F*cking clients

[xtian]

A happy conclusion!

Client:

Sending the $40 now, tubes will be on your doorstep in half an hour

And, done.

[Scumback Speakers]

Sad case of clients having expectations you can't control without a written agreement. I'd get the amp back, see what the "new issue" is, and decide what to charge him from there. You're not running a charity, and he thinks you are.

[bepone]

very simple, price for everything must be settled before any action, and there will be no problem, additional + for unpredicted works, announced before.

[drew]

A happy conclusion!

Client:

Sending the $40 now, tubes will be on your doorstep in half an hour

And, done.

Good deal. My initial response to the top post was that the guy was just a chiseler and you’d let him get over on you, and you should wash your hands of him. But you took a more restrained approach, gave the guy a chance to resolve the dispute honorably, and it worked out. There’s at least a chance now that you get future work or recommendations from him.

Looking back on it, could you have done something different to make sure the guy was fully aware of and on board with how much it might cost to fix the amp? I’ve been watching an amp tech’s YouTube channel recently; this guy is always saying he’s going to call the client to get the okay to do stuff, even when it’s two-bit stuff like resistors and caps.

[xtian]

could you have done something different to make sure the guy was fully aware of and on board with how much it might cost to fix the amp?

Yeah, I try to do that.

[dorrisant]

Yes, xtian, kudos for choosing clean response words. It makes you look as intelligent as you truly are. Also, great suggestions from the lot of you.

I think you have done well with your responses, getting to the point quickly. You must feel some comfort with your messages hitting the target. The only thing is that you seem to have lost a little value from your JJs... That may be the price to pay to rid yourself of a customer you really don't want. Probably worth it.

This is one of the main reasons why I have stopped doing repairs for the general public. And if I had a (plug in arbitrary value) for every time a customer has not shown up for a set appointment... I'll just say that the only way I could have financially survived, is that the sheer volume of customers included a good percentage of people who kept their appointments.

I have several amps that have been here long enough to liquidate... Two of them are Marshalls with blown OTs... Those are usually the ones that never get the ride home. They were brought here with the thought that it was something very simple only to find that the cost of parts and labor were more than expected. I have always found it hard to break that news to the owners in this type of case.

Funny thing is, the a-holes that try to flame me for their misplaced dissatisfaction are usually on the list of anyone else who might have repaired for them in the past. I live in a community that doesn't have many repair techs/capita. I can send a message or make a phone call and find out quickly that my suspicions are well founded nearly 100% of the time.

I have given the speech to every new customer about how I do not put my money into a customer's device. So they have to pay for all materials and shipping before I buy the parts. If they leave it sitting, I have not put much labor into it other than assessment. Also, they have only the assessment fee to pay to pick it up. Should be easier for them that way, but they still keep leaving them. That's is exactly how I acquired the Echoplex that I have (still needs several parts). I think I can safely call it mine after 7 years... I really can't remember what the interval is in Indiana.

[maxkracht]

I also live in a place with very few techs and even fewer competent ones. Not sure if I fully place myself in the competent category, but at least I’m trying… The best clients tend to be ones who have been ripped off by one or more of the less competent/ less scrupulous techs in the area. I’m guessing the guy xtian was dealing with will realize his mistake if he goes elsewhere.

[WhopperPlate]

I also live in a place with very few techs and even fewer competent ones.

It’s heartening to see these forums occupied by others continuing the craft , but rarity of competent techs is par for the course almost everywhere, except for places that still manage to stay relevant within the music industry.

Funny enough Rick Beato and Tim pierce just posted a video today, basically discussing the death of the middle class musician. The music industry once supported the little guys, and all of the related supporting industries was something that could keep communities financially afloat.

