Know When To Walk Away

[billdeserthills]

I had a lady come in my shop today, she was carrying an Omnia mortise lockset that her husband took off the front door. I had a bad feeling as soon as I saw the lock, because most of my customers would gladly pay my service call fee and let me determine what needed repaired, instead of just bringing me a basketcase lockset. She said the latch was sticking in the lock but when I looked I noticed lots and lots of places that the case was bent in, and I said "It looks like someone has been hitting this lock case with a hammer?" She quickly explained that Yes, her husband had been trying to fix it himself, as if that explained all the hits this thing had taken by a nut swinging a hammer. I further noticed that although the complaint was that the latch stuck in, it would no longer retract at all. I finally made my choice and politely declined the desire to make any attempt at all to repair her obviously abused lockset. She then asked me for a number to a different locksmith and I politely explained that here in the state of Arizona, if I gave her a phone number and that person did a poor job I could be sued, and so I don't give out other folks phone numbers any longer. She left saying that she was gonna call Omnia Lock Co. & send it into them for repair, I just kept my thoughts to myself. I had for a brief moment considered selling her a Baldwin mortise lockset, but I came to my senses, before her old man could hit that one with a hammer as well.

[GWiens2001]

Sounds like a good decision on your part. Know when to say no.

Gordon

[dll932]

I once walked away from a Pontiac that needed an ignition key. The kid who owned it tried getting the ignition cyl out by pounding the crap out of it with a sledge hammer and chisel. I told him he would need a new column...

[billdeserthills]

I once walked away from a Pontiac that needed an ignition key. The kid who owned it tried getting the ignition cyl out by pounding the crap out of it with a sledge hammer and chisel. I told him he would need a new column...

I always wonder what folks like that are thinking, a friend of mine once decided he didn't need the key he had lost to his pickup truck and took a hammer to the ignition lock

[Legion303]

...know when to run.

[billdeserthills]

...know when to run.

Aye laddy & when you have the runs, it's no good time to be running

[dll932]

I once walked away from a Pontiac that needed an ignition key. The kid who owned it tried getting the ignition cyl out by pounding the crap out of it with a sledge hammer and chisel. I told him he would need a new column...

I always wonder what folks like that are thinking, a friend of mine once decided he didn't need the key he had lost to his pickup truck and took a hammer to the ignition lock

Supposedly true: Some guy was getting hammered in a bar in Juneau. He decided it was time to go home, went to his truck and realized he'd lost the keys. He fired up the oxyacetylene torch he had in the bed and started to cut the door skin off. About that time a buddy of his came out and said "hey, here are your keys-you left 'em on the bar!"

[YouLuckyFox]

Know when to...

[deralian]

Yes, lets 'repair' a completely damaged lock vs just replacing it with a new one. Good call.

I had a car lockout where the customer took a brick to their side window and scratched it but failed to break the window. I kept wondering if they did it before or after they called me.

[Frodillicus]

Whoa there, if you give someone a phone number and they do a bad job... YOU can be sued? That's the crappest law in the world! What if you gave them loads of numbers, same deal? What about the yellow pages? Can they be sued for advertising every number, "I'm suing you because your big yellow book told me to ring this Smith. .." you should do a disclaimer write up a flier that says "under no circumstances do I endorse or approve the information I write below..." and get it made into a note pad :-p

[billdeserthills]

I had a car lockout where the customer took a brick to their side window and scratched it but failed to break the window. I kept wondering if they did it before or after they called me.

They tried to break the side window first, then they called You
"They" always try to break the smallest window on the car--Before they call a locksmith
That's because they don't realize that window glass isn't sold by the pound...

[GWiens2001]

Yeah, that small glass is frequently the most expensive glass on the vehicle.

Gordon

[billdeserthills]

Whoa there, if you give someone a phone number and they do a bad job... YOU can be sued? That's the crappest law in the world! What if you gave them loads of numbers, same deal? What about the yellow pages? Can they be sued for advertising every number, "I'm suing you because your big yellow book told me to ring this Smith. .." you should do a disclaimer write up a flier that says "under no circumstances do I endorse or approve the information I write below..." and get it made into a note pad :-p

Yes, it is true. In Arizona I am considered a professional (who knew?) so if I recommend someone else I am supposed to know that person can do a good job.
Since I cannot possibly know (as I don't see the future) I no longer recommend anyone for anything, unless I really like the person and know their ability

[Wizer]

Whoa there, if you give someone a phone number and they do a bad job... YOU can be sued? That's the crappest law in the world! What if you gave them loads of numbers, same deal? What about the yellow pages? Can they be sued for advertising every number, "I'm suing you because your big yellow book told me to ring this Smith. .." you should do a disclaimer write up a flier that says "under no circumstances do I endorse or approve the information I write below..." and get it made into a note pad :-p

Yes, it is true. In Arizona I am considered a professional (who knew?) so if I recommend someone else I am supposed to know that person can do a good job.
Since I cannot possibly know (as I don't see the future) I no longer recommend anyone for anything, unless I really like the person and know their ability

We don´t have laws like that. But still I don´t "recommend" any business because if they did poor job, the customer could blame me for telling them to go there.
I may tell them that "-at least this company does the job, but you may want to chack the internet/phonebook and ask."
I like to verbally hand over the responsibility when ever I can.

[Frodillicus]

The UK doesn't have laws like that either. It's really strange how people can't take responsibility for their own actions, they don't have to use your recommendation, I'd check them out for myself first, not blindly go stumbling in expecting them to be amaaaaaazing. Why not just sue the person who did the bad job if you have to sue something? Some people eh?