How to lose a customer, and do I care..

This is one of those stories about customer service. Something that I'm renowned for and pride myself of, until the customer piss me off or prove me wrong....

I've had a customer in City Center Manchester for over 5 years. Using the same software, and never having a problem with anything, everything was going well until a couple of weeks ago when their PC started acting up, my software started randomly crashing, in weird and wonderful places, it was unable to write to the Hard Drive or update the database.

The man phoned me, I went there after 9:00PM, I checked the PC, and it was playing up with every other bit of software, one of the main reasons was his new anti virus software, it prevented anything from writing to the HD unless you set permissions in advance, so I changed the settings and the problem was solved. I got paid and walked away. Because of the time it took to solve the problem, I felt bad about charging the man too much, so I just charged him for the travel, and believe me when I say, I made absolutely no money out of the job..

The next day, I get a phone call from the man again, the PC is not working. I go back to the shop, the PC is working, but erratically, it works, but you know that there is something not quite right. I opened the case and noticed some fried capacitors on the motherboard, so I showed the man and told him, the best solution is to get a replacement PC, especially when you consider that this PC is over 10 years old.  He asked how much, I gave him a price, and he said he will ask his brother to build him one, because he has his own PC shop, I said OK, ring me when you are ready and we will transfer everything for you (this visit was free).

A couple of days later, the man rings me, he has a new PC. He ask me to go there before the shop opens at 4:00PM and try and sort everything out, ready for the day ahead, I agree.

I hate shops in town centers, there is no parking and I always seem ro get a ticket. I ring the man and get there at 2:30PM, I illegally park down a side ally, walk to the shop and wait, and wait, and wait. I ring the man, he is bloody late, 30 minutes later, he gets there and I get in, setup the new, old,  PC (as supplied by his brother) and copy everything across. The PC works, so I leave the shop and go back to the car (this visit was free), but I ended up with a £35.00 fine parking illegally..

2 Days later, the man rings me and tells me that his new PC has stopped working. I told him that "This has nothing to do with me, and that if would just buy a new PC from somewhere, he would not have any of these problems. I also mentioned the parking fine, which he kindly offered to pay - I gave him the number and thanked him...

A week later, he rings me again. His brother has managed to make him another PC, so can I go and sort it out for him. I agree, and go. This time, the PC would not even boot. So I told the man that I have wasted enough time. I will just have to go until he gets a working PC (this visit was free).

A few days later,  the man rings me to tell me that he has a new PC and that if I go to his shop, he will pay my Parking Fine. What a BASTARD, I thought that he had paid that a week earlier, instead he kept it for leverage. What a BASTARD, I said OK. Don't worry, I will ring you back in a minute and tell you what I will do.

So, whilst still fuming at the BASTARD, I phoned the Manchester Council Ticket Hotline, I pay £70.00 because the BASTARD did not pay my original £35.00 fine. And then I ring him and give him a piece of my mind.. I told him that, I have paid double the fine thanks to him, I have managed to waste so much time pissing about with crappy second hand computers, and then he has the cheeks to tell me that he will pay the fine if I go there. Well, here is what I think, you can save your money by sticking where the Sun doesn't shine. I will never, ever, ever, ever visit your shop, talk to or deal with you, for all the tea in China, and regardless of what you offer - this was a bad job, and I will make sure that I will not repeat it again any time in the future..

I love my Nokia mobile phone, it has an option to screen calls, so his number went with the rest of the sad BASTARDS, others call customers.