Needing some serious advice.

[BAD BEHAVIOR]

Ok , Ive debated this for quite some time this afternoon and tonight on whether to post this. I wont call any names or post any specifics. Just wondering how you guys would handle this. I always preach shop local and I always try my best to do so. I had an occurence today that left me dumbfounded, the occurence actually started yesterday. I took my Triton to the shop and left it for the trailer lights to be replaced and to check the water pump that I thought was installed new when i had my foot replaced earlier this year. I picked it up yesterday to wash it before the tourney Saturday, with the foot off and was informed that the water pump had not been installed new and my pump needed to be replaced. He said the pump was ordered. I understood that the boat would not be ready but I figured since he was tight on space and my boat takes up alot of room, it would be easier for the shop owner and give him some more room. Washed the boat today and found a big eight inch gash in the rear starboard side of the hull. The cut is all the way through the gelcoat. Trying not to be mad about it and knowing how clogged his boat yard stays, I figured one of his helpers must have backed it up on something not realizing it. These guys have done all my work for about ten years and Ive always highly recommended them so I didnt figure it would be an issue. Rather than drag the boat back to the shop, I took a couple of pics and went to show him. His first response was,"It didnt happen here." He was visibly agitated so i tried to be as calm as I could and said, "Buddy, I dont know what happened to it, but it wasnt like that when I dropped it off." I had just washed it Sunday. I dropped it at the shop Monday. Again, he said that it didnt happen there. I told him I wasnt gonna argue about it, I just wanted him to look at it and see if it could be fixed. By this time I just wanted the boat fixed whether I had to pay for it or not. He then looked up at me and said" You know , youre one of the worst customers Ive got." WOW, I thought. I spend in any given year several thousand dollars in that shop and everything thats been done to my boats in the last ten years has been done by them. He said "Everytime you come in here, Im on pins and needles, youre just too dang picky." I told him I was picky, always have been. I told him I was picky about my things as well as the things people bought from my store. I also told him being concerned about a damage that size was a little past picky. By this time he's red as a beet and im pretty perturbed myself. This is the same guy who is supposed to rig the Maverick. He says Im always buying things from other places and wanting them to work on them or install them. I told him if he sold Triton, Id of bought it from him. If he sold maverick, id of bought it from him. I even asked him before I bought either boat if he had any way to get them. I shopped his line of metal boats and looked seriously at one before I chose a Maverick. I ordered my jackplate off the internet because he said he couldnt get it. I got my electronics from Heath @ SGO because he's my friend and the shop owner said he couldnt get them. HE said he'd spent all this time BOTHERING with me about that Maverick and he wasnt gonna make any money on rigging it because it would take too long. I kind of thought thats what boat stores did. I bought the Powerpole and remotes from him and was gonna buy my trolling batteries from him, even though he doesnt carry Odysee batteries that I really wanted. I ve asked him to try and get them but he's not interested. I bought everything but my trolling motor and powerpole on my Triton from him. I fully expected to pay whatever labor fees he charged. I ve never asked him for a discount. He then asked me into his office and began to try and explain his previous actions and started saying that he felt like I felt his shop wasnt adequate . I told him if I felt that way, My $90,000.00 worth of flats boats wouldnt be left in his care. He then said some guy had been in there earlier and chewed his ass about a price. I told him Id never even asked him for a discount. I left after a couple of minutes more of discussion probably about as mad as Ive ever been in a business and told him if he'd just look at the boat, he could see that its so big of a damage , it would be hard for me of not to have noticed it when i washed it. He said Im always just so picky and brought up a little situation about a freeaking $2 cotler pin that got lost out of my trailer( to hold the tongue lock down). i told him it was no big deal,not to worry about it when we found it missing. He said that he had thought about that pin alot and it wasnt on the boat when i dropped it off. Really , no big deal. About a week before when we were going to Ecky, i had left the Triton with him to give the Opti a once over. I wanted him to check the plugs on it. We replaced them earlier in the year and I wanted him to check them as I thought Id heard one misfiring at idle. When i went to pick up my boat, I couldnt latch it. I hauled it there with my truck , took it off my ball and they moved it in the yard with a fork lift. Somehow the little metal latch got bent and it wouldnt go down on my ball. He said they didnt do that then and I told him I didnt care how it happened, Just help me fix it so I could go fishing. Anyways, he brought that up today as an example of how picky I am. Another thing that was brought up yesterday was when i got there, the foot was off and I asked if there was anyway dirt could get in the open bottom of the motor. He got miffed about that and told me if I didnt trust him he wasnt gonna do my work. I wasnt looking at him when he said it and I said, it aint got nothing to do with trust, I m just asking cause i dont know how that foot goes on and off. Then I look at him and he's dead serious and he said " I said, If you dont trust me Im not gonna do yourr work." I started to say something then but I let it go as a misunderstanding and even went back yesterday and appologized for the misunderstanding and tried to reassure him that I did trust his work or again, my boats wouldnt be in his care. Anyways, after all this was brought up, I told him, tell you what, Im gonna bring my Triton back tomorrow morning and you put the foot back together. Fix it or not, just put it back like it was where it will work. I told him I d get all the stuff I ve paid for this week and pay him for any other thing time or material, I owed him for and we'd be done. i told him Id take the Maverick elsewhere or Id do it myself. He said he'd still do the Maverick for me, kinda making me feel like he was doing me a favor. Ive been stopping in there for several years, several times a week , alot of times just to shoot the breeze and when i left, I couldnt believe that had just happened. When he called me in his office, he said the only reason he was trying to explain to me was because we were friends and he guessed he shouldnt have said anything. I told him I was glad I knew how he felt because I didnt want to be a bother or a nuisance to anyone, especially when Im paying them for their service. I told him that everything I d ever bought from him, Id paid alot more through him than I could have bought it elsewhere and Id never said a word about it. Thats where it stands as of now. What do you guys think and how would ya'll handle it. Im normally all up for shiots and giggles but Im looking for some serious advice here. I guess I needed to vent and see what happened in writing to see if I was wrong. I could see it if I went in there being an azzhole but Im always cuttin the fool with them and if my stuff isnt ready, I usually cut up and give em a hard time at most, but never anything derogatory, ever. I mean, my Maverick has been there since last Wednesday and hasnt been touched. Ive given them a little hell about it but laughed it off and told them I knew they were busy and it wasnt like I was going without( I ve got BB). The electronics and trolling motor have been there with it all that time. Id asked that those be installed so I could at least fish on it a few times. Just looking for some ways to handle this. Should I pick all my stuff up and say the hell with them or let it go again????

