The first customer I've ever fired

[goblin]

Report it to the police. Now.
Not to file a complaint, not to act against him, but to preemptively have something on paper the day he comes back with something crazier and/or decides to sue you or to tank your reviews or whatever.

There was such a thing back in Europe, should exist in the US as well. Something to log in their logbook that doesn't necessarily require action or investigation, but informs them of a situation.

It doesn't matter if the guy has been microwaving gerbills since age seven or he was a saint getting dementia now. The end impact on you is what matters.

 

[SOUNDMAN5000]

I'm almost at retirement age and looking back at 33 years of owning my own business from Real Estate to AV install I can say its always the ones I worked hardest to please, the ones I went way OVER and BEYOND to do EXTRA and at no charge are the very ones never happy and ended bad with me firing them.

I have a total of five customers in 33 years that my ALL was not enough.
Was a time in my younger day I didn't take that well but you learn you truly can't make everyone happy all the time.

I do think age and bad habits can cause strange behavior, I had a rich lady customer that was a drunk, things did not end well and I took it so bad I changed my AV business from home systems to Professional customers ONLY! No more RICH, DRUNK House Wives!

This past year I had a bad experience with a older professional customer that I sold a large AV system to, supported for free a few years and we had what I thought a great professional relationship. He needed a service call to support something I did not install and he made up in his head what my trip charge would be. He was a 3 hour round trip from my shop and he told me up front he only pays $95 for a service call...

I had done 2 years of favors and was still willing to give him a great price but I can't drive 3 hours and work all day for $95 including replacement parts... I truly hated that man thinks I let him down...

I think age was a factor as he did't act right at the end...

 

[gman2304]

There’s two sides to every story. Being the customer, I’ve had to fire a few “ technicians “ in my life as well so…….

 

[Marrk]

I do think age and bad habits can cause strange behavior, I had a rich lady customer that was a drunk, things did not end well and I took it so bad I changed my AV business from home systems to Professional customers ONLY! No more RICH, DRUNK House Wives!

On behalf of my ex-wife, allow me to apologize.

 

[chazthespaz]

You could well be right. I thought that possibly it could be a sign of some sort of mental deterioration, but maybe depression fits too? One of the times he was at my shop he was lamenting how well in life one of his classmates did and how much money he had. I could hear his voice break up a little when talking about about it.

I agree, the agitation, hostility, and obsessive behavior suggests some kind of mental condition and/or decline.

I'm in a different business, but our trade journal had an article about "firing" customers. Small percent of customers cause a disproportionate amount of problems, such as short or no pay, disputes over work, etc. Spend the time on attracting and serving better customers.