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Subject: I hung up on a potential customer
I hung up on a potential customer today. It's the first time I can recall doing that, ever, but boy did he have it coming.
The backstory:
This guy runs an electronics rental business, doing large audio equipment for clubs and concerts, etc. His requirements are so complex and specific that the software we sell wouldn't do it very well, and we've been reluctant to spend a lot of time with him because it's a really tricky job, and the man's an aggressive dick BEFORE giving us his money...
We've travelled to Sydney to demo the software, talked to him on the phone, sent him demo software and manuals, spent hours with his technician getting the demo going, and a year and a half later we're still nowhere. That's fine with us, we don't need nasty customers, right?
Today:
Some of the stuff he wanted to see recently was so complicated that we passed the job to our Canadian office, as they were more familiar with the esoteric features than we were. When he called this morning to speak to my boss, who was busy, I asked the customer 'is this about the demo?' and he said he'd already had the demo with Canada. He wondered if he shouldn't buy direct from them 'cause he was having trouble getting through to us. I told him that Canada might not sell direct ('cause Australia's our territory).
Always the pushy asshole, the conversation got pretty mean pretty quick. I don't let this shit bother me, so I'm always quick with a laugh or comment to defuse the wrath, but he didn't like that at all:
him: I've left four messages for Phil in the last week and haven't heard back.
me: Oh, really?
him: I'm starting to wonder what the after-sales support would be like if I can't get your attention beforehand.
me: (I laughed) Yeah, (cut off before I could say "that's a legitimate concern")
him: It's not fucking funny, mate. I'm fucking sick and fucking tired of fucking calling you all the fucking time, your fucking queensland office is fucking
and I hung up on him. I think he might have been going on a little longer than I recounted above, but I've blocked out the trauma.
Seriously, fuck him. Who'd chase after a dealer that isn't interested in taking your money? And why on earth did he think being a rude, aggressive asshole would get him better service? Definitely not the kind of customer we want.
The backstory:
This guy runs an electronics rental business, doing large audio equipment for clubs and concerts, etc. His requirements are so complex and specific that the software we sell wouldn't do it very well, and we've been reluctant to spend a lot of time with him because it's a really tricky job, and the man's an aggressive dick BEFORE giving us his money...
We've travelled to Sydney to demo the software, talked to him on the phone, sent him demo software and manuals, spent hours with his technician getting the demo going, and a year and a half later we're still nowhere. That's fine with us, we don't need nasty customers, right?
Today:
Some of the stuff he wanted to see recently was so complicated that we passed the job to our Canadian office, as they were more familiar with the esoteric features than we were. When he called this morning to speak to my boss, who was busy, I asked the customer 'is this about the demo?' and he said he'd already had the demo with Canada. He wondered if he shouldn't buy direct from them 'cause he was having trouble getting through to us. I told him that Canada might not sell direct ('cause Australia's our territory).
Always the pushy asshole, the conversation got pretty mean pretty quick. I don't let this shit bother me, so I'm always quick with a laugh or comment to defuse the wrath, but he didn't like that at all:
him: I've left four messages for Phil in the last week and haven't heard back.
me: Oh, really?
him: I'm starting to wonder what the after-sales support would be like if I can't get your attention beforehand.
me: (I laughed) Yeah, (cut off before I could say "that's a legitimate concern")
him: It's not fucking funny, mate. I'm fucking sick and fucking tired of fucking calling you all the fucking time, your fucking queensland office is fucking
and I hung up on him. I think he might have been going on a little longer than I recounted above, but I've blocked out the trauma.
Seriously, fuck him. Who'd chase after a dealer that isn't interested in taking your money? And why on earth did he think being a rude, aggressive asshole would get him better service? Definitely not the kind of customer we want.
BLEARGH