[fishbonez]

I feel for ya man! Sounds like he was at the end of his rope and ended up venting and unloading on you. But that is still NO way to treat a consistant loyal customer. The fact that you have had several situations where they denied any negligence when damage was done, makes me question the shops integrity. I hate to say this because you may never find a shop that you are comfortable with, as you were until this happened, but I think you should pay what you owe and cut the cord. It may mean a longer drive and more inconvenience but unless they do some serious damage control like fess up and make it right. I dont see you having any other option, that was just not right .

I'm going to my shop tomorrow and look for a Maverick in the lot, if one is there, i most likely will be shopping for a new marine shop too. Good Luck

[CATCH 22]

Put it to you like this, if I were to treat a paying customer like that I probably would get canned. It does'nt matter how good you are,if you dont prove you want my buisiness, you wont get it. Don't think I would of handled it quite so calmly. You might think you have a repore with these people, but it's one sided. If you walked the floor and heard one of your salespersons tell a customer they were being just to danged picky, what would you do?

[bman]

I'd love to hear the same story from the shop owners perspective... It could change my reply.
But here you go: Based on what you just wrote- find somewhere else.

You probably are picky- you own a business that puts you face to face with a lot of picky people.
How many times does your company eat a problem that you are not sure you created?
You do that because people talk and you want to have a good reputation.

We are all in service industries(except you government guys ) We get customers because we are good at what we do, or We are fast, or We are cheep.
This guy is expensive, slow and it sounds like you are having a problem trusting he is going to do a good job.

There are too many shops out there that will appreciate your business.
Heck, that need your business... Find someone who is excited you called them.

[MudDucker]

If you pay a man to do something, you have a right to be picky. Folks I do work for are PICKY and I expect that..fact is I'm picky about my work.

I agree with Bman, sounds like he was having a bad day and you got the wrong end of it. However, if he said it, he more than likely has been feeling it.

