Telecom NZ fines rudeness

[time]

http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,3772580%5E15306%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html

One of my clients says they want this feature on their invoices.

[Tannin]

Ha!

Oh, many is the time I've wanted to do this. In fact many is the time I have done this, but not actually written it on the invoice, gutless wonder that I am. They pay up or they go elswhere - either way I'm happy.

But shouldn't it work the other way around?


Dear Telstra,

Please find enclosed my cheque for $297.50, which is in final payment of your bill of the 28th July for $497.50. The other $200 is your penalty for being arrogant bastards.

Yours faiithfully,

Me

[James]

Working at a telco, everyone round here liked that one. We all wished fervently that there was such a line item would could add in...

One person pointed out that there is effectively such a charge - we just don't break it out seperately. Some customers are paying more than list for certain services because "they knew best."

[timwhit]

Mr Storrie - who denied he was an arrogant bastard - said he would be sticking with Telecom after they gave him some goods and services as compensation.


Thats absolutely hilarious.

There were plenty of times when working at a computer repair store that people got overcharged for being rude, hard to please, general PITA's.... It just wasn't spelled out in their invoice. It just takes longer to fix someones computer if they are rude and hard to please....

-Tim

[Mercutio]

Service businesses should have the right to add a PITA charge. I know I do.
One gentleman whose business I have worked for in the past, I've flat-out told that I won't work for anything less than double my normal rates, double expenses etc. He still calls me from time to time... and stands over me asking stupid questions about computers - basically trying to get me to fix some of his other computer problems for free, plays with my tools. while staring at a watch (the poor people who actually work for him fill out weekly time management reports in six minute increments too)... and writing notes to himself about how he's going to "dock my pay" for this or that.

[Tea]

It's incredible how some people will stand for that. I had one like that a few years ago. Total PITA. Eventually it got to the stage where none of the staff were willing to go to his site. No-one actually refused, but they took a request from me to visit Mr X like I was asking them to volunteer for a suicide mission. Gulp, deep breath ...... OK, I'll do it, Tone. I felt the exact same way myself.

Next time he wanted a quote on new systems, I padded it, added several hundred dollars to each. He rang me up, told me how much he liked working with us, but couldn't believe how expensive we were getting.

Deep breath, consult soul .... truth-telling time, young Tony. I told him how much we liked working with him: i.e., not at all.

To my astonishment, he blustered for a while, said he would get back to me .... and then ordered anyway. From that day on he has been ... not quite a gentleman, but much easier to deal with. We still pad his bill (though not to the savage extent of that first time), and he's still a bit of a pain but not half bad.

Strange world.