Long term pain in arse customer advise.

[Mike at Vauxhall]

So I've got a situation that has gone on for far too long. I've been serving this customer for the best part of 18 years.  He's still essentially paying 2000 prices, although I recently managed to increase the prices a little. A £20 watch he is buying for £7, up from £5. A ridiculous situation I know. Completely my fault for letting it go on. I am very certain there is an underlying mental health problem, that's him not me. He sometimes buys a watch a week, never returns them, and doesn't care what it looks like. I am certain he is not reselling. Last week he came in for a high security padlock for a shop, I said they really start at least £30, and suggested some places as that is not really my range. He bought an economy padlock for £2.50, in the end. He asked for exactly the same thing yesterday, this time I just said no.

 

Edited November 12, 2018 by cowers lane 583
Missed a word

[Tom D]

hes not the full shilling  ( we all get them ) , last week " you did this battery 6months ago its loosing half an hour ",  we guarantee them for 2yrs as long as  you have the receipt  , he dosent , so out of the kindness of my heart I say il change it , he hands over this old Seiko filthy  so I change it give it back  and tell him listen this watch is old and dirty inside  how long have you had it and have you ever had it cleaned .   I got it in 1979 he says and its only ever needed battries , so I tell him if you bought a ford escort in 1979 never serviced it what state would it be in now

[Lee]

personally for a £2.50 padlock I would have sold him it again & here's why...

the chances are someone is monitoring his money & giving him a budget & sending him out the door. its probably the only thing left as normal in his aging & deteriorating health.

if you start saying no, it might end his pattern. there could be a good chance he comes to you because his comfortable around you & the habit its deep routed. if you was screwing him over the story would be different. if you was a sweet shop & he came in two days running for a £2.50 mix you wouldn't bat an eyelid. you to him could be a sweat shop & you might just have broke his mind one tiny piece more. I have a customer who never touches anything. including his own money. he wears two layers of gloves & we chat about football (something I have no clue about) or rather I listen to him when he comes in. A few years ago someone brought in some sticker books from him (because he couldn't touch them) for my children. they where flabbergasted he gave them away & even more shocked he new i had children the reason.......... no one ever talked to him because of the way he was.

[Tom D]

in a lot of ways we are unpaid social workers , how many of us have been asked to check  out torches  toasters  tv remotes. in fairness we are the last business left on the high st  were the customer reacts with the person doing the job 

[Mike at Vauxhall]

Looking at Lee's post, going to not rock the boat. Leave the situation as it is.

[SteelCityShoes]

I’ve got a couple of “customers” very similar and I just keep it going for the reason Lee said, it’s not costing me anything and I’m pretty sure it’s their only regular and normal social interaction 

 

I’ve even got one guy who comes in every single day, and has done for about 20 years to get a single empty carrier bag, no idea what he does with them all but we get a Christmas card every year from him