I just logged on and looking down the first page..... most of the topics are people issues.
I would like to tell you a story of poetic justice that came to me in my working life!
In my working life I was a mechanical services contractor….I owned and ran an Air conditioning company.
No ethnic origin mentioned here, but, we did find customers from a particular race difficult to get on with and please!
We had a ‘client’ come in one day and ask one of my sales guys to design an air-conditioning system for his house. Our salesman, Garry did, and had the recommendations and quote delivered to the client. We didn’t hear back from the client’ and presumed that the business ended up somewhere else.
About 9 months later a very irate ‘Person’ entered the building wanting to talk to the manager……me! He fumed his way into my office and proceeded to tell me his air conditioning didn’t work and he required compensation!
I calmly said to him….”Are you a customer of ours”?
He said…”Yes I came here 9 months ago and you designed an air-conditioning system for me”
I said, “sorry I can’t place you, what is your name and I will get the file out, tell me when did we install this system for you”?
He said….”No you didn’t install it, my family members are all competent tradespeople, they did the job but, you designed it, and it doesn’t work”!
I said to him….”are you seriously expecting me to take responsibility for something I did not have any part in supplying and installing….if you are, you are seriously mistaken”?
He got up and said ever so aggressively “See you in court”!
I said to him….”Now hang on, this is not an admission of any liability but would you like one of our guys to have a look at the unit and see if we can find an issue for you!”
When you run a business you must be diplomatic and a conciliator!
He agreed….and there set in chain the most amazing sequence of events!
About 5 months before, our unit lock-up had been broken into! The bastards had one of those roaming scanners that searches frequencies until it gets a match and as soon as it does…..bingo, the electric roller door opens. They cleaned us out….took 8 brand new units, copper piping and electrical gear!
Back to present, I organised for one of our service guys to go and have a look at this unit. He did and reported that the installation was fine but the unit did have a faulty ‘reversing valve’ and refrigerant was bypassing, compromising the performance of the machine. I got the fridgey to get the details off the machine and I would try to get some help for this ‘customer’!
When our guys brought back the information this non performing unit which was going to end us up in court was in fact one of the units that had been stolen from our lockup 5 months before!!!!
I rang the ‘customer and said to him……”The unit does indeed have a problem and I would like to get the manufacturer to accept responsibility could you please give me the purchase details for this unit”!
He said….”My cousin bought the unit from xxxxxxxxxx and sold it to me as part of a family deal!”
I said to him…..”Well mate, you have shafted me twice”.
1/….You came in here after free advice which you then wanted to use against me for your advantage!
2/…. The serial numbers of your unit matches one that was stolen from my premises 5 months ago…..At this point it becomes a police matter, goodbye!
I hung up the phone and I thought ‘sucking in you *bleep*’ I gave all the serial numbers to the police and they managed to track down all but two of the stolen units.
It was three months later when I next saw he and his cousin in the dock, and the judge asked me if I could identify anyone in this courtroom, and I said to the Judge……
“Yes your honour, that person over there said he would see me in court!”
Cheers……Rob
