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I think my work is going to hell
One of the symptoms? See below:
A customer doesn't get their boat if they don't pay their storage bill. Sometimes we let them do a form of cash on deposit, where they pay when they come to pick it up, but we rarely do, and this is why.
A customer takes this option. Doesn't pick his boat up for three days. So my father charges him a haul to take it back to the storage lot.
The guy calls up today, saying he's ready to get his boat and pay the 'surprise bill.'
My boss, fairly childishly, announces: "He can come get it, but he has to tell me he's here and WAIT for me to put it in!"
Ok...
The customer agrees to that. Shows up a while later, starts to pay, but before he can, my boss grabs him and drags him away to go look at his boat--because there was water in his gas.
The customer comes back to pay, and gets his total. which we shall say is approximately 40 dollars more than what he was expecting.
Seeing this, I print out the 'breakdown' of his prices, along with all the invoices. 3 of them were finance charges from not paying for something from last summer, one was that item from last summer, one was the repair + haul, and one was storage.
He says he might not have enough on his card. I run it, and he doesn't.
My mother goes to get my father, who can approve a discount or partial payment for the guy. Sensing the tension, I act as if I'm taking his side, making sympathetic coos and gurgles, explaining I'd love to help him, but I just can't.
He waits about 2 minutes, then walks out the door as I say: "Sir, if you hang on a bit longer-"
"I'll call later' he grumbles on his way out.
He does.
I walk out for part of the call to help another customer.
"Do you think I'm being unreasonable?"
(This is a FAVORITE tactic of my father's. What he can't get by yelling, he tries to get by playing the 'sane man' and acting like we made him be an asshole.)
Then, customer hangs up on him.
In a flash of childish brilliance that can only be translated to "You don't get to break up with me! I BREAK UP WITH YOU!!!!!!1" my father calls back, screams at him about how the extra charge wasn't just for the haul but for fixing his boat, then hangs up and yells at the phone "See how you like it!"
Sadly, the conclusion was an anti-climax, as the customer came in and paid the full amount while my father was gone, and apologized. My father feels victorious for another day.
--Bonus manchildishness!---
My father has been completely obsessed with launches, which are $5 a pop. We've jokingly called him the 'launch police.' Well, now he's made an after-hours dropbox, added another camera to the launch dock, and made a sign making it very clear he will still bill you if he catches you--and he will catch you--stealing a launch, and he'll bill you DOUBLE.
Well, he caught two people stealing 5 launches, so he charged them 50. but 4 of those launches weren't theirs. They had a shouting match with my father, and swore at him.
My father sent them a letter that said: (approx, I wanted to get a pic of the letter, but couldn't)
"You were very mean to me. I apologize for being mean to you. BUT you are fired and I never want to talk to you again you big meanie."
This is a direct quote now: "Email me at [email] or call after-hours at [number] to settle your bills, because I never want to talk to you in-person again."
I AM SERIOUS.
This man co-owns a business.
One of the symptoms? See below:
A customer doesn't get their boat if they don't pay their storage bill. Sometimes we let them do a form of cash on deposit, where they pay when they come to pick it up, but we rarely do, and this is why.
A customer takes this option. Doesn't pick his boat up for three days. So my father charges him a haul to take it back to the storage lot.
The guy calls up today, saying he's ready to get his boat and pay the 'surprise bill.'
My boss, fairly childishly, announces: "He can come get it, but he has to tell me he's here and WAIT for me to put it in!"
Ok...
The customer agrees to that. Shows up a while later, starts to pay, but before he can, my boss grabs him and drags him away to go look at his boat--because there was water in his gas.
The customer comes back to pay, and gets his total. which we shall say is approximately 40 dollars more than what he was expecting.
Seeing this, I print out the 'breakdown' of his prices, along with all the invoices. 3 of them were finance charges from not paying for something from last summer, one was that item from last summer, one was the repair + haul, and one was storage.
He says he might not have enough on his card. I run it, and he doesn't.
My mother goes to get my father, who can approve a discount or partial payment for the guy. Sensing the tension, I act as if I'm taking his side, making sympathetic coos and gurgles, explaining I'd love to help him, but I just can't.
He waits about 2 minutes, then walks out the door as I say: "Sir, if you hang on a bit longer-"
"I'll call later' he grumbles on his way out.
He does.
I walk out for part of the call to help another customer.
"Do you think I'm being unreasonable?"
(This is a FAVORITE tactic of my father's. What he can't get by yelling, he tries to get by playing the 'sane man' and acting like we made him be an asshole.)
Then, customer hangs up on him.
In a flash of childish brilliance that can only be translated to "You don't get to break up with me! I BREAK UP WITH YOU!!!!!!1" my father calls back, screams at him about how the extra charge wasn't just for the haul but for fixing his boat, then hangs up and yells at the phone "See how you like it!"
Sadly, the conclusion was an anti-climax, as the customer came in and paid the full amount while my father was gone, and apologized. My father feels victorious for another day.
--Bonus manchildishness!---
My father has been completely obsessed with launches, which are $5 a pop. We've jokingly called him the 'launch police.' Well, now he's made an after-hours dropbox, added another camera to the launch dock, and made a sign making it very clear he will still bill you if he catches you--and he will catch you--stealing a launch, and he'll bill you DOUBLE.
Well, he caught two people stealing 5 launches, so he charged them 50. but 4 of those launches weren't theirs. They had a shouting match with my father, and swore at him.
My father sent them a letter that said: (approx, I wanted to get a pic of the letter, but couldn't)
"You were very mean to me. I apologize for being mean to you. BUT you are fired and I never want to talk to you again you big meanie."
This is a direct quote now: "Email me at [email] or call after-hours at [number] to settle your bills, because I never want to talk to you in-person again."
I AM SERIOUS.
This man co-owns a business.
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