following the rules for the sake of the rule is a child's level of reasoning.
I completely agree. And when someone can’t think their way through the idea that they need to uphold their agreement to pay for the truck repair before they get to enjoy the benefits of the truck repair, that’s probably the best level of reasoning to use with them.
Plus, having put myself through college working retail, I learned fairly quickly that “it’s policy” got a lot less BS arguments than explaining why I, personally, was deciding that the customer wouldn’t get what they wanted. I was never accused of being racist, sexist, ageist, or homophobic when denying a customer’s demand due to policy. The same isn’t true for the earlier days when I’d deny the demand without saying it was policy. “No, ma’am, I am not saying that your daughter can’t have the lava lamp for free because you don’t have enough cash on you to buy both it and what you came in for just because I hate little girls” is a line that, until that retail job, I never would have thought I would need to say.
As soon as you say the word "policy," the policy becomes the topic of the conversation,
And that’s the goal insofar as conversation at all would be desirable, which it isn’t. No one expects the lowly hardware store clerk or hourly mechanic to be able to change the policy. If it’s YOUR decision, then YOU are capable of changing your mind, and so the customer will argue with you ad nauseum. If it’s the boss’s policy, then only the boss can change it.
That said, were I in OP’s shoes, I wouldn’t be the least interested in a conversation at all. Pay what you owe, or leave without your truck. Nothing more need be said. Further conversation is pointless tilting at windmills. We are not talking about a legitimate disagreement between a shopkeep and his customer here. We are talking about a jackass who tried to scam OP out of 2 grand worth of work. Entertaining their BS is not necessary or productive.
There are crooks everywhere. My brother onece sold his old car ( Gremlin) for $700 to a student, who paid $100 down to be followed by a cheque later when he picked up the car. As you might have guessed, the cheque bounced. My brother, who at that time had his law degree, forgot to ask for a certified cheque or bank draft, as he trusted the student.
@Gilillo–I wonder if the man and wife who owned the trucks were migrant workers or carnival employees. Were the license plates on the trucks local plates?
If these trucks had local plates, perhaps the couple was moving out of town. In any event, had you let them take the trucks, these people would never be seen again.
You know, I can understand why you think this was probably a scam. I can understand why you think it was most likely a scam. However, you guys seem to be 100% sure, without being there, that this was a scam. I bow to your clairvoyance. o_O
@Whitey, my assessment is based on experience. I’ve learned to read the red flags, especially when he demanded the trucks with only the promise of payment after the end of the business day. Most honest customers would have been embarrassed and apologetic when the credit card was declined. Coming back in the morning with cash and a sheepish grin in order to get the keys would be the expectation.
I agree. Based on what we know, the behavior looks very suspicious. However, I can think of other factors that could also make someone behave like that, like general d###ishness. Some people are just total jerks, and they react in anger rather than shame because there is something broken in them.
I’ll grant you that the odds are you’re right, I’m just not 100% certain.
Lots of good thoughts here. No one can really know if the guy was a scammer or not, or if his credit card was denied rightfully or because of a banking error. We also don’t know if the shop owner was polite and understanding or outraged and condescending in his tone.
But in the end it doesn’t matter if the amount in question is $2 or $2000, or if the purchase is a cheeseburger, a vacuum cleaner, or a dry cleaning bill. This guy wanted something he was unable to pay for. And that problem lies squarely on the shoulders of the “customer”, not the business.
Triedaq’s comment about migrants or carnival workers reminded me of a Subaru towed in once with a transmission problem. Inspection showed it was major and the guy declined the repair; offering to sell the car on the cheap.
I bought it with cash and the promise that he would drop the title off in the next few days.
Never heard from him again and found out later the car was stolen from another state. The guy was also a carnival worker at the now departed state fair.
The couple in the OPs case should have been embarassed a bit over the declined card, apologized, and politely offered to return with the payment later instead of outrage.
The hurry up request, parts inspection, anger, accusations of mistrust, and so on all point to someone trying to pull a fast one. Been there, seen that a few times.
The problem with being 100% certain is that it just never happens. You have to take all the facts and reach a decision. I have never been 100% certain with any of my decisions in life but I like to think something important tipped the balance. Can I say that I was 100% right about the person I chose to marry? I say probably not but my wife is looking over my shoulder right now nodding her head yes. I just made an instant agreement…based on all the facts…to say that I agree with her 100%.