Any tips for dealing with a crazy person?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jun 5, 2003
Messages
28,022
Location
Apple Valley, California
We have a female customer that's got a screw loose. She thinks everything makes her sick. But shes a hoarder and drives around in her beat up old toyota pickup with trash piled to the roof.

She will pull up to the shop. If theirs a piece of trash in the parking lot she wont get out because it may make her sick. She will call us and ask us to remove the offending trash so she can get out of the truck.

She stayed in her house 5 days because there was a plastic piece of a bumper in the street in front of her house.

She talks for hours. Tells the complete story. Like what streets she took today. How many ambulances she saw on the way over. The color of the dress the lady at the store had and that she had 16 items in the express lane.

The truck is really beat up. She says people hit it on purpose but its the front that's smashed the most.

Shes very religious. To the point of being a fanatic. She will get on her knees and pray if someone says a 4 letter word.

She plugged a new electric heater in at her house and when it warmed up it put out a chemical smell! She moved out of her house over the smell. Afraid the smell will make her sick! She has not been in her house in over 6 months over this.

We have bent over backwards to help her. My boss made the mistake of letting her make us payments on a repair we did to the truck.

Her bill was about $650 and she has paid a total of $322 on it in 2 years.

Now the truck needs more work. Major work, She shows up @ 4pm but does not walk inside until 445pm. She was sitting in the truck talking on the phone.

When I told her that I could not fix it tonight she locked her self in the bathroom ! When she finally came out she asked to use our phone@ 5p. We close @ 5 sharp and she knows this. I asked what was wrong with her phone and she said she didn't want to use up her minutes.But she sat in our parking lot 45 minutes talking on her phone.

She went out to her truck to get something and I locked the door behind her. She then began beating on our door, screaming and making a scene.

I finally got out of there @ 530 after I had to explain why we can't fix it tonight over and over and why she should not drive the truck over and over and why she should have it towed.

She says she cant afford a tow but she has triple A.

The list goes on and on I can't even remember it all!

Ideas?
 
Undermedicated/ unmedicated ocd. You're $0L I'm afraid. Refusing service is what I would do, but considering the money owed, your call.
 
Sounds pretty serious, her mental health that is. Certainly I would not do additional work until her previous bill is paid. When you ask "help dealing with her" are you just referring to it in a professional/business framework?

If you just keep it professional, not doing additional work until the bill is paid looks rational to 'everybody'

I know a guy who insists on using thick oil and warms his car up 10 minutes in 60F weather to drive 4 miles. Everybody's got something.
 
Last edited:
Next time she acts up, call the police, have her removed. Inform the police she is trespassing from that point forward.

Tell your boss if he is going to take his business seriously, then he needs to take his business seriously.

You work for a repair business. You already deal with enough virtual nutjobs. It is not in your job description to deal with real ones.

If she can't afford a tow or cell minutes, and has a seriously delinquent outstanding balance, I can think of no business logic for dealing with her any further.

Unless you secretly get a kick out of this.
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Sounds pretty serious, her mental health that is. Certainly I would not do additional work until her previous bill is paid. When you ask "help dealing with her" are you just referring to it in a professional/business framework?

i dont know what i can say to make her understand what im telling her.i answer 1 question and she has 10 more that are the samw just worded differently.

Most of that was just my rant to get the stress she caused me off my back lol
 
throw cat feces all around the lot.Tell her about it,maybe that will keep her away.HEY Chris, I should stop by there one day. I'm sometimes in Apple Valley.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142

Ideas?



Don't.

When that are that bat crazy, they are not worth your time. It seems she likes control. Making you do her crazy bidding, like picking up trash or she won't get out the the truck. Its a form of controlling those around her.

Simply tell her you don't have time for this , and she needs to pay her bill, then let her sit in the truck and look at the offending trash item.
 
Tell her to leave and stop talking to her. Or refer her to someone who can assist with her issues. Find out if she has family?
 
Whatever you do, don't lose your cool. Stick to your rules like business hours, use of company phone, etc. If she makes a scene, record it with your phone to protect yourself. She is trying to get under ur skin. Don't let her. Kill her with kindness
 
First off, I don't know how you came into all of this information about her and that part concerns me.

Secondly, since she owes money on a previous repair from about 2 yrs ago, I would take her vehicle and not release it until that particular debt is paid in full.

Then tell her to get lost.
 
Keep it cool and classy man. I know what I would want to say in your shoes, but wouldn't. She owes money, has made little attempt to pay- no more work till money is handled- she's had ample time.

I think it's time to make a call for a welfare check. Sounds like she shouldn't be out and about unassisted.
 
Originally Posted By: Rolla07
Tell her to leave and stop talking to her. Or refer her to someone who can assist with her issues. Find out if she has family?
never been married.probly never even had a boyfriend. Any relatives she had probly wont answer the phone if she calls.
 
Originally Posted By: dernp
First off, I don't know how you came into all of this information about her and that part concerns me.

Secondly, since she owes money on a previous repair from about 2 yrs ago, I would take her vehicle and not release it until that particular debt is paid in full.

Then tell her to get lost.
why? Did you read his post? She tells him everything in detail. Maybe he's a good listener.
 
Originally Posted By: dernp
First off, I don't know how you came into all of this information about her and that part concerns me.

Secondly, since she owes money on a previous repair from about 2 yrs ago, I would take her vehicle and not release it until that particular debt is paid in full.

much of this she told me in the few minutes she was here. The rest she told us last week or the week before that .we dont want the junker.my boss would rather lose the money than deal with her.
 
Last edited:
When you see her coming spray air fresheners about the place and tell her the place is a really toxic zone! Just smell those vapors!
 
Originally Posted By: umungus1122
When you see her coming spray air fresheners about the place and tell her the place is a really toxic zone! Just smell those vapors!
i work at a radiator shop. She knows what we have in there already!
 
Originally Posted By: The_Eric
Originally Posted By: dernp
First off, I don't know how you came into all of this information about her and that part concerns me.

Secondly, since she owes money on a previous repair from about 2 yrs ago, I would take her vehicle and not release it until that particular debt is paid in full.

Then tell her to get lost.
why? Did you read his post? She tells him everything in detail. Maybe he's a good listener.


OP doesn't need to be a good listener. Some people are just that good at talking.

FWIW, I think OP did a fine job. Getting away from a 'Crazy' person in 45 minutes is pretty good. If she does not have a mental disorder, she sure has quite a few mental disorder traits. I've had more than my share of experiences. To be somewhat polite, sometimes you just have to bide your time waiting for the opportunity to excuse yourself in any way possible and get away as fast as you can.

It might be time to forgive the unpaid debt to separate yourself from the relationship. Or maybe see if you can get a psychologist to open up a practice in the shop bay next to you.
 
Last edited:
Tell her she owes you money and you demand full payment right now. If she refuses tell her to leave and never come back. If she comes back, have the police trespass her from the property. If she returns, call the police and have her arrested.

Don't let these kinds of idiots create stress in your life. It's simple really. Nothing wrong with firing a "customer".

Acting nice to her is not doing you any favors. Take the kid gloves off and handle the problem.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top