hibsjo(SCO) Posted September 17, 2009 Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 Customer comes in this morning wanting 5 mortice keys for a new lock, nice shiny new E*S 5 lever non BS lock (crap) turns out he was sold this by hardware company for fitting to external door! So what would you do? cut the keys? £20 quid in the till! or tell him that his insurance wont accept the lock as it is not BS. and lose the sale thoughts carry on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gav Posted September 17, 2009 Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 Did he ask for your advice ?? if not just cut away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted September 17, 2009 Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 Its between him and his insurance company if he has insurance. If he hadn't have told you you would have cut them anyway. I'd cut them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamparker Posted September 17, 2009 Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 Always take the money unless you sold him the lock in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted September 17, 2009 Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 I probably would use the line " I can cut these for you BUT did you realise....." You then either get a sale or a customer that'll return and spend maybe more than the original £20. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windycity Posted September 18, 2009 Report Share Posted September 18, 2009 hey hibsi trickey as a locksmith you feel more obligated than most to mention facts i think michaels post answer was good and most of us me included might not know that this particular lock would not stand up to insurance guidelines, i thought 5 levers is good for insurance cover. my answer is simple treat people how you would want to be treated. so hows it up in scottiland i read that swine flu is on the up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k4mrc Posted September 18, 2009 Report Share Posted September 18, 2009 problem, as i see it - is you advise him then lose the sale.., even if you have a bs standard lock the same as his! oh and even if you have he would have to go home and check, and then by which he will 'forget' to call back,to you as 'something else cropped up' to distract him! just cut the keys - take the money. and smile.... you cant help them all! and oh - carry on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibsjo(SCO) Posted September 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2009 aachoo! i cut these keys everyday of the week like most people its just when they come in and tell you what its being used for and why I feel obliged to give them the best advice to my knoweledge. guy came back today after getting lock replaced for BS and got his keys cut thanking me for what could have been a costly mistake. AACHOO! havent heard of any swine flu about carry on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Friend Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 I have two euro spec 5 lever BS rated locks here that have been rated by BS - so he was ripped off. I agree its a dilema and I have to say I would have to have explained that no BS rating No insurance. He is uniformed I am a Master Locksmith Skill and Integrety I think sitting back and letting it happen is whats up with UK Ltd, lets all moan and do bolox all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Web_Engraver Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Have the same problem when asked to fit a new watch battery & it's only the crown that wants pushing in. To Fit or Not To Fit, That Is The Question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Have the same problem when asked to fit a new watch battery & it's only the crown that wants pushing in. To Fit or Not To Fit, That Is The Question Not fit, explain to customer what you just did, TOTAL respect & a customer for life Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Web_Engraver Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Totally agree. The red faces when told are priceless. Makes them feel like BUFFOONS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 Have the same problem when asked to fit a new watch battery & it's only the crown that wants pushing in. To Fit or Not To Fit, That Is The Question Not fit, explain to customer what you just did, TOTAL respect & a customer for life Lee And £5.00 less for your childrens inheritance. If a customer comes in and asks for a new battery to be fitted, fit one regardless.. If a customer comes in and asks can you see why their watch has stopped, different scenario. I fear incoming and feel free to fire away but I'm here to make a living not save people money. Also if your customer was in your town on holiday never to return again thats £5.00 down the pan. Perhaps this should be moved to trade section now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petercoulson Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 hmmm, how far would you take this. when a customer rings us and says they need someone out to repair their machine we get a rough description of what is going wrong. quite often a very simple repair can be carried out that the customer can do so we explain what to do and if they are competent enough it will save them a lot of money and do us out of some work but its a much better scenario all round. particularly when it is a £5 part that may take only 5 mins to fit. not that we sell £5 parts of course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibsjo(SCO) Posted September 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 seems to me some have (ethics) some dont good point Peter simple repair needed doing to machine you can HELP the customer solve a problem very easily (unless its rlj then you just charge him full call out and a very good hourly rate as you are only doing whats been asked of you!) Mick is spot on we are in a service industry