2 Locksmiths, 1 Customer

[wa1ker00]

What do you do when you find yourself in a situation where your customer has called another locksmith for the same opening? I've found myself in this situation a few times (mostly the other guy is a car trunk cowboy) and in one instance I was there first, already done working, and the other guy showed up and demanded he get paid even though he took 10-15min longer to show up and didn't do any work (since the door was already open). Does he even have the right to try and charge the customer? How do you handle situations like this?

[maintenanceguy]

If the customer called you both to do the work, there is a verbal contract with both locksmiths.

Both locksmiths held up their end of the contract by showing up prepared to do the work. The customer needs to honor her side of the contract and pay both for the job.

[averagejoe]

I would say that each locksmith should have a base call out fee for this kind of situation. It would include some time/work but is mainly there to prevent.."Im here" "oh sorry, work is done/ i found the key" When you get a call tell them of this fee then they are obligated to pay it if you show up regardless if you have done no work.

[wa1ker00]

While that sounds good in business terms, how do you actually enforce it? A case by case basis? Or start venturing into murky waters of expecting to be paid up front before you even get into the van to go? Our shop services the town and area surrounding a large college town. We deal with A LOT of students who by their very nature lose things, flakey, and hate/refuse to pay for things. Beyond a 'verbal contract' is there anything actually binding or forcing them to pay?

[Taemyks]

This will be an unpopular response...

A verbal contract is made, but good luck making someone pay and not loosing time and effort at small claims. I female dog about stuff too.

About a decade ago I worked at many of the local bars. People would call cabs, and then someone would go home with someone, or they would call two, etc... A few times a night I would have to tell a driver that the person had already left, or is no longer interested. Keep in mind that I didn't call these guys, customers did. Most of the drivers took it well, the good ones would give a card and be nice. These are the guys I call when someone asked for a cab.

Most people I know who use cabs choose a company within a few rides, and request a company's specific driver a few rides later (Keep in mind this is a fairly small town as well(<200,000)). I'm guessing that 50 cabs are the equivalent of a locksmith... A bit of goodwill and a personal call the next day work wonders.

I'm not a locksmith, I don't want to be either. I work on call a week out of 4. When I get woken up at 3am I'm grumpy if it's not a real emergency, but I play nice because my customers will call back.

So I'd say take the verbal on as "Good Faith". If you encounter another locksmith there, or they got in, or they're gone make an attempt to contact them later. It can't hurt. I've never called a locksmith, but my guess is that people who do call do so out of desperation. So at this point you have people who are trapped and scared. Trapped and scared people have a way of acting irrational, and they can make decisions they wouldn't otherwise(like calling someone else). After an experience with a rescuer they will tell their friends be that good or bad.

Long story short - You're dealing with people in a vulnerable position, and they will talk about it later and the names will be dropped.




Taemyks

[Evan]

@Taemyks:

Respectfully man, bull...

People are cheap and they want something ASAP...

It is not uncommon to have someone call several locksmiths just to see which one will arrive first (and some people are hoping to get someone in 30 minutes or less or the pizza is free)...

To be able to bill someone for a service call fee (to which the tradesman is entitled upon the customer calling and booking the service over the phone) you need the customer's name, address and telephone number...

If you arrive at a customer's location to see someone else already there working, you would approach the customer and hand them a bill for your service call fee, as they called and you came -- it is not Company A's problem that the customer called them and Company B to deal with the same work, both companies showed up ready to do the job even if the other arrived first... The customer has engaged the services of both Company A and Company B in the matter and they are both therefore entitled to receive at the very least the service call charge (the money you pay just for calling a technician to your location regardless of whether you have services or work performed)...

Since a service call fee is often times greater than $50 if you find a customer reluctant to pay, you need to know your local laws but you could have grounds to file a criminal complaint on the basis of fraud or theft of services by means of filing a police report after a customer is 90 days in arrears on their account... Why bother with small claims court -- most people who are participants in a small claims case have no idea what they are doing and don't know what constitutes "evidence"...

~~ Evan

[Taemyks]

@Taemyks:

Respectfully man, bull...

People are cheap and they want something ASAP...

It is not uncommon to have someone call several locksmiths just to see which one will arrive first (and some people are hoping to get someone in 30 minutes or less or the pizza is free)...

To be able to bill someone for a service call fee (to which the tradesman is entitled upon the customer calling and booking the service over the phone) you need the customer's name, address and telephone number...

If you arrive at a customer's location to see someone else already there working, you would approach the customer and hand them a bill for your service call fee, as they called and you came -- it is not Company A's problem that the customer called them and Company B to deal with the same work, both companies showed up ready to do the job even if the other arrived first... The customer has engaged the services of both Company A and Company B in the matter and they are both therefore entitled to receive at the very least the service call charge (the money you pay just for calling a technician to your location regardless of whether you have services or work performed)...

Since a service call fee is often times greater than $50 if you find a customer reluctant to pay, you need to know your local laws but you could have grounds to file a criminal complaint on the basis of fraud or theft of services by means of filing a police report after a customer is 90 days in arrears on their account... Why bother with small claims court -- most people who are participants in a small claims case have no idea what they are doing and don't know what constitutes "evidence"...

