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Lying to Customers?

C

cpals

Diamond Member
Okay, okay... I know you shouldn't lie to a customer, but here's my question.

I'm getting into the computer repair/upgrade business and while I'm fairly proficient working on them and noticing the usual errors, there's bound to be something in the future that just stumps me and I have no clue what the problem is.

Say you're at a customer's business and your working on their system and you have no clue what is wrong with the computer/network/etc.. Should you pretend that you still know what's going on so as not to look stupid and they don't think you're good enough for the job. Or would you take it home and bring it to a different repair shop for them to look at it. Or what? If you say you don't know what's wrong with it then they might decide to go with someone else and you'll be out of the job, but maybe not. What are your thoughts?
 
Be HONEST. It will build your credibility and will pay off for your business in the long run. You're not ready to go into business if you have to "BS" your customers.
 
So far, this has not come up for me (I repair computers). Others I know have run across this and brought the computer for me to fix. Basically, I tell the truth ALWAYS. If I don't know what's wrong, I tell them upfront that I don't know. Usually I will take it with me and try to figure it out. If there were a situation where I still could not figure it out, I would tell the person and provide them with options: Either pay me for my current work and take it somewhere else, or let me take it somewhere else, or anything else they can think of. Always tell the customer what you are doing and what you did. You don't have to tell them where you may have taken the computer to get it fixed, but tell them that you did not actually get it working, but an associate of yours did. Assure them that you inspected the work though and never charge them more because you had to take it somewhere else because you couldn't fix it (ie: Don't charge them for your labor, plus the labor of some local computer shop). I have not run into a problem yet that I couldn't solve in one way or another though, so it's always possible.
 
Originally posted by: RalphKramden
Learn what the problem is by your own research.
Or get out of the idea of running your own business.
Click to expand...
Yup, Yup.

White lies are par for the course, you have to make yourself or your company look good, but SERIOUSLY being sincere and honest about your own limitations and abilities I've found goes a big way toward ensuring good relations. The people who do the hiring\firing don't want a know it all tech who doesn't perform, but they'll be plenty happy with a good natured tech who takes a bit longer to figure it out and isn't an a$$hole. That's just my experience.

 
Originally posted by: RalphKramden
Learn what the problem is by your own research.
Or get out of the idea of running your own business.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's wht I do, although I haven't come up against this scenario.

What if the customer needs the computer fixed ASAP? You can't exactly say, "let go home and research it and I'll get back to you in a day." They want it fixed there and now and sometimes that impossible.

Like I said, just throwing around some ideas.
 
Originally posted by: djheater
Originally posted by: RalphKramden
Learn what the problem is by your own research.
Or get out of the idea of running your own business.
Click to expand...
Yup, Yup.

White lies are par for the course, you have to make yourself or your company look good, but SERIOUSLY being sincere and honest about your own limitations and abilities I've found goes a big way toward ensuring good relations. The people who do the hiring\firing don't want a know it all tech who doesn't perform, but they'll be plenty happy with a good natured tech who takes a bit longer to figure it out and isn't an a$$hole. That's just my experience.
Click to expand...

Okay, I get the point. Some good suggestions here though. 😉 😀

I wasn't trying to legitimize lying, but rather what you would do in a setting like this.
 
Originally posted by: cpals
Originally posted by: djheater
Originally posted by: RalphKramden
Learn what the problem is by your own research.
Or get out of the idea of running your own business.
Click to expand...
Yup, Yup.

White lies are par for the course, you have to make yourself or your company look good, but SERIOUSLY being sincere and honest about your own limitations and abilities I've found goes a big way toward ensuring good relations. The people who do the hiring\firing don't want a know it all tech who doesn't perform, but they'll be plenty happy with a good natured tech who takes a bit longer to figure it out and isn't an a$$hole. That's just my experience.
Click to expand...

Okay, I get the point. Some good suggestions here though. 😉 😀

I wasn't trying to legitimize lying, but rather what you would do in a setting like this.
Click to expand...


More than likely (I know it's true in my case) we've all tried lying and found it to be WAY worse than just being forthright. It's hella stressfull and you have to keep track of what you said, it's not pretty when you get caught. Just not worth it. Just wanted to say, we're not being pedantic, just trying to save you the hassle and the taste of crow. 😉
 
dont lie. be honest. because if you lie to a liar, they'll know. trust me. we can smell our own.

"you cant bullsh** a bullsh**ter"
 
Originally posted by: RalphKramden
Learn what the problem is by your own research.
Or get out of the idea of running your own business.
Click to expand...

Thank you. That was exactly what I was going to say. Actually, problems of that nature shouldn't be too hard to diagnose. Or, just do like everyone else insists - just reinstall Windows.
rolleye.gif
rolleye.gif



 
Originally posted by: cpals

What if the customer needs the computer fixed ASAP?
Click to expand...

What if they want a computer that serves drinks? You cant always do what the customer wants, they do sometimes ask the impossible.
 
There is nothing wrong in whatever field you work in (ok, maybe not all (if a pilot came on the intercom and said "Hi folks, there is a light blinking up here and we dont know what it means, so we'll get back to you in a little bit) but most "service/teaching" jobs) to tell someone i dont know but ill research it and get back to you tomorrow.
 
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