I scuffed a customers wheels, what is the right thing to do?
 

Running a biz can be a real drag sometimes. Super picky customer anal retentive. type. He buys a new set of wheels to use as winter wheels on his Audi. He has them shipped here to my shop, and I order the tires, and mount and balance them. I am damn good at mounting tires, I have been mounting race tires for 15 years, and I don't think I have scuffed a single wheel in all of that time. I have mounted at least 10 sets of tires and wheels for this guy and his boss over the years, and they come to me because I am reliable, and don't fuch up.
So anyhow, these are 19" wheels with super low profile snow tires, which are pretty much one of the hardest tires to mount next to run flats. I pull it off without a hitch, all four tires on the wheels, not a mark. I was super careful because I know how anal he is, and I take pride in my work. But... These wheels have strange lug pockets, and when I mounted them on my balancer and tightened the cone, it made contact with the wheel. I did not even realize that this had happened.
He comes to pick up the wheels, and while I am helping him load them in his car, he notices the little marks on the inside of the hub of the wheel. He believes that they were damaged in shipping, but with one look at them, I knew what had happened. I told him that it probably happened when I balanced them, I took out the cone that I had used, and stuck it in the center of the wheel, and viola. There was a hair of clearance, but I am sure that when I tightened them up, they made contact.
Now the dilema. These marks are nearly not noticeable. They are very tiny scuffs in the clear coat of the wheel in a the inside of the lug pockets, you cannot even see without getting down on your hands and knees and looking. These are also winter wheels mind you.
He wants me to pay for four new wheels. Now I do truly believe that If I have damaged something, I am responsible, and always try to make the situation right, but man , do I have to eat a grand worth of wheels, for minor, minor scuffs?I am not trying to squirrel out of my responsibilities, but do you guys think I should be held accountable for full replacement of his wheels?
I am going to turn this into a positive though. This guy is not what I would call a good customer anyhow, always difficult, and makes me jump though all kinds of hoops every time I work for him. Then he will leave his stuff sit at my place for weeks, while I await for payment. However this works out between us, I am going to sever our relationship after this is resolved.
I really want to do the right thing, but am not so sure exactly what the correct remedy is for this.
Sorry for the long post. Fast Fred out.

Any chance they can be buffed out with a felt cone on a flex shaft or dremel?

Inside the lug pockets I'd be inclined push back on replacing the wheels.

From a straight customer service standpoint, I would buy new ones & insist that he watches the installation of the new ones & signs off. Sell the existing ones to recoup part of your cost.

Ian

Many large cities have wheel shops that can repair almost any damage and make a wheel look new for much less than the cost of a wheel. If there's not one local you could easily ship it off.

If I remember correctly, the starting price for repairing a damaged wheel around here is $75.00.

Four new wheels? Ridiculous. If you scratched his car, would he have you buy him a new car?

Have the wheels sent to a body shop that can repair them or re-clear them.

If the wheels are only $1K, it might be cheaper to buy him new wheels and then sell his on craigslist for a discount.

Clear coat can easily touched up and buffed out. That's what it's designed for.

+1 "Cheaper" being the opporative word. Your reputation will not be tarnished.

If you do buy him new wheels I would politely refuse to mount them. They are tiny scratches and he's being difficult, making you jump thru hoops. If you are not going to handle this account anymore let him go else where.

Douchnozzle. Have them touched up, and tell him goodbye

^^^^
This,
Sell the wheels to recoup some... replace and refuse to mount... least that is what I would do.

And to add... all this over $1000 snow rims that will get banged up anyway?:rolleyes:

And my wife think I'm anal because I won't park our new car in a tight parking space.

+1 offer to have the wheels buffed or repaired by a shop that can get the minor scratch marks out.

If not, then offer to have the wheels re-cleared.






If, in the very end, you need to buy four brand new wheels, give him the wheels and DO NOT under any circumstance, offer to put those snow tires on there. Let him go to Wal-Mart or something.

Offer to buy him a blow job from the local pro. He obviously needs one.

On a serious note, I do like to totally shock someone when I'm in a "situation." They never call again.

I'd definitely look into this option.

From your decription I would think they would buff out. May have to be wet sanded/polished, but unless it's through the clear they should be able to be repaired. Seems like your obligation is to restore the wheels to the same condition they were in when they arrived and no more.

When you're done making things right, fire him as a customer. I let one of my clients go earlier this year. Never did what I asked him to do, always paid late, missed multiple appointments, treated his wife like dirt in front of me, etc. Can't tell you how good it feels to say, "I think you need to find someone else to do your work."

+930

Buy new wheels, fix and/or sell the old wheels to recoupe your money. Tell him to get them mounted somewhere else. And him find a new service guy when done.

DO you have the wheels ? You need to get the wheels, send them out, get them fixed, and get them back to him.