~~ Evan

They are cheep - I'll never deny that. I'll also say that I don't know squat about the locksmith industry and am just butting in with stuff I've experienced in Industry trades.

My last post was talking about the on call jobs that I have experience with and my experience with people. I know life is different enough on the east coast to be a completely different way of life. I'm not sure if that is common here in the PNW, (or the lesser populated portions thereof).

The main thrust of the comment was that you're dealing with people in a situation that scares them.

[Evan]

The main thrust of the comment was that you're dealing with people in a situation that scares them.

Someone's emotional state does not make them immune to having to pay for summoning trades workers to their location to assess service needs and quote a price/effect repairs...

That would be like calling two tow trucks when your car breaks down and giving your business to the first one that arrives... By calling a service company and describing your problem and location, you have entered into an initial business agreement with them... You can't be a jerk and call several companies and have them race against each other to get your business... There is only one car to tow, or one flat tire to change, so your engaging two companies in a race to get your business is not a reasonable or normal thing to do...

That is where fraud and theft of services come into play... If you aren't going to do business with both companies and you only have work for one of them, by calling both with a request for service, you are knowingly and willfully committing an act of fraud against one of them, even if you don't know which one will get your business in the end because you don't intend to pay both companies for their time...

Trying to claim after the fact that it was a scary situation and that is why you called 2 or 3 locksmiths/tow trucks/whatever instead of calling and waiting for ONE to come is total crap... If you felt that threatened by the situation you can call the police to come sit with you and wait...

~~ Evan

[r0005]

If I did lock outs I would explain there is a non refundable or cancelable service call cost and take a credit card number for it. There is a cost to the locksmith for driving out somewhere even if he doesn't do the work. I guess there will be times that they also locked their wallet in the car also.

[sunilroy76]

What do you do when you find yourself in a situation where your customer has called another locksmith for the same opening? I've found myself in this situation a few times (mostly the other guy is a car trunk cowboy) and in one instance I was there first, already done working, and the other guy showed up and demanded he get paid even though he took 10-15min longer to show up and didn't do any work (since the door was already open). Does he even have the right to try and charge the customer? How do you handle situations like this?

He souldn't demand charge. But the problem is thar he went there and some of his valuable time was spent.

[wa1ker00]

Interesting responses. While it is good to know that there are ways to make them pay is it honestly worth it to the reputation of your business to become known for being 'that prick who takes people to small claims court over a $60service call?. Like taemkys said, after a lockout people will.talk and is that one service call worth all the negative word of mouth it will bring?

[dls]

They might talk and say you where good enough to let them off, but they will also talk about the guy who got there first and got them out of a hole.

[Evan]

Interesting responses. While it is good to know that there are ways to make them pay is it honestly worth it to the reputation of your business to become known for being 'that prick who takes people to small claims court over a $60service call?. Like taemkys said, after a lockout people will.talk and is that one service call worth all the negative word of mouth it will bring?

@wa1ker00:

When would it become "worth it" to demand payment for being called to a customer's location to be turned away because someone else who was called in parallel to your service call for the same work arrived first ?

Once ever ?
Once a year ?
Once a month ?
Once a week ?
Once a day ?

Would it make a difference to you if this happened:

During business hours Monday through Friday ?
After business hours ?
Overnight ?
Weekend ?

I mean if your concerns over your business image are entirely wrapped up in accommodating the few dishonest people you encounter you shouldn't be in a service based business...

~~ Evan

[averagejoe]

There was this one sign at a local business that I like to quote:

"We try to please 95% of our customers because the other 5% will never be pleased no matter what we do"

[Taemyks]

Interesting responses. While it is good to know that there are ways to make them pay is it honestly worth it to the reputation of your business to become known for being 'that prick who takes people to small claims court over a $60service call?. Like taemkys said, after a lockout people will.talk and is that one service call worth all the negative word of mouth it will bring?

@wa1ker00:

When would it become "worth it" to demand payment for being called to a customer's location to be turned away because someone else who was called in parallel to your service call for the same work arrived first ?

Once ever ?
Once a year ?
Once a month ?
Once a week ?
Once a day ?

Would it make a difference to you if this happened:

During business hours Monday through Friday ?
After business hours ?
Overnight ?
Weekend ?

I mean if your concerns over your business image are entirely wrapped up in accommodating the few dishonest people you encounter you shouldn't be in a service based business...

~~ Evan

Evan,
Is it your experience that when there are multiple people called to the same job it's a case of someone calling multiple people at the same time? If so, that's not what I was talking about and haven't seen in my neck of the woods (In my industry). Calling two people for the same thing is wrong. I won't dispute that.

More of what I was talking about was someone who calls, waits the time specified, then calls someone else.

The part where I said they are scared and irrational wasn't referring to calling many people at the same time, but calling and hearing that it will be 20, then calling someone else in 15. Not knowing what time it is, and how much has passed etc...

I'd say take it on a case by case basis - If you're on good terms with the other guy there take a look at his phone when the customer called. If you're late, accept it.