People getting over on techs...

[Rwb]

Decades ago when we had more OTR driver traffic a driver would get sweet-talked by some truck-stop tweaknician who would claim "I can get more Watts from that radio" without asking how many it delivered already. And when it broke another hundred miles down the road, he'd bring it back and claim "It just quit".

Yeah. We started using the tamper sticker until the nearby tweakers figured out where we bought them. Tried some custom stickers but they were too fragile and would crack between the top and bottom cover even if they were not disturbed. Not useful.

We settled on a simpler tamper indication.

Missing case screws. Seriously. I figured the truck-stop clowns had a "screw tax" and built a collection of screws by keeping one from every radio. Maybe. Only had to ask a few times how that screw went missing if the cover had not been taken loose since we worked on it. Made it clear at a glance somebody else had been in there.

Eventually this trade dropped off and the problem fixed itself for the most part.

I do remember one base-station operator from about 50 miles south of here. Just couldn't resist tweaking, but he was honest about it. He'd show up with a radio and announce "I put another one to sleep". He was a good-natured old fella.

73

when a big name radio company never fixed a radio i had,i used black finger nail polish and daubed screws 3 times.sent it back called em 3 weeks later and asked it fixed? yep i said open case yep,screws easy to remove? whadda you mean? go get it .ok unscrew case screws,i heard few swear words n i said NOW FIX THE S.O.B they did n i never bought another of their junk

 

[GlocknSpiel]

I quit bench work commercially around 2012, but rarely had any issues with that kind of 'repeat customer'. Whenever I did though, I knew it in short order. The tamper tape we used (my father's shop used the same stickers too) sure helped. Outside of that, I had my special markings on the inside top case, coils and VR's which always revealed the few "tweakers of the golden screwdrivers" that came back in for work.

 

[Greg T]

Gregg at WeElectronics in Florida, the Stryker service center, has just closed up his retail shop. He will remain a Stryker service center and warranty shop, and will have a few, hand-selected customers. His walk-ins are done and he's selling out tons of unclaimed and repaired radios and amps. He says he's going to work out of his spare bedroom from here on. WHY?? Pissy customers looking for $10.00 repairs and free shit. AND, people sending things in for major repairs and then not paying the bill when it's ready. Said he's had enough.

 

[nomadradio]

people sending things in for major repairs and then not paying the bill when it's ready

Not quite so big a problem with walk-in customers. One of the reasons I don't solicit mailed-in work.

73