Buy a new set of wheels.
Have his original wheels repaired/fixed while waiting for the new ones to arrive.
When you have both sets, set them aside for at least 4 weeks so they get good and dusty.
When he comes to pick them up, give him his originals back in such a way that he can see you've got two sets and tell him thanks for his business but this is the last time you'd like to see him in your establishment.
Once he's gone, clean off the new set and return them for a refund.

That is uncalled for!

I'm sure the fine gents at Pep Boys could help him out. ;)

I like what Mr Douglas suggested. Do what you need to do to protect your reputation, never do any work for the man again. I don't put up with much nonsense from my patients and fire the troublemakers. If you are nasty to one of my employees, you are getting a 10 days to find a doctor letter.

Four new wheels is a bit excessive.

Oh yeah, now you just GOTTA start a thread on that! I bet you got some real Duesies to tell. :)

If you broke all of them (and only if it was your fault) you would owe him a new ones.

Take them to a bodyshop/wheel detail place and have them fixed.

If he's not happy, that's when you tell him to pound sand.

If he comes back charge him 1.5 times your current rate for the a$$hat agravation.

Place I get my wheels mounted has a sign "While we will do our best to ensure no damage is caused by mounting your tires on your rims sometimes things happen and we are not responceable for any damage."

I would NEVER resort to such a despicably low tactic! :mad: (:))

I'd have his wheels repaired while you wait for new ones you order to arrive. When you have all four wheels in your possession, shine them all up (and I'm assuming that the repaired wheels will be indistinguishable from new new) call the customer in and apologize that your 16 yr old shop monkey stacked them side by side and you don't know which is which. Let him choose, then return the wheels he rejects. If they're truly indistinguishable from new, where's the foul if any or all that you return aren't new ones? If it'll help you sleep better, have one of your guys shuffle the wheels to, uhh...temper your lil' white lie. :D

If he wants them mounted, apologize again that you don't have the equipment to do so without damaging them again.

What a douchebag that would have you cough up $1,000 over something so trivial. I get the feeling from what you wrote he may even expect to keep his old wheels. He sounds like a prick and would have a problem with having the wheels buffed out or repainted, before or after. This is what I would do:

- offer a $200 (or $300) discount on the tires, mounting, and balancing.
- or replace his wheels, keep his old ones to resell, dismount the tires and let him buy them or return them, to be mounted/balanced elsewhere.
- be done with him.

If you think you can get them fixed so they look good as new, do that.

If not, buy him new wheels, keep/sell the other wheels, and stop serving him.

Repair or replace the wheel(s) if you are responsible for the damage. No matter how small the damage may seem to you it may be huge to someone else.

I'm also anal when it comes to my things and I would want the wheels returned to me in new condition. Yeah, I know, some of us are a little screwed up and it makes it awfully difficult to find shops we trust. What I've learned over the years is that not everyone will use the same level of care as I would. When I drop off a car or motorcycle at a shop for service my only hope is that if something does go wrong that they own up to their mistake and take responsibility and we can amicably come to a solution. It seems that you've accepted responsibility and that's great.

If you no longer want this person as a customer that's your prerogative. But, let me ask you this question. If this person paid on time and picked up his items promptly but was still very anal about his things and the work that you perform would you still consider asking him not to return?

What they all said.

Replace the wheels, keep the damaged set, politely send him somewhere else for the mounting. Your time is too valuable to screw around with it any further beyond that. Next thing you'll do is send the wheels out for repair, 3 of the 4 will be perfect and the 4th will be goofy, then you'll send that one back and he'll be pissed again...just pay it and move on.

In your opinion, how hard will it be for him to find someone that can mount the tire without scratching it. Seems to me it will not be an easy thing to do or at very least he will be taking a chance for it to happen again with someone else, just saying u don't seem like a duffuss that doesn't care like a lot of people and u were honest., goes a long ways with me as a customer

Hello in Pittsburgh. Live and learn. It would help if you have a disclaimer waiver that the person signs in advance. If you ever read the fine print when you drop off your car at a dealer, you would be amazed at what you have agreed to. I know for a fact that large wheels and small profile tires are a ***** to change. I am friends with the gang at C&G and I trust them with my wheels but see how hard it is to do them. Next time, get something in writing stating that you will not be responsible for minor scratching or cosmetic damage and have them sign it. Of course you will do your best job, but somethings are out of your control. If they don't like taking a small risk, have them go elsewhere. If this would of happened in this case, the guy would still leave and the slight cosmetic damage done, but he would have no recourse.

Sucks.....
 

If you scratched them and do not have a disclosure limiting your responsibility well then you, IMO, are responsible. It sucks, but it comes with the ownership territory. I would see the cost and quality of repair and consult with customer on if it is an alternative he is willing to use as a solution. Will your business insurance cover it? I would call your broker...