and sometimes that means giving advice which is to the detriment of your till. replacing batteries in watches where the stems pulled out which means watch aint going is THEFT sorry for being so blunt but there are some real f*cking numnuts out there who do our industry no justice what so ever! carry on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny King Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 We take each job on it's own merit. If customer comes in and chucks the watch onthe counter and grunts at you while he chats on his phone and the stem is out and batt is fine he gets a new batt and £1 aded to the job On the otherhand if he came in and was friendly and chatty we would tell him that it was only the stem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 Not quite sure how to read your post hibso(SCO) but it seems from your inference I am a f*cking numnutted thief. Thanks. Carry on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k4mrc Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 hibsjo(SCO) » Sun Sep 20, 2009 6:18 pm seems to me some have (ethics) some dont i was just wondering, you have a queue, customer gives you keys "please cut 5" etc etc do you spend the 10 minutes or so explaining? lose other customers whilst this is going on, no i dont think so. if you time that is great, but i feel using this policy you will lose more than you gain - when you cut a bog standard 'bird' cylinder do you then do the ethics thing? na did not think so... ethics, must be up there in scotland - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibsjo(SCO) Posted September 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 So Martin customer comes in with watch not working cos the stems been pulled out check battery replace it cos its fine(remembering customer doesnt have a scooby cos they trust you) you would endorse this practise? must be an english thing! rlj you are also perceptive. carry on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k4mrc Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 watch not working cos the stems been pulled out check battery replace it cos its fine no joe - i am talking on keys! Customer comes in this morning wanting 5 mortice keys for a new lock,nice shiny new E*S 5 lever non BS lock (crap) turns out he was sold this by hardware company for fitting to external door! So what would you do? cut the keys? £20 quid in the till! watch repairs, Ethics - i do agree with you - but this topic is predominatly keys.... sorry... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibsjo(SCO) Posted September 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 ok then guy comes in wanting non transponder key as he is going to manipulate the vehicle to accept this key ?????????????????????? what do you do? cut the key take the fiver?(cos youve got 10 customers waiting) tell him if he does this it will invalidate his insurance but you can cut him the correct Key (but you wont cos you have 10 customers waiting to be served) its a NO BRAINER Martin come on carry on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k4mrc Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 ok then guy comes in wanting non transponder key as he is going to manipulate the vehicle to accept this key ??????????????????????what do you do? cut the key take the fiver?(cos youve got 10 customers waiting) tell him if he does this it will invalidate his insurance but you can cut him the correct Key (but you wont cos you have 10 customers waiting to be served) we have all had some bright spark in, who wants a non-transponder key - they are advised what happens and still want a non-transponder 'ford tibbe' (for instance) and yes we cut the key as we are in a service industry and i like money in my till! yes advice - but the customer is always right - is he not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamparker Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 I think we will all react differently depending on who the customer is (regular or not) and how polite they are and there reaction to what you say.Some customers cannot be helped no matter how you try.Im sure many of you have been given a bunch of keys and then asked for 3 of each,upon closer inspection of the bunch you notice that maybee 2 or 3 are the same key and when you inform the customer they usually say cut them anyway.We are in business to make money not a charity but good will and helpfull advice go a very long way,i personally never take money at any cost but sometimes you just have to as the customer is always right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaloti Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 Get 1 or 2 a month asking for cheap none-chipped key. I always tell them it wont start the car and not to put it in the ign as this can confuse the brain and might send it to sleep. Usually they will bye the chipped version although a few months ago a dealer from the car site up the road smuggly asked in a load voice (shop full of people) " give me one of these mate, dont need the chip as I know how to trick the system, done hundreds of them". It was a tibbie so I cut one for him on a none chip blank. He started gobbing off saying he wanted it cut on a chipped pod. Told him a few truths and let him and the waiting customers know that he was cheating his customers by not telling them that there insurance wont cover them if the car is stolen in the future. Aint been back since, not to bothered. As for a customer asking "can I have another one of these for my back door" (M28H) I ask them if they realise there not insurered and try, usually unsuccessfully, to get them to buy a BS from us. We sell quite a few M28H's. As far as I'm concerned, reputation is every thing, almost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibsjo(SCO) Posted September 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2009 Ah a chink of light =D> carry on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now