I applaud those with integrity!

[alp75]

So I own and run a ATV / Snowmobile rental company. We have about 20 ATV's and 40 snowmobiles. You can probably imagine that throughout a year we see our fair share of damaged equipment.

I recently found out that a former employee would not assess and charge individuals for damages in exchange for a case of beer. I found this out when my current employee had a return customer ask him if they brought back the machine with damages if he would accept their beer offering like the employee did last year. So now I wonder how many times $800, $1000, or $2000 or more of damages was "overlooked" in exchange for a $20 case of beer.

I have two huge problems with this. 1st, it is sad how many adults damage my equipment and are ok with not paying for it. Some return the machine and don't say anything in hopes that you don't see what they did. Some lie and argue. Some bribe the employees with beer or weed. 2nd, employees who would really value a $20 case of beer or bag of weed over their job and their relationship with their employer (who happened to treat the employee very, very well and paid him very, very well). If my employee would have brought that to my attention I would have bought him the case of beer for letting me know and looking out for my best interest.

Then there are those people who return and immediately tell you they had an accident and take responsibility for it and employees like my current employee who did the right thing and told them that's not how it works.

If you are the type of person or employee to take accountability regardless of the cost, then I applaud you! If you are not that type of person, then I don't ever want to get to know you, hang out with you or have you as a customer. Please take your business somewhere else.

Ok, rant over!

 

[HELL_ON_WHEELS]

Well Alp,
Sounds like yo need to send that Employee down the road?
Bad enough to deal with all the un-honest jokers in this world,let alone one that works for you?
I always figured if I broke it,I must replace it.
I don't really like borrowing stuff either,seems like more times than not something happens(because the item is wore out or junk) and you end up replacing the item,might as well just buy it for yourself to start with in most cases!

Sounds like you might as well Fire this Guy's ass & post his name here on MM,can you really afford to keep him?
He is a former Employee,nevermind,just thinking out loud!

 

[Gator]

I feel ya.
I just brought out a Hitch, muffler and Trailer repair shop and the Two former employees was doing something like that, one(the manager) was trading product for furniture for his house and one was putting a hour a day on his time card(overtime 28.00 a hour) manager was signing it off.The cash part of the business has jump a few hundred a week since they left it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that money was leaving by the front door looks to be around a $1000 a month or more. And they got pissed when the old owner caught them, They was lucky it was the old owner and not me I would tried to put them in Jail for stealing.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".

 

[overton]

How do you know for sure the customer was telling the truth? Any dirtbag that would be willing to defraud the owner would also be willing to make up a BS story.

 

[gb22]

Overton's probably right about the customer being willing to lie to anyone. That being said......I LIKE your rant.

My dad was a big believer in doing what is right....all the time. He spoke it and he lived it. It rubbed off on my beliefs and I try to live it all the time.

I just retired from being a business-loan officer at a bank. One of the most eye-opening things I learned (in 30+ years working with LOTS of different businesses) was how many businesses are "robbed blind" by their own employees...........I'm not saying it's OK to take home a pad of paper.....but the type of theft I saw (at least 20 times a year; employees caught red handed) was FAR more than that.


Within the shadows, go quietly.

 

[alp75]

Hell,

The employee has not worked for me since last April.

Overton,

There has been a couple different return customers who have implied similar things. On top of that, I have caught him doing other more minor dishonest things that I talked to him about and disciplined for. I gave him a break more than once because I think he has a good heart and wants to do what is right, but he was raised by some incredibly chitty parents and I think that is and will be his demise. I even bailed him out of jail once. Basically I tried to be someone that believed in him and tried to be a positive and helpful person for him. I should have known better, but I have a soft side and believe that people can change.....this time I was wrong. I have always told my employees that I NEVER want to charge a customer for something (damage) they have not done to the equipment. In return I expect those that have done damages to be accountable. You know, you treat me fairly and I will treat you fairly. There have been a number of times a employee has not done a proper check out and when the customer comes back and something is damaged, even though I am pretty sure he did it, if the checkout wasn't done right and the customer won't come clean to it, then it leaves a area of doubt and I walk away and eat the damages. After all it was our fault for not following policy (however I know there are some who take advantage of that). I would rather eat a little here and there than to charge somebody for something they didn't do.

