Acting Like He’s On Death’s Garage Door

We manufacture made-to-order garage doors and deliver them across the UK. One particular model takes up to six weeks to be manufactured and delivered; this is always made clear with the customer at the time of order.

One gentleman calls two weeks into the manufacturing of his door, demanding delivery by the end of week two because he needs it fitted for the first of December at the latest. We explain that this would be almost impossible but he complains to everyone and anyone he can. He starts calling the office once an hour every hour about his order, and despite him knowing full well that it could take six weeks, he threatens to report us to Watchdog and Trading Standards.

To get him off our backs, we break protocol to push his order through and we have it delivered to him by the end of week two so he can fit it before the first of December.

All over, yes? Well, no. 

THREE MONTHS later, in February, I get a phone call from the same gentleman. 

Customer: “I’ve just opened the packaging and found the door damaged.”

Me: “The door that was delivered on December first. We are now at the end of February.”

Customer: “Yeah…”

Me: “So, you’re telling me that we pulled out all the stops so you could have delivery on December first to fit the door… only to have it left on site for three months in its packaging and now you tell me it’s damaged?!”

Customer: *Long silence* “Erm… yeah.”