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Assaulted by customer
Heres one for the record books…i wonder if anyone else has had an experience like this?
We manufactured a light box approx 5m x 850mm with raised cutout letters. We turned up to fit it, nothing unusual so far you say…
When the job was completed, about an hour later i gave the chap in the shop his invoice and asked if he was able to sort out payment, as our usual standard terms are full payment on completion, he said he would call his boss.
Next i was chatting on the phone to his boss who informed me he was out of town but asked if i could go to his other shop after the weekend to sort out payment, so i agreed, again nothing too unusual so far.
When i turned up at his shop on the agreed date and time he wasn’t there, now i am feeling a little annoyed.
Anyway to cut a long boring story a little shorter i had a few more failed meets with the customer…anyway when i did catch up with him i handed him the invoice and he appeared horrified by what he saw.
I must stress that a quote was given and agreed when i originally met him and measured up for the job.
Next he started disputing the items on the invoice, "i didn’t agree that price…" etc
Then he began belittling my work, which i must admit annoyed me a little..!! saying that it was the crappiest sign he had even seen and wasn’t paying until it had been made to his "new spec"
So, he pretty much refused to pay the bill so i said i had no option but to remove the sign, he said go on then…
A few days past, and when we had a couple of hours to spare i went by the shop, it had not yet been opened, so i pulled up outside and called the customer on his phone.
The conversation went something like this:
"Hi, i am sat outside your shop and was hoping we could resolve the payment issue for the sign"
"I am not paying for it…!!"
"If you have no intention of paying for the sign then i will have no option but to remove it"
"If you touch the f#*king sign…."
"Until the invoice is settled in full the sign belongs to us and we have a right to remove it if the bill is not going to be settled"
"Just touch the sign…and you’ll see what will happen…!!"He then hung up on me, sod it, am taking it down…….so we begun to remove the panels when a chap arrived and asked me what i was doing, i briefly explained that the customer had refused to pay and we were removing it, then another chap arrived, the same guy i originally gave the invoice too, he also asked and i explained.
Then out of the blue the "customer" arrived, squared upto me and suddenly swung at me and grabbed me by my shirt, fortunately the other two guys dragged him off and locked him in one of their cars, i instantly begun dialling 999.
Then the two guys asked me not too and i would be dealing with them not him and they would sort out the bill, no problem.
So they then paid the bill and we put the sign back together, they appologised repeatedly and said they would deal with him and i wouldn’t have any further problems or dealings with him.
I must admit because it all happened so quickly it did catch me out a little, but it was also a little funny, mainly because he hits like a girl (appologies as that is not very politically correct).
But i am a lover not a fighter…thats what my missus says…. :lol1:
I am pretty sure i should have reported him for assault and am sure everyone will agree, but thats not the purpose of this post….
I suppose the purpose is just to tell everyone what happens out in the "field"
cheers
stephen -
30 Replies
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Stephen thats horrendous glad ur ok
The only thing I would have done differently was not made the last call to the client – I would have just removed the lightbox, ok no money but moral high ground then an additional fee on top in advance if they want it returned
John
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stephen, as u say he hits like a girl but we hope u are okay. i think you went about it all correctly from what i can tell, we would have done something very similar but most of the signage we supply is normally custom made for that client, so we tend to leave it up and threten as much as possible, which clearly you did.
It certainly looks like he hasn’t got the money and it sounds like he’s ordered something bigger then what he could afford (lightboxes not cheap as a flat sign)
his attitude is not excusable tho.
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Stephen,
If I understand you correctly the client didnt want to pay, but there was no problems in squaring up the bill once he had the satisfaction of punching you in the face……
Hmmmm, I’ve got a few "quick to order, slow to pay" customers as well. Are you available to take one in the chops on my behalf, for a 10% commission, of course!!
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That dirty bastard.
Makes my blood boil.
Glad you are OK and glad you got paid.
Karma will surely get that customer.
Love…Jill -
what about putting a few dents on his sign with a brick just to square things up?
If you can get the brick to punch a hole all the better.
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Thats a bit scary Stephen. Glad you are OK.
I’d suggest the guy has an anger management issue, and probably business is slow and he is wondering how he can pay the bill. Some guys are just bullies and not negotiators. This guy sounds like a right pratt.
I wouldn’t have made the call though whilst I was outside. I would have rung the evening before, and then removed it early the next morning.