Get the wheels back, plus a copy of his receipt for the wheels. Take good photos of the scuffs. Have the wheels repaired. The former scuff must be undetectable, and take photographs (good ones) to prove it. Return the repaired wheels and dismounted tires to him, plus a refund for your mounting work, and tell him not to come back. Don't engage in a debate about whether the scuff has been adequately repaired, compensating him for his inconvenience, or other crap. If the scuffs cannot be repaired, return the tires to him and reimburse him his cost for the wheels plus your mounting fee, and tell him not to come back. Whatever you do, (1) don't spend more than another hour on this, (2) don't re-mount his tires or do any further work for him - or for his boss.

Were the wheels really $1,000 to begin with?

My advice (not legal advice, but still friendly advice from me to you) :

Don't do anything. It sounds like what you did would pass the standards of a reasonable man. You are not required to fulfill the standards of an unreasonable man. Let him know that you cannot afford to buy brand new wheels every time a customer see's a nick. If he says to use your insurance, let him know that the insurance matter is between you and your insurance and you have to use your professional judgment on when to call them. Remind him that anybody doing the work would do the same thing and then next set are likely to have the same or worse occur. Finally, offer to give him a referral to another tech. You have to manage his expectations. You sound like a really nice guy and he won't find that in the auto business so he'll be (1) back; and (2) happy to accept little scratches on lug areas after he experiences what other techs in the industry do.

Many have made the same point, but this is the best summary. Key being to not lose a lot of time to this. Find a solution that will work, do it, and drop him.

I was given this piece of business advice last year: Every year, you need to fire your worst 2 customers. Use your time and energy to provide excellent servcice to your BEST clients.


Example: I had a buyer client last year who chewed up at least 2hrs a week, and he was NEVER happy. Always complained, and I found myself jumping through hoops trying to satisfy him. In the new year, when he called me I explained that I thought he would be better off dealing with someone else in our office. He was pissed, and called me a few times but I ignored his calls and would send him an email referring him to another agent. He got the point eventually. Anyway, I committed to taking that 2hrs a week to call previous HAPPY clients and just touch base to see how they were doing. I got significant business from that this year, because it kept me top of mind and they sent business my way.

In business, the squeaky wheel often needs to COME OFF

That's one of the best lines I've heard in long time, although it's probably because I'm usually the squeaky wheel ;)

In my job we're forced to fire our worst customers. If they don't spend $XX in one year with us, they get transferred away from an account manager and are then handled by a call center. I'll always take their calls if it's someone I used to work with. But besides customers with a low annual spend, I'm free to transfer out anyone I don't like and either let someone else handle them or send them to the call center. It's a pretty firm rule that a customer's level of difficulty is inversely proportional to how much money they spend with me. I don't have time to spend hours and hours defending small revenue against a competitor to client who always has low spend and whines about every nickel of it. My biggest customer is big enough that I'd lose my job if I lost them. But they are very low maint. and easy to please.

FastFred - I have been in the same situation several times. Two of those situations worth mentioning:

1) With my 930 I had HRE make a custom set of 3-piece 17" wheels, cost per wheel was $1500, so not cheap wheels by any means. I had to have a new tire mounted on the front wheel and took the wheel and tire off the car and dropped it to the most reputable wheel shop in town that has the best equipment and customer service and deal with high end wheels. (Similar to your customer) I know the owner and his son very well and spent a decent of $$ at their shop over th years. Well when I went to pick-up the wheel, the polished lip was scratched and the wheel was dirty from the goop that you apply on the inside of the tire to mount it and it had run and dried on the wheel spokes. I was NOT happy about the scratches and the general appearance of the wheels and mentioned it to the owner's son. He was VERY apologetic and took care of it right away and he grabbed one of his head installers and they both dropped what they were doing and sat there for an hour polishing the lip by hand to get the scratches out and made sure it was perfect. They promised that if they could not make it "perfect" they would send the wheel back to HRE or to a well known wheel re-finisher to make sure I was satisfied.

See Below:
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL86/.../393344505.jpg

2) With my Datsun Z, I was in a group buy with 20 other Datsun Z owners for a custom set of 17" wheels (the old Datsun Z has silly offsets and an old bolt hole pattern) and the only way to get modern wheels is to have them custom made. These wheels were much cheaper than the HRE but still pricey. I was friendly with the Manager of my local Discount Tire and gave them the task of mounting the tires. One of the wheels got scuffed on their machine. The Manager of Discount was cool and they man'd up and admitting they screwed up. What they did was give me the tires for free, this is what they offered, not a request I made. They knew the wheels were custom made and I had mentioned that I had waited 6+ months for them to made. I took their offer and appreciated it. Again I have spent alot of $$$ at Discount over the years (well over $10K in tires and wheels) and to keep me a happy customer, they were willing to provide great customer service.

See below:
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL387.../373005607.jpg

In both cases, I did not demand new wheels and it is important to be reasonable, honest and fair. Which you have done, so do not feel like you have to be taken advantage of. Dealing with the public can be challenging and stressful and if your customer is being unreasonable stand your ground be professional.

Good luck - Yasin