I grew up with my family running Santa Cruz Sound Company , and the local scene was alive and well . It was relatively a dream compared to today . The first big hit was 9/11; everything changed afterward for us. Venues eventually close doors from a lack of patronage, and the snake eats it’s self without a local scene to support local acts, and what’s left over either won’t hire local acts , or
not without a big name act ( count ‘em 1 venue total that can even support that , the famous catalyst nightclub . The local civic center here won’t book rock bands because grandmas and sound curfews take precedence) …the rest basically end up being some sort of pay to play situation … well because the chances a local act that is developed and good enough to pull in a decent crowd go down significantly when there is no local scene …

Sorry , let myself off the reigns , rant over for now …

[jelle]

Me:

I should not have let you leave with your amp.

This is where you screwed yourself. Learn, move on. We have all learned this lesson.....

In terms of going forward, here is what i suggest; tell him to send the amp back in, if the repair you did actually failed, you will fix it. If its a new problem, quote him for this new work. And yes, the old bill is still actual. 'Theft of services' and all that.

[Mostaks68]

Dealing with the public means occasionally having to handle / negotiate with people that behave like that.
It’s nice to help nice people to get their amp working again and get paid for it, I guess this is the flipside.

In a broader sense, situations like this often highlight how important it is to have clear, reliable backend systems in place for handling transactions and disputes, similar to what a dedicated payment processing company would typically help structure in other industries.

In future, if the customer can’t pay upfront but you don’t want their gear cluttering your place, would it be an option for you to take it to a pawnshop, hopefully cover your fee, and send your customer the details, so they have the choice to pay up or lose the gear?

From a purely technical perspective, it would be good to find out what fault had developed since it was on your bench, and review whether you could have spotted it and taken preventive action. Especially since it’s such a common model.

Once you start introducing third parties like pawn shops into the equation, you’re essentially changing the nature of the job from repair/service work into asset handling. That opens up a whole different set of legal and ethical complications, especially around ownership, consent, and liability if anything goes wrong in the process. In most cases it’s just not worth the risk compared to either holding the unit, issuing an invoice, or returning it unworked if terms aren’t agreed upfront.

On the technical side, you’re right that it’s always worth reviewing what changed while the unit was on the bench. Even if the original fault was obvious, intermittent issues or secondary failures can easily show up after initial testing, especially with older or heavily stressed gear. That said, not every post-bench failure is realistically predictable — sometimes it’s just timing and component fatigue lining up badly.

[nuke]

Yeah, I learned this all as a tech in the music shop while I was in high school. Pay in full, or no pickup, period.

That's why I wouldn't do this for a living and limit repairs to people I can deal with.

[TUBEDUDE]

I had a customer that was a great player. I've repaired several of his amps. He needed his Super serviced and at pickup he said he only had $40 but needed it for a gig that night. I tried to be flexible, and we agreed he'd pay me before 2 weeks were up. He never returned and I was out $110. Three years later I saw him in a restaurant and he tells me he's having a.problem with an amplifier. I said yeah that needs some work, you should take it to a tech. He realized he was persona non grata for repair work. No drama , no unkind words, but he realized he lost a valuable asset in a small town over a small amount. He's still a great player, and I see him play in the local clubs, but business is business.

[Bobwith2Bs]

Oof.

This one was a rough read since i can just imagine the same thing happening so easily. But seems like you handled it well and that the resolution was nearly as good as getting full payment for parts and labor.

I luckily haven't had to deal with any customers stiffing me on the bill at this point... but am VERY upfront and get written confirmation on estimate before doing any labor and am very clear that it fixes THAT ONE PROBLEM and any other issues that may arise after the fix will require a new quote. Most people seem to understand but you never know.

Side note, but are you charging $129 for a pair of JJ 6L6s?? I may need to raise my prices...

[TUBEDUDE]

Not if it is matched, bias checked for stability, biased, sockets cleaned, all components to the sockets checked,, tubes burned in and dissipation/bias rechecked.

[Yoda]

Clients are insufferable and some have even made me regret doing this for the public. I have stories but don’t feel like typing them all out right now. But basically people want everything for free.