At least you got paid, without rearranging your face, thats a positive anyway.
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quote James Martin:what about putting a few dents on his sign with a brick just to square things up?If you can get the brick to punch a hole all the better.
Spoken like a true Scotsman… :lol1: I was thinking the same even before i got to your reply James… Give it a few weeks till the dust settles then fire a half brick through it. :lol1:
OK OK… maybe thats not the right advice to give here…
leave it a month, that way he will have just opened by then. 😉
deary-me is that the time? :lol1:
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You crack me up Rob.
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Hopefully he doesn’t have planning for a light box and the planning app costs him money too… :lol1:
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Good morning all, thanks for your comments and kind concerns.
I am considering renting myself out as a debt collector……next time i’ll wear a gum shield… 🙄
To be honest i think the guy was just trying it on, get the sign fitted then try and renegotiate the price, but as i was having none of it then he decided he wasnt paying and probably didnt see that i could do anything about it….well it usually comes back down quicker than going up!!
I think if he hadnt messed me about to start with i would have probably knocked him a few quid off.
The reason i called whilst outside the shop was i saw it as if he refuses to settle it i was in a good position to remove it quite quickly, at that point i had nothing to lose and the light box could have been re-used on another job so i would have been able to re-coop at least some of my out laid costs
Cheers
stephen -
Sorry to hear of your experience which was not pleasant – but glad to hear you got paid.
Now that the dust has settled it’s not too late to still report the assault. Phone your local police station and report the incident (no need for 999) they’ll send someone around to take statement from you and then visit the assailant. Even if it progresses no further than the cops paying him a visit – it’ll give him a clear signal that his behavior is unacceptable. You’ve been paid but does that now excuse him?
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On the note of putting a brick through it….not sure about that as its in a very populated area, so i would probably get caught……and arrested for criminal damage.. 😳 and we used 5mm acrylic so it isnt easy to break
On the note of planning, who would i report it too and what would be the likely outcome?
Cheers
stephen -
Stephen, from your description, this looks like a new customer to you yet there is no mention of a deposit. I take a 25% deposit on new customers, then at least they know what the figures are and 25% will cover a lot of the materials.
I have had the same problem but it didn’t result in a confrontation.
I gave written notice of removal if the bill wasn’t paid, it wasn’t paid so I took down the fascia. To get it back he had to pay cash before installation plus a re-install charge. It was funny because they guy in the flat above was phoning the customer (it was a Sunday Morning) but we were gone in 15 minutes! -
quote Stephen Ingham:To be honest i think the guy was just trying it on, get the sign fitted then try and renegotiate the price,Sounds like exactly waht he was trying to do.
I think Phill has a valid point, it’s not to late to report him and it certainly shouldn’t excuse him simply because he has paid up.
All to easy to let it go and put it down to experience now you have been paid.No doubt we are all sitting here thinking what we would have done in that situation 😕 I trying to think what I would do if a customer swung at me..I know the older I get the shorter my fuse gets so would probably have decked him before his punch reached me :D…..then he would have had me up for assault.
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quote Martin Cole:I trying to think what I would do if a customer swung at me..I know the older I get the shorter my fuse gets so would probably have decked him before his punch reached me :D…..then he would have had me up for assault.
I’d hazard a guess he would not have swung at you in the first place Martin, unless he was as tall as you. If you were Robs height, it may be a different story (sorry Rob 🙂 ) Frankly, I’d like you with me when I do debt collecting too. Your height would be intimidating enough. I’m surprised Rob hasn’t thought of making you an offer 🙂 .
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I would of told my mom on him 😳
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quote Shane Drew:Your height would be intimidating enough. I’m surprised Rob hasn’t thought of making you an offer 🙂 .
The way this month is going Shane I’m open to any offers 😀
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Rob would bit his knee caps Shane
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Not fun at all.
OK, so the guy who took a swing was an idiot, but his mates sound like reasonable people. They sorted him out and got you paid so their wishes would carry more weight with me. If they asked not to call the gendarmerie then I’d probably go along with that.
A bit of a ramble, but back in the sixties my dad was running a filling station and, without boring you with the details, a well known regular customer got away without paying for four gallons of petrol. Rather than have a confrontation my dad just bided his time and when that customer came for a deal on a second hand car he just stuck a hundred quid on the price. Now those two events were twenty years apart but my dad’s philosophy was that if he had fallen out with that customer over four gallons of petrol then the customer would never have come back and the opportunity to get even would never have presented itself. He says that he got far more satisfaction from that extra hundred quid than ever he would have done from decking the bloke.
