Another day in the life of a Rent-To-Own accounts manager. (867 hits)
Category: Humor -> Dumb JobsRating: 1.54 on 15 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Mad Scientist (View user info) at 2005-04-21 02:09:43 EDT
Hey Uberusers!
It's been a while since my last post, and some more crazy shit has happened to me at work, so I thought I would post it here.
If you haven't read part one of this post, you should. It will give you some background info that will help with this post. http://www.ubersite.com/m/55320
Hey- don't speed-read my post. Go back, click the link, and read the first goddamn post.
In my businesss, we deal with what we call "Rent-to-Own Life-ers". These are the people that are so financially negligent, that they will get all of their furniture, appliances, and electronics from Rent-To-Own (or, "RTO" for industry insiders) outlets for the rest of their life. Needless to say, these people know the ins and outs of the business. They know what they can and cannot get away with based on their previous experiences with RTO companies.
There was a customer that leased some merchandise (an entire bedroom suite with bedding, a 52-inch RCA Television, and a sofa/loveseat set from one of my company's other stores in Birmingham. After making about 4 payments on the merchandise, (the merchandise was on a 24-month term) the customers decided that they would no longer make the payments. Even with receiving multiple calls a day from the store, as well as multiple calls to the customer's mother, and other family (i.e.- "references", they decided that they would not pay. So, as usual, the personnel from that location (lets call it Store #1) went and visited the people several times per day. These people usually were not home, or would not even come to the door. Well, then their account became in excess of 30 days late. At that point, the General Manager of the store will collect on that account. The General Manager continued to call and visit their residence, until one day, the customer, a woman mid-40's, came to the door, opened it, and informed the General Manager "If you come to my house again, I will bust a cap in your fat ass, Cracker", and slammed the door in his face. Needless to say, the manager of store #1 decided not to make anymore "house calls"
So, after some time of the store collecting on the account unsuccessfully, the account will "charge off", or be purged from the store system, and sent to our corporate accounts department, where those people will use our justice system to the best of their ability to garnish their wages and/or get the merchandise back, etc.
Anyway- our customers that have stolen all of this merchandise from Store #1 decide that it was easy enough to try again. So, they come into my store (another store in the same national chain, less than 15 miles from the other store), and fill out an order form, and make the first payment on another bedroom suite, and a washer/dryer set.
Upon processing their information, we ran their Social Security Number through our database, and we find out they they are a "Charge Off" from Store #1. I can't understand how they thought that we wouldn't know that they ripped off one of our other stores. How in the world would they think that they could do it twice?! The stupidity of some people is unbelievable.
(Sidenote/Background Info: A charge-off costs the store money. LOTS of money. If you can recover a charge-off, the store can turn a profit on that merchandise. Also, I take charge-offs somewhat personally. If someone gets away with merchandise for free, then they will tell all of their friends how easy it is to "steal" from my company, and this network of morons will attempt the same thing, making my job much harder. I dont like charge-offs. I FUCKING HATE CHARGE-OFFS!)
So- being the crafty Account Manager that I am, when the General Manager declined the transaction, and wouldn't approve them for the merchandise, I stopped her from calling the customer and offering them a refund. A geniously sinsister idea came into my head. It was like a lightbulb of nuclear proportions. An idea that could be born only unto The MadScientist.
I conference-called the General Manager of Store #1. Then, I told my GM, and the GM of Store #1 of my plan.
_______________
<phone rings>
GM of Store #1: "Thank you for calling _________. How may I help you?"
Me: "Tom- an old charge-off of yours came into my store, and applied for an account, I have an idea, but I need your help"
GM of Store #1: "Lay it on me brother"
Me: "We schedule the delivery, show up with the truck, and when they let us in, it's too late, the jig is up, they'll have to give it back."
GM of Store #1: "Sounds good- when do we do it?"
Me: "ASAP. I will call you with the details."
<click>
______________
So, I called the customer, and informed them that we would deliver the next day, and scheduled a time for the delivery.
The next day, I fired up the company box-truck, and headed over to Store #1 to pick up Tom, and one of their delivery guys. We piled into the truck, and rode to the customer's house.