If you don't feel the air is cleared, then move on.

[wevans]

You SURE you don't live in Panacea

Tell him to gather your stuff, pay him and forget him! No matter what he may say now, he has already said what he really feels and obviously has no respect for your property nor you!!

[Welby]

convenience is only worth so much..........confidence is where it's at. Cut the cord, it will give you piece of mind in the long run.

[Reel Cowboy]

Sounds like the best thing you can do is burn the bridge. I have several customers that are probably alot worse than you are (calling all times of the night, call about the same thing four time in 20 minutes, that kind of aggravating routine) and my boss would have had my arse for acting that way.
Pay up and find another shop. Belive me I know how farof a drive it is to Tallahassee or Medart or Perry for a little service work but that may very well be what you have to do.

[Chalk]

You should consult Mook on paragraphing

Simply decision for me - pinch it off and flush...if your in the service business the customer is always right, even if their wrong.

[Redbelly]

Go elsewhere.

[Tom Keels]

I'd tell him the way the economy is that you can't afford not to be picky and he can't afford to treat customers like that. Retail and service folks should make every effort to make the customer happy.

[Dubble Trubble]

Should I pick all my stuff up and say the hell with them or let it go again????

Let me tell you a story BB. I like you, am very picky. I had bought a new Jet Ski from a dealer in florida. Befor 1 year was up, the engine failed (Bad inner seal). The dealer in tally said it would be 3 months before they even could look at it.

I quickly became an ex-customer there.

I carried the unit to Tifton, after I had diagnosed the problem myself. Even thought I had worked on it, they still got me a new engine in the crate and made me happy. BUT, like you I am picky. When I picked it up, (We had agreed I would install the new engine), a $150 sensor was missing. Now I KNOW it was there, because I had put it in a bag with a few other parts. When I asked them about it, they told me the same thing, that it was not there when I brought it. Well, I turned red and so did the shop manager (almost a fist fight). I left.

The next day, I called them spoke with the shop manager, and offered him this deal. I would pay for half of the sensor if they would, since we both thought we were right. He checked with management and said OK. They ordered it and when I went to pick it up, would not let me pay for the thing at all.

I am STILL a loyal customer to them to this day.

You can see there were highs and lows to our business relationship, we both got a little hotheaded. I could have hit him on a bad day. He may have just got his arse chewed by his boss. Who knows?

One other note that may help: Some of the worst fights I had when I was young was with some of my best friends now.

Give it a day or so and think on it...

Dubble

[BrogensDuck]

One way or the other it sounds like it is going to change the way you behave around him and the way you feel about your very nice stuff being there. This means you are basically telling him it is O.K. for him to treat YOU like that AND you will come back no matter what. You get the raw end of the deal in both ways. Even if he turns his behavior around, you will still have a sick feeling in your stomach leaving your Mav. there (and wondering if you should say something if it hasnt been touched). Based on your report, it sounds like it is not the first time he has had an interaction like this with a customer. There are probably many others who have taken it from him and kept their boats with him "because they were friends." This is business...take it elsewhere.

[whitebc]

Find a new store. Even if you did act "picky" like he said then it still should not matter, sounds to me like they have tooo much business and don't need/care about yours, go somewhere else.

I agree with Chalk "...the (paying) customer is always right..." they obviously don't need your money give it to someone that does.

[Reel Fun]

First of all..... I own a small auto repair shop in Tallahassee, here's my take. I have a few simple rules.........1- always "listen" to the customer, try to see things from there view. I can't freaking believe he said you were "too picky".....I just can't believe an owner of a business would say that to "any customer", especially a loyal/consistent customer. 2- we're all human, mistakes can and do happen. Always take the high road....... I've had to pay for damage to customer's cars that we may/may not have done. My thinking is the customer knows their car better that me......so they're probably right when they say.."this damage wasn't here when I droped the car off". I know for a FACT......I have retained several customers who have returned for service and they have told others about our honesty.....by taking this appproach. I have some rules but I won't go any further.......... If I were you............ I would pay up and move on, with out a doubt !!! I'm sure you can find someone that will appreciate you and your business. I've got several customers like you that say......"here's the key....fix it.....call me when it's ready", these folks get TOP PRIORITY status. That what you should be getting..............TOP PRIORITY.........