Does anybody know why the word customer start with the three letters CUS.

I think it is because there are customers and then there are CUStomers.

I had a one last night that wound us up for about an hour.

First he shows up on our doorstep (2) two hours after closing. I was watching our three month old as my wife fixed dinner.
He wants a rear sight that I do not or will never make. But a friend of his says we make it. When I explain to him that I do not have the sight he will not believe me because his friend said I would have one.
The rifle had been highly customized, it was an pre WW1 M94 Win carbine.
It now carries nickeled parts and new wood, along with the high gloss blue job.
When I say that the gun had been worked over and redone, he takes exception to it. He then says that is not the way to talk about an customers gun.

Now I know the difference between and CUStomer and an customer.

Jim Wisner
Wisner's Inc.

I know the sight he is talking about. You do make it and it is only $7.50.

Unless of course you're trying to rip me off!

Oh, and answer these questions for me too after you listen to my 45 minute long story...

Jim,
it's custom'er, and cuss DEM comers....

You know, his buddy said you made it... I am certain his buddy knows more about your business than YOu do..

7.50? WHAT... you trying to jack up the price just bc i come in after hours?

Jim,

I am sure that the cusstomer must be right, if you don't make it then it is an oversight and you should start production immediately. :-)

Red

YA where is the TV show "Customers from HELL"

I find the more I abuse and insult my customers, the better they behave.

Geez, I felt bad when I called you once and it sounded like I'd woken you (it was during your regular business hours). I knew you had a newborn, and remember how it was when I was a new dad.



Was this guy THAT clueless to show up two hours after closing, then argue with you as to whether you made a sight and whether his rifle was reworked? Brother! Next time, answer your door with a .45 in each hand.



George

Yes I know about the CUStomers from HELL.

I have been working the sales counter for 32 years now, and have some really neat stories that I could pass on.

LeeRoy, my father, has started to keep track of these stories and strange emails. Brownells has expressed interest in publishing a book.

It is good to know that I am not the only one that gets this type of CUStomer. I thank GOD that they only stop by once in a while.

Jim Wisner
Wisner's Inc.

My worst is a bloody Indian/Indian. Rang about his job last Sunday night at 6.50pm.
Second was a frustrated bitch that wanted me to tell lies to the authorities on her behalf. This also was 11.20pm on a Sunday night.
I feel your pain.

Jim, they are only customers when you make them one. Otherwise they are rude people intruding on your free time. Just get a real evil and real pissed look on your face, I know it would scare me, and point at the door. Your reputation is very secure, kick some ass my friend.

Jim

Assuming you started "at the counter" at a very tender age, say 18 or so, that still adds to you being a father at what ~50 or so. My math may not be right, but it still makes you a couple of decades older than most. I have been sleep deprived most of my adult life, so I know that feeling. A 3 month old can be a real challange for a parent at any age. My wife and I survived 4 of them. You have my respect and sympathy.

To my way of thinking, that rude "customer" must have found you in a very good mood, and he is one lucky person to have left with his head intact.

Roger

Its no wonder that some folks who are doing well with an internet based clientelle like it so much.


Who was your customer, Jethro Clampet? What a bonehead.

Jim Wisner

If you like to meet some of the worst CUStomers, I mean a real nightmare? Start working in the service sector. It�s unbelivable

Cheers
/ JOHAN

Chic.
You are right, I have had time to think about this encounter more.
His first misstake was that he assumed he was my customer.
I had only seen this man once before, briefly last fall, and could not help him then either.

N4652E
You are close, in just over four months I will be 46.

Jim Wsiner
Wisner's Inc.

I am constantly amazed at how many people think "you" are obligated to take their money and with it all the attitude they can dish out. That "customer is always right" thing is kinda true, only if you actually become a customer. A jackass making inquiries does not automatically make him a customer. He is only a potential customer until you both agree on a transaction.