I try to live my life my by that "don’t get mad – get even" dictum (difficult thought it can sometimes be) so I would suggest that you don’t worry about it, just file it away in the memory bank, and await your chance. 😀
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quote John Childs:I try to live my life my by that “don’t get mad – get even” dictum (difficult thought it can sometimes be) so I would suggest that you don’t worry about it, just file it away in the memory bank, and await your chance. 😀Thats great John….
As a girly who does karate…Id like to be able to put him on his back before he got the first punch in…and in front of his mates. -
Again lots of responses, thank you.
I am prepared to let it go, he couldnt have hurt me anyway, not the way he punches… :lol1: and am sure if i felt threatened enough i would have fought back.
If anything it has become a laughing point at work….and one to tell the grand kids……a long time from now i might add..and glad to share
Cheers
stephen -
quote Cheryl Smith:As a girly who does karate…Id like to be able to put him on his back before he got the first punch in…and in front of his mates.
There’s exceptions to every rule Cheryl, and I think that’s one of them.
I’d pay good money to see that. 😀
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I would still report the incident to the Police, he probably got away with shouting and swearing last time, now he’s got away with assault, what happens next?…..He seriously needs to be reigned in.
Jeremy
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I think his friends have seen him in action before, with other companies he’s had work for him.
Who knows? Maybe the guy even has a criminal record, that’s why they asked you not to call 999.
I agree, unless his actions are brought to the attention of the local police, he will continue to get even uglier with each new company.I wouldn’t hurl a brick through his sign.
I’d call Cheryl and have her kick his @ss. -
LOL Jill :rofl:
id seriously recommend everyone take up a self defense course of some sort….. and you could end up making some good mates too!!
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We’ll have to see you do your ‘Hong Kong Phooey’ at the next SignUk Cheryl 😀
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quote Harry Cleary:We’ll have to see you do your ‘Hong Kong Phooey’ at the next SignUk Cheryl 😀
oh hes my hero!! number one super Guy…
sorry for hijacking the post!! -
quote Cheryl Smith:quote Harry Cleary:We’ll have to see you do your ‘Hong Kong Phooey’ at the next SignUk Cheryl 😀
oh hes my hero!! number one super Guy…
sorry for hijacking the post!!Hijack? ……………The mild mannered janitor to the RESCUE!!!!!!! Which ways the filing cabinet? 😀 😀
Sorry, momentary lapse in sanity there!
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Dealing with the public on a daily basis does put you at risk and you will meet some funny people.
Just last week i had a company that have ordered 4 signs off of me, cancel the order after i erected the first two, the reason was he thought that bits of vinyl stuck on looked terrible ! explained that i could print them but had chosen cut vinyl as it has better life span exposed to sunshine etc, he told me he had seen a nice sign on a local competitors website and was going to them. I looked at there website and the description of the sign was cut vinyl, i let him go as i do there printing anyway, so even if they offered him a printed sign i would still get some work from it.
They must have told him the same as me as he has just sent me a email asking if i would like to produce the last two signs in cut vinyl.Still i guess cancel ling the order and running away is better than hitting me, i have never been hit in connection with my signage work, however another part of my company does debt collection and i get a few people every week who think about hitting me, luckily most of them just think about it but there is always a tension.
Regards
Russell.
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I had a customer phone me for a simple Licensee sign above the front door.
He asked the price which he accepted and asked how soon could I do it. I said it would take a week. He then said he needed it TODAY and would pay me double to do it.
OK I said. Done the job and jumped in the wagon and drove 20 miles to the pub. I went in the pub to find the bloke, as where he wanted it was going to be a problem. I looked around the bar and to be honest I thought I had just walked into the local Hells Angels clubhouse. 😮 Long story short after wasting another half hour cleaning old wording and gunk off the window I finished the job and went to present my invoice. Conveniently enough he had "GONE OUT". So I left the premises. I then had to drive 100 yards up the road to find a place to do a U-turn. I turned around and drove back past the pub to see the landlord outside looking at what I had done. It didn’t need a mind reader to understand the situation, the guy had absolutely no intention of paying, and I was not going to get my face reshaped in any way chasing a small amount of money. Needless to say the bill still hasn’t been settled 12 years on. (:)
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