I saw this day coming after being incredibly patient and attempting to be professional, courteous and understanding of customer's requirements. Sometimes no matter what you do, it is always going to be wrong...
Last Monday 23rd..
Got to work after a HEAVY weekend of catching up with restoration work. Eager to get back into the 20 RTBB orders over the weekend that I was facing
8:59 AM the phone rings and a customer introduces himself and asks if APR does Home Service Calls. I replied that we do not under any circumstances. The response was that the customer lived in Lalor and knew nothing about pinballs. He just bought an eBay game, and it was described as working, but when he got it home, the machine no longer worked. Fearing another dealer project nightmare, I advised that he could bring it in for a service (but he had a long wait that was not worth it ) and I could advise him to what the issues was. He reminded me that he lived in Lalor (5 minutes away from Thomastown). I reminded him we don't do Home Repairs, again. Suddenly, the caller asked me if we had an EOS Switch. Strange, the caller has gone from a pinball newbie, to a tech that understood what an EOS was. I told him that we have several, but i needed to know the part number, or at least the game. It was a GTB SYS1 game, and I advised that I had to confirm in one of my parts manuals. He was happy with this, so I sourced the manual for the SYS1 flipper assemblies, wrote down the part number and left the piece of paper with the part number in the manual, in front of the phone, so when he calls back, I have the relevant info to confirm.
9:35 AM Customer calls back and I gave him the part number. Like magic, he advised that he now had the part number in front of him, independent of my findings. I asked how many he needs, and he told me "one". So I located the part, and advised that I have put aside the part for him. He asked if he could pick it up, and I advised he was welcome to do so. After all, he lives in Lalor - makes perfect sense. I briefly asked him if he was competent with a soldering iron, and he laughed and told me that it was no problem. He then asked me if AFTER he replaces the EOS, would I attend his home "in case it needs adjustment".. I repeated that I do not do home repairs (third time), but I would SHOW HIM how to adjust the EOS when he picks up the part. At this point, all seems well. I ask that he place an order with RTBB to reserve the EOS, and I would attend to it that day. He told me he lives in Lalor. I told him he can pick up the part AFTER he creates a tiny order on the RTBB site as he suddenly wanted to come in and "browse" through the spare parts. I told him that RTBB is an online store, and that EVERYTHING available is on the site. suddenly, the resourcefulness that lead him to obtaining the part number of the EOS eluded him. He told me he lives in Lalor and he would like to drop in. I repeated that he is welcome to make a time to pop in once he places an order for the EOS and the other parts he was interested in.
9:45 AM My first APR appointment for the day. Meeting completed at 10:45 AM. check the phone - 2 missed calls from the customer from Lalor. One message from the customer in Lalor. So I replayed the message, and for some reason, it seemed like the rewind button on the day had reverted back to 8:59 AM. Again, the customer wanted the part number and a time to pick up. I thought that maybe I had wandered into a time machine at some point..
11:00 AM I check my emails on RTBB, and low and behold, Mr Lalor had sent me an email at 8:59 AM - the SAME time as the initial call. He requested an EOS Switch.. But at the initial phone call at 8:59 AM, Mr Lalor didn't know what was wrong with his machine..He wanted me to go onsite. This was indeed a strange way to start the week..
11:30 AM After a minor distraction, I respond to his email, as I know that a call to him would just be like listening to a tape recording of previous messages. I replied with a DIRECT LINK to the RTBB EOS Switch. So anyone thatnew about computers, would be able to click on the link and then order the part. Mr Lalor KNEW that he needed to create an account, order the part, and then peruse the site to look for other parts for his game.
I'd say I'd spent 45 minutes helping a newbie out with his first pinball repair. Giving him a link to the exact part. Promising a quick explanation of how to adjust his EOS, and showing him a GTB flipper rebuild kit. All this, for a $5.00 part that he would save on shipping, as he was going to drive around from Lalor to pick up his part(s).
Fast Forward to Wednesday.
Part is still on the table. Waiting for the order..
I check my Facebook messages. Not much going on (I don't update FB as every time I do update it, I get swamped with work). Nothing exciting, but I have a new "review" posted.
I read it once, twice and I still don't know who it was. Until finally, I check the email sent Monday, and it is from the customer - Mr Lalor - with a CHARMING message ;
" have to say the worst ever customer service from this business. Lots of arrogance very little help! After researching other similar pinball places it's actually well known there is better out there !" 
Ok - I've finally used the
Emoticon. Apologies in advance.
So tonight is my "night off", and I look at the current list of Restorations that I'm 12 months behind (most cases), and the 37 orders "pending" in RTBB. I spent almost an hour for $5, THINKING I was helping a newbie. The cynic in me reads between the lines that this may just be a prank, or an employee / friend etc etc of a competitor. No, this is a customer that expects everything to be done - the only way I was to earn "5 Stars" was to drop everything, grab the part, drive out to Lalor, repair his game and not ask for payment.
To the 37 RTBB customers that are waiting on parts - Sorry - won't happen again
To the (lost count) of members waiting on pinball restorations - Sorry - Your game is now 45 minutes delayed
Amazing how one complete idiot is allowed to post rubbish on Facebook to make your business look bad. I've contacted Facebook, as the "complaint" is utter rubbish.
Sorry if I wasted 15 minutes of your time reading this, but I just had to vent. Seriously, I love my job, but sometimes I can do without the nut jobs.