 

[overton]

>Hell,
>
>The employee has not worked for
>me since last April.
>
>Overton,
>
>There has been a couple different
>return customers who have implied
>similar things. On top
>of that, I have caught
>him doing other more minor
>dishonest things that I talked
>to him about and disciplined
>for. I gave him
>a break more than once
>because I think he has
>a good heart and wants
>to do what is right,
>but he was raised by
>some incredibly chitty parents and
>I think that is and
>will be his demise.
>I even bailed him out
>of jail once. Basically
>I tried to be someone
>that believed in him and
>tried to be a positive
>and helpful person for him.
> I should have known
>better, but I have a
>soft side and believe that
>people can change.....this time I
>was wrong. I have
>always told my employees that
>I NEVER want to charge
>a customer for something (damage)
>they have not done to
>the equipment. In return
>I expect those that have
>done damages to be accountable.
> You know, you treat
>me fairly and I will
>treat you fairly. There
>have been a number of
>times a employee has not
>done a proper check out
>and when the customer comes
>back and something is damaged,
>even though I am pretty
>sure he did it, if
>the checkout wasn't done right
>and the customer won't come
>clean to it, then it
>leaves a area of doubt
>and I walk away and
>eat the damages. After
>all it was our fault
>for not following policy (however
>I know there are some
>who take advantage of that).
> I would rather eat
>a little here and there
>than to charge somebody for
>something they didn't do.


Alp

All good points but I'd like to add that any customer who went along with the beer is a crappy customer. Just my 2 cents.



Ransom

 

[Huntnfever]

Not saying i agree with it, but as a buisiness owner dont you have some kind of insurance against this? It should be part of your profit/loss margin. You know if a person doesnt own the equipment they arent going to take care of it as if it was their own. I rented a car once had a guy force me off the road and broke a window. I had paid extra for the insurance is it bad that i didnt offer to replace the window? Just curious is all.

has anyone seen my kittie

 

[alp75]

Overton,

I agree 100% and I think I mentioned that in my first post. It drives me crazy that people aren't more accountable.

Huntnfever,

We do offer a damage agreement that carries a deductible. If bought they are limited to the damage agreement limit. If not, they are accountable up to the full cost of the machine. I expect people to be accountable to the terms they agreed to.

In your case, if the insurance you bought covered the window then great, if not then you should pay for it.

It is pretty simple if we agree to certain terms we should abide by those terms.

 

[tabbyhntr]

Good post! Countless times I've taken money out of my own pocket to make a customer happy. In a way I feel I'm my biggest threat but in the end my referral base is huge because I do such things...

 

[CAelknuts]

Alp, well said! I agree with your post, and believe the same as you do.

 

[Huntnfever]

Ok, i just wondered...funny thing was i wasnt going to get the extra insurance cause it added money i didnt have to spend.. I listened to my instincts got it anyways saved me about 300-500 bucks i would have been paying out of pocket for the mirror and window.

has anyone seen my kittie

 

[sageadvice]

Hey Alp!

Seems you were missing from these pages for awhile and good to see you back! Given your permission, i'd like to put a spin on your title line;

Instead of applauding those with integrity, i like to go by,"I detest those without integrity"

Being in business myself, i can't always pick and choose who comes to me for my services. I'm blessed though, to honestly say that 95+% of the people that i've dealt with, a guy couldn't ask for better, nicer, or more honest type of clients. Yes, there are those that wake up early trying to figure a way to screw somebody outa something, but thankfully, i don't have to deal with very many of those!!

Try not to let it get you down bud! You're way too good a people for that!!

Joey

 

[alp75]

Thanks Joey. In addition to hunting, snowmobiling is another huge passion of mine, so during the winter months I spend a lot of time on a snowmobile forum. But with the expo and draws lately it's turned my mind back to hunting and alas here I am.

You are right, most people are good and decent, but there are a few that just make you shake your head. I really believe that those people eventually get what's coming to them. We just have to keep doing what we know is right and fair.....that's the only thing we have control of.