Only Accepts A-Grade Service
My manager has me call a customer regarding a recommended repair. He said she is nice but he has difficulty connecting with her; he feels she has trouble trusting him about what her car does and doesn’t need and that, as a fellow woman, she might feel more comfortable talking with me.
Me: “We finished the inspection on your minivan and overall, it’s looking good, but we did notice that one wheel has a broken lug stud. It’d be [price] to replace that stud.”
Customer: “How many studs are there on each wheel?”
Me: “Your van has five per wheel.”
Customer: “So, four out of five is like… 80%. That’s like a B. B is a passing grade, right? So do we really need to do it?”
Me: “That’s an interesting way to look at it! You can also think of it this way: over time, that missing stud puts more stress on the other four lug studs. If they break and the wheel falls off, you’ll still have three wheels. Three out of four is 75%, which is a C. C is also a passing grade, right?”
She laughed and approved the repair.
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Question of the Week
Have you ever served a bad customer who got what they deserved?
