Your “Emergency” Is Not In Alignment With Reality

I live in a vacation destination. Expensive lakeshore homes are often owned by wealthy families from big cities. I also work in automotive.

A guy comes in and wants some maintenance done, specifically an alignment. Alignments are NEVER an emergency. The good news is that he gets to talk to my business partner. I’m not really paying attention because she greeted him and I’m doing whatever.

My partner talks to him about scheduling. The customer wants it done first because he had new tires put on before he left the big city but didn’t want to pay their prices for further service and is on vacation here.

My partner reiterates the schedule and tells him if he wants to drop the vehicle off and leave it, if we get an opening or cancellation, we will do our best to get it in. I’m now paying some attention. This is a male-dominated industry and some people get a bit abusive to her, especially customers.

Customer: “Nope. I’m from [Big City] and you need to do it now.”

Business Partner: “Sir, in order to do that, I would have to start calling customers we have already made commitments to and tell them we cannot honor them.”

Customer: “Well, missy, you’re just going to have to start calling them, or I will.”

At this point, I have had enough. I simply look over at him and explain to him:

Me: “There is no circumstance in which I will work on your vehicle.”

Customer: “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re about to be fired.”

Me: *Shrugging* “No problem. For a check for several million dollars, I’ll have the lawyer draw up the agreement, and you can fire both of us and try to convince the techs to work directly for you, but I’m pretty certain, given the bonus I will promise them for change of ownership, that none of them will be in a position to work for someone with your attitude.”

I did end up escorting him to the door. It was over a decade ago. I will never forget him.