I AM NOT 99%, BUT 100% FAMILIAR WITH THIS SITUATION, FROM START TO FINISH.
SO, FROM START THIS CUSTOMER CALLED IN A STATED THAT HE HAS A SAMSUNG DLP THAT WAS DEVELOPING WHITE DOTS ON TOP OF THE PICTURE, SO I ASK HIM A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TV, AND WITH THE INFORMATION THAT HE GAVE ME, WHICH WAS NOT COMPLETE, I GAVE HIM A PRICE RANGE TO FIX THE SET IF IN FACT THE REPAIR I OFFERED HIM DID FIX THE TV (BETWEEN $425-$500). THIS ESTIMATE WAS GIVEN WITH OUT KNOWING ALL OF THE DETAILS FOR THE TV EG. MODEL AND VERSION NUMBER. WHEN MY TECH ARRIVED HE CALLED IN AND LET ME KNOW THAT “YES” THE REPAIR REQUIRES REPLACING THE DLP CHIP, AND THE TOTAL WOULD BE $475 WHICH INCLUDES THE INITIAL SERVICE CALL CHARGE, MY TECH CALLED BACK AND TOLD ME THAT I TOLD THE CUSTOMER BEFORE COMING THAT THE TOTAL WOULD BE $435, I LET THE TECH KNOW THAT WAS INCORRECT AND TOLD TECHNICIAN THAT HE WAS QUOTED $425-$500 DEPENDING ON THE MODEL AND VERSION. (THE CUSTOMER WAS ATTEMPTING TO L0-BALL MY TECHNICIAN. THE CUSTOMER APPROVED THE TOTAL, WE COLLECTED $75 AS A SERVICE CALL AND DEPOSIT ON THE PART THAT CREDITS TOWARD THE TOTAL.
UPON RECEIVING THE PART, THE CUSTOMER WAS CONTACTED TO FINISH REPAIR APPROXIMATE 4 BUSINESS DAYS LATER, AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS WE GOT IN TOUCH WITH MR. FULGRUM AND SCHEDULED INSTALL FOR MONDAY MAY 14TH BETWEEN 1-4PM. ON SUNDAY NIGHT MY TECH SENT MR FULGUM A TEXT MESSAGE THAT SAYS “ YOU ARE ON MY SCHEDULE BETWEEN 1-4PM TOMORROW, BUT I THINK IT WILL BE AFTER 2PM BEFORE I CAN GET THERE “(AT 10:02PM SUNDAY NIGHT)
THE NEXT DAY THE TECH CALLED BEFORE COMING AND HE WAS TOLD TO COME THAT SOMEONE WILL BE THERE FOR THE INSTALL.
THE CUSTOMER HAD PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE EVERYTHING PREPARED AND WAS TOLD THE BALANCE OF THE REPAIR ONCE FINISHED. AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL FINISH OF THE REPAIR WE LET THE GENTLEMAN THERE KNOW WE ARE FINISHED AND THE BALANCE IS $400, HE STATED THAT NO ON LEFT PAYMENT WITH HIM, SO THE LADY OF THE HOUSE CALLED INTO THE OFFICE, SHE APOLOGIZED FOR NOT LEAVING THE PAYMENT AND ASK IF SHE CAN COME BY LATER AND PAY FOR IT, WE LET HER KNOW THAT PAYMENT IS DUE UPON COMPLETION OF REPAIR (NO EXCEPTIONS) AND THAT SHE CAN DO ONE OF THREE THINGS:
1) PAY WITH ANY CREDIT CARD, THERE IS A 5% FEE
2) WE CAN REMOVE THE PART AND FINISH ANOTHER DAY
3) WE CAN PLACE A” HOLD” ON A CREDIT CARD WITH OUT THE FEE AND SHE OR WHOEVER CAN COME BY THE OFFICE AND PAY HOWEVER SHE WANTS (CASH OR CHECK) AND WILL RELEASE THE HOLD ON THE CARD, AND SHE CAN EVEN PUT IT IN OUR MAIL SLOT IF IT WAS AFTER HOURS!
SHE DID NOT WANT TO DO ANY OPTION EXCEPT FOR US TO LEAVE THE TV REPAIRED AND LET HER COME BY AT HER CONVENIENCE TO PAY.
AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF TALKING TO HER AND LETTING HER KNOW THAT LEAVING THE TV FIXED AND NOT PAYING US WAS NOT AN OPTION, THEY SAID TO JUST CHARGE THE CARD.
WE DID.
NEXT DAY MR FULGUM CALLED SAYING THAT OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT WAS RUDE TO HER, I TOLD HIM THE SITUATION. THE ONLY THING THAT WAS SAID TO HER WAS (VERBATIM) MA'AM WE ARE SORRY WE CANT OFFER YOU “CREDIT” AND THAT UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE PRECISION TV REPAIR AND NOT PRECISION BANK AND LOAN.
I AM 100% FAMILIAR WITH THE WHOLE WORK ORDER FROM START TO FINISH AND I KNOW THAT MR FULGUM HAD NO INTENTION OF PAYING FOR THIS SERVICE, HE WAS GOING TO TAKE MY KINDNESS FOR WEAKNESS AND ASK FOR 1 INCH AND TAKE A MILE, THERE IS NO DOUBT, WE GAVE 2 ALTERNATIVES TO HAVING TO PAY THE FEE FOR CREDIT CARD PROCESSING AND HE DECLINED.
IN THE END THE TV WAS FIXED CORRECTLY IN A TIMELY MANOR, AND CHARGE BELOW THE MAXIMUM AND ABOVE THE MINIMUM THAT HE WAS QUOTED BY PHONE, BUT I DO NOT NOR DO I KNOW ANY BODY THAT GIVES LOANS OF $400 DOLLARS TO PEOPLE THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW, AND YES IN A PERFECT WORLD THIS WOULD BE OK, BUT WE HAVE BEEN BURNT ON A SIMILAR SITUATION IN THE PAST, AND THAT WAS AND THE FIRST AND LAST TIME THAT HAPPENED.
I AM PERSONALLY SHOCKED THAT MR FULGUM WOULD POST THESE REMARKS, ALL WE ARE DOING IS PROVIDING A SERVICE THAT PEOPLE NEED FOR THE BEST PRICE POSSIBLE.
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