not have the enough balls to say something in person that we gladly would of made it right before he left the shop. And now that we are aware that he is changing cpu and updating bios I have a nice surprise if he ever comes back asking for warranty repairs.

 

[Bootman 650]

Unbelievable some customers. You only offer a warranty on the parts you sold. Not the customers own parts. You should have made it clear that any use of the customers own components would invalidate any warranty.

 

[MnAllstarsTech]

Unbelievable some customers. You only offer a warranty on the parts you sold. Not the customers own parts. You should have made it clear that any use of the customers own components would invalidate any warranty.

I agree , but we found out what he was doing when he picked up the machine. The only thing that was in the machine at the time of drop off was his ram and HDD . When I was talking to him while he was checking the machine was that he told me he was ok with the lower ghz CPU since he had his own. But you right I should of made it clear right then and there.

 

[lan101]

Yeah there's no future in my opinion on selling to these type of people. Anytime one of these types call me on the phone I get to the point very quickly. Why they dont just buy online is beyond me. Maybe to badger the shops when they screw up the part.

 

[nlinecomputers]

They bum you for free advice. They are trying to be cheap and get the parts themselves and then have you be friendly and tell them how to put it together. Selling parts, selling barebones system will bring the worst kind of clients. Selling full systems is better. Selling solutions even better then that.

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Not the same as barebones, but had a client once who had a custom gaming pc, and their cpu fried. They wanted to source it through me, and I do a markup and they ask well it's this price on newegg why are you more? Put a stop to that by saying I've either got to go get the part or pay someone to. Plus they were not having to wait for the part and we face them a warranty. As far as I'm concerned, a client messes internally with a system I set up, warranty is done right there.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Simple solution don't sell parts period. Would you go to an auto mechanic and buy parts from him? No you go to Napa, PepBoys, Autozone, etc. You either fix computers or you sell parts. Bad policy to try and do both. Even Best Buy knows this. Parts are a loss leader for the most part.

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Works for me. I buy almost all my parts at microcenter, do a markup, buy their warranty on the parts, even if a part goes out I take it back to them and I'm covered.

 

[MnAllstarsTech]

Simple solution don't sell parts period. Would you go to an auto mechanic and buy parts from him? No you go to Napa, PepBoys, Autozone, etc. You either fix computers or you sell parts. Bad policy to try and do both. Even Best Buy knows this. Parts are a loss leader for the most part.

I believe this depends on the shop owner/Manager . If you have a strong person that would not give in and be intimidated easily by these type of people then it could work.in my situation i think if we were to sell parts we would be getting burned a lot since the shop owner is too soft to handle customers like this that always looking to get something for nothing.

 

[ChrisTech]

Unbelievable some customers. You only offer a warranty on the parts you sold. Not the customers own parts. You should have made it clear that any use of the customers own components would invalidate any warranty.

I know some people don't like them and they probably have little legal standing anyway, but since we started using little 'warranty void if removed' seals on the rear of the cases, we have reduced the likelihood of someone opening the case and messing around.

If nothing else, it puts off those who just like to tinker and at least no-one can cannot get away with "we haven't touched it".