I had a similar debate with some of the guys in one of my gunsmithing classes. I explained to them that I would not do a certain conversion if a potential customer wanted it done. They all argued that I was a fool and that the customer would take his money elsewhere. I said let them. The pitance of a fee I could have charged would nowhere near equal the amount of exposure I would be opening myself up for in doing such a conversion. I also told them that regardless of what the customer offered to pay in good conscience I could not do something I felt to be unsafe. They just didn't get it. They insisted I would be out of business in no time. I felt that, on the contrary, building quailty rifles would be the foundation to build a successful business off of. And if I couldn't make a living doing what I believe is right, then it's not a business I wanted any part of anyway.

There are certainly some people you can't afford to work for. The customer is alwasy right is true, and if that customer asks you to do something you can or will not do, then you are much better ahead not taking the work.

The biggest problem most smiths have is they take on projects that they cannot complete. Either they technically can't handle the work, or more often, they can't handle the delivery. Either way, you genertate a po'd customer that will bad mouth you to know end. What those students, and most businessmen don't realize is how expensive bad publicity is. You can't calculate work you never new about, but be assured a po'd customer will have that effect.

If you refuse the job, he may bad mouth you, but the reasonable prospective customer will think, hmm, this guy won't take on work he isn't comfortable with, maybe I'll see if I have some work that he is good at, and knowing he is an honest man, I'll probably be happy.

Took me a long time to learn this, so I'll just toss it in here for grins...



Ever so often one has to step back and ask himself why he has his own business... Is it for the pleasure of filling out government forms and meeting endlessly increasing bureaucratic demands? Is it to be a joe-boy wog for any bloke who cares to show up at any hour of any day, with any sort of a crack-pot attitude?



Possibly it is for the pleasure of living hand-to-mouth and watching other parents who actually produce nothing finite & useful at their corporate "power-jobs" give their kids a new Mustang or Civic for high school graduation, while your child, if they are lucky, gets a new Timex watch and a suggestion they might want to look for a job now that they will be paying rent to help with household expenses?



No, I suggest all small businessmen own their own businesses so they can skillfully do a limited number of things that they really enjoy, and provide parts and/or services related to those things they enjoy. At least they do, if they are still in business for more than just a very few years.



If they don't, they burn out, become cynical and unpleasant even to themselves, and don't have much of a life. One's small business IS most of the owner's life and it is only natural and good that he defend the quality of his life by doing only the things he feels comfortable with and enjoys.



With that in mind, a person has no personal conflicts with saying to himself, AND to some ass of a individual at his door..."Sorry, that's not part of my line...Thanks for asking...Goodbye" and politely closing the door and/or walking away. End of conversation.



Those who benefit from/need/like your specialties will still call on you if your work is good and your service polite.



Those who do not want what it is that you provide will either go elsewhere or do without. All can still only honestly say you were nice, polite, and a gentleman.



And you don't have to apologize to anyone, not even your boss over there, the guy in the mirror.



AC

Johncharlie,

You get twelve whole minutes? A Pediatrician buddy of mine who works in the inner city (so you know money ain't his motivation) gets just under ten. We figured it out one day and it was a depressing statistic.

Sorry to hear that BAW. If you can give up your habit of working hard you can get a government job.
As a solo rural practitioner I have gotten good at eating rock soup. Still beats working for a 100+ provider group and only getting to spend 12 minutes on each patient.
JCN

First let me say that I consult with small businesses for a living. I am a small business person myself, and have also been a restaurant owner--so I feel your pain. Having said that, and at the risk of being flamed, here's an observation.



All larger successful companies constantly ask the question, "What/who is a good customer?" They act on this data by targeting their marketing, distribution channels, pricing etc. There are also times in professional services businesses that customers/clients are "fired" or subjected to punitive pricing in order to make them go elsewhere. They also know the $$ value of a GOOD customer over his/her lifetime of repeat business. They treat their GOOD regular customers like gold...



A successful business has a growing number of good customers. "Good" usually has profitability as strong component. In small business you can also choose to work with customers you like if you are in demand and have more work than you need.



