Interesting Discussion In Class Today

[Peter P.]

I have a low voltage electrician contractor's license and I'm required to attend a continuing education class once a year to keep the license current.

 

I don't do much low voltage work; I'm primarily an RF tech.

 

So I go to class today and the instructor asks if any of us have installed A/V systems in residential settings. A couple raised their hands.

 

The instructor then asks if anyone has experienced the following:  You install the system, and the customer complains that "it doesn't sound as good as my neighbor's...".

He then explains that he's heard this is a ploy; the customer isn't really complaining about the system performance but using the statement in an attempt to bargain down the price of the installation.

 

Before he mentioned the real reason, I'm thinking "Well of course it doesn't sound like your neighbors; the acoustic environment is likely vastly different. Then I thought if I were a an A/V contractor, during any pre-sale inquiry I'd have to ask to see this neighbor's system so I could get an idea what the customer's expectations were.

 

When the instructor told the real reason for the complaint, I tried to think as a contractor how I would defend myself against getting weasled out of some cash by a slimey customer. Only thing I could think of would be to refund the customer's money for the components, repossess them, and charge for the labor, which I would have expected pre-payment, of course.

 

It would be pretty dirty of people to pull a stunt like that. I wonder how often it happens.

[billybob]

 

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[billybob]

 

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[Travis In Austin]

The answer would be "well let's go over to your neighbor's house and see what he has set up. Could be hundreds of things." They will balk and say, no that's alright, and maybe one in a million will say, "yeah let's go."

 

You get there and they have Klipsch, what your customer wanted was Sonos satellites and a sound bar, or maybe LCR in-walls. So you say, no problem at all, right me a check for the difference and we will get you all set up. 

 

I don't think it ever happens except a very, very dumb customer. Like one that would say after installing a tv (projector/screen), "well it looks pretty good, but my neighbor's tv seems more real, more life like. I installed your neighbor's TV, he has a laser lcd 8K projection on a 200" screen, you wanted a 110" with HD, you didn't think the 4K I offered you was worth it. Remember?"