Some of you are true artisans and craftsmen with creative talents. For a few at the top of the game you can treat people pretty poorly and still have business a plenty. I envision the temperamental artisan who is hard to get a hold of, works at his leisure and rarely meets a deadline or a cost estimate. If you can pull it off, more power to ya!



Having said all this, I know some business owners who really don't like customers, period. They are cynical, bitter, and sometimes worse in their true feelings about CUStomers. They're attitude is, "This would be a great place to work if it weren't for the customer." These folks usually don't provide superb service that exceeds customer expectations and end up with their wish. Zero customers. You can tell these places of business because they have more signs and notes about what they CAN"T and WON"T do than what they will do. Paul Hawken has a saying about "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" signs: Why think small? Go ahead and put up a sign that says, "We reserve the right to refuse service to EVERYONE!"



Ultimately, be careful that you don't become jaded and cynical about customers. There are plenty of CUStomers as you describe, but the minute you start eyeing each new prospective customer with a jaundiced eye based on a few bad apples you're in trouble.



Finally, remember that there are two sides to this coin. There are hack gunsmiths who are terrible businesspeople and they butcher projects and precious guns. I know this from personal experience! One such gentlemen is now on his way to federal prison courtesy of the BATF for dealing in class III weapons without the proper licensing!

That's what I used to get when I did urgent care for a while back in Illinois. When I was an ER doc in a busy downtown hospital I often saw 48 patients in a 12 hour shift. That included heart attacks, gun shot wounds, runny noses, the clap, delivering babies in the hallways, and the ever popular facial trauma.
Now I'm the only full time doc in Owyhee county. I take as long as it takes with people. The pay is s***, and I probably can't slap a chest tube into somebody in my sleep like before, but I get to bring my dog to work, and if I'm out bird hunting everybody knows to come by the office a half hour after sunset.
I think I'm like most of the people on this forum. I take good care of my customers/patients, try to avoid the bureaucrats, accumulate more guns than I need (less than I want), and try to sneak off to hunt and fish when I can. I'll do my best to respond to my customers needs, but it does no one good for me to give them what they want if it isn't the right thing to do, and no one needs to take abuse. I have a pretty thick skin, but if someone is abusive to any of my staff they are immediately discharged from the practice. Life is too short. OK, I'm off my soap box.
JCN
PS My gunsmith is very talented. I make sure he always has at least one little project cooking for me, I pay him promptly, and I always tell him what a great job he does. I would never think of bothering him at home during family time. Anyone who does that is being abusive (with exceptions for an unexpected firearm failure 6 hours before the flight leaves for Africa). Time to (ha, ha) discharge them from your practice.

I also have my own small buisness. Yea it can be a pain in the butt.

I am not good at the sales B.S. part. But it is a challenge and its my own buisness , and Competeing with other in the same buisnesses gives you drive to accomplish what your competitors are making,$$$$.

Ive learned alot. There is that percentage of people you work for that dont want to pay. Their objective is to rip you off .

There are people in this world that want things for free. Usually they are the complainers and the ones that shoot their mouths off and whine and cry.

"Buisnees goes where its invited and stays where its treated well".

Rick

PPS Did I mention that I was the doctor to the stars? Yep, BIG AL'S, a world famous! strip joint down the street from the hospital used to send all their dancers up to the ER for their health care needs, often while I, your humble correspondent was the attending doctor on duty. I couldn't let the resident doctors see those patients (think 26 year old male who has done nothing but study for the last 8 years and is backed up further than Lake Powell meets single, hot, nubile, pneumatic, e*x*o*t*i*c dancer/stripper. Think what good would come out of that? Yep, the answer is none at all). As the resident attending misanthrope (one step above anti-social) it fell on me to be Dr. Kildare to the parade of knee injuries, bacterially induced reproductive track unhappiness, drug overdoses, and other workplace injuries (e.g. overenthusiastic flogging injury, hot wax stains, and various overuse injuries). They were the most gorgeous girls I've ever seen in my life. They also cured me of any inclinations toward major promiscuity. The unmistakable odor of gonorrhea stays in your nose for hours, and in your mind for the rest of your life.

JCN -

Best of luck Bad Ass!