Upon arriving at the run-down, section-8 apartment complex, I backed the truck up, to imply that we would be unloading it. Actually, I planned to do the opposite.
I went up the stairs that ran parallel to the building, and knocked on the door. In a few seconds, a young black guy (25 or so) answered the door. I informed him that we were there to deliver a washer, dryer, and bedroom set. He opened the door, stepped out, looked around cautiously, and invited us in. Based on his suspicious demeanor, I knew that if we got any of our merchandise back, it would not be easy. We walked in the house. Entering the living room, we walk by the 52-inch TV and sofa/loveseat that was stolen from Store #1. I ask the guy to show us where we will be putting the washer and dryer, and he shows us to the laundry room. Then, I asked him where the bedroom set was going, and he showed us to a bedroom. On the way down the hallway into that bedroom, I look into the master bedroom, and see the bedroom set that they also stole.
So, we go into the room #2 where we are to deliver the bedroom set. I notice that there is all kinds of miscellaneous shit all over the floor (shoes, clothes, magazines, books, etc). There is no furniture in the room other than a matress and box spring on the floor. I tell the young guy that he will need to move all of the clutter so that we can bring the furniture in there and set it all up. He starts cleaning up. Then, I said that we would go get the washer and dryer and bring it up.
Me and Tom stepped into the living room, and Tom looked to me for direction. I said "You ready?" Tom said "For what?" At that moment, I started yanking all of the cords out of the back of the TV, and feverishly ripping all of the power cords out of the power strip that the TV, playstation, VCR, DVD player and cable box were plugged into. Tom fell into place, and we rolled the TV out the door. As soon as you walk out the door, you are on a small balcony, about 3 feet from the steps. Tom grabbed one side of the 52" TV, and was headed down the steps. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the young guy come out of the back bedroom into the living room. Not knowing what he would do when he saw the TV outside on the balcony, I yelled to Tom "Hang on" and I let go of the TV so that I could have my hands free for whatever was coming next.
Surprisingly, the young guy saw the TV, got something off the floor in the living room, and returned to the back bedroom. (All of this took maybe 4 seconds) I stepped back out the door, to help Tom carry the TV down the stairs, and looked, only to see Tom trip, and tumble down the steps, and the TV go coasting behind him down the steps. I ran down the steps, and by that time, Tom was on his back on the ground, and the TV was on top of him. I said "Tom- you okay?!" As I picked the TV up off of him. He said "Yeah, I'm okay. What the hell happened?!" I said, didn't you hear me say "hang on"? He says "No", and I told him I was sorry, we pushed the TV to the truck, and the delivery guy loaded it onto the lift.
At that Time, Tom is dusting off the back of his pants where he fell, and I sprinted up the steps, and ran back into the apartment. I quickly stood our loveseat up on its end, dragged it out the door, and threw it over the balcony into the parking lot. (At this time, the merchandise was already severely damaged and in bad shape, and is worth more to the store broken than it was is the customer's home). Then, I said, "Tom, get your ass up here!" I ran back in the apartment, snatched the cushions off the couch, walked out the door, and threw one of them over the balcony. The young guy re-appeared from the back bedroom, and said "Whatchoo doin man?! This stuff is paid for!" I look at the guy, and calmly said "Dude, this shit isn't paid for", and threw the other cushion off the balcony. He slammed the door.
After that, I went downstairs, and we finished loading the shit onto the truck. The guy's mom came outside and said "What did joo jus' do?! Who was joo here for?" I said "We were here for our merchandise". She said, but "Who's name is on it?" (She was trying to imply that since the customer that stole it wasn't home, that we couldn't take it out of there)
I said "My Name is on it, now". We cut our losses, and left them with a couch with no cushions on it, and a full bedroom set"
About a month later, she called our store, and talked to our sales manager about the payment that she had made. Our sales manager, not knowing the situation, scheduled another delivery. She called back to confirm on the day of the delivery, and guess who answered? The MadScientist. I confirmed the delivery, and she started asking all sorts of inquisitive questions, trying to make sure that it wouldn't happen again, and figured out what was going on, and said "Go fuck yourself, whitey" and hung up the phone.
So- that was it. Pretty crazy situation. You guys want more stories, or have I bored you to death with this one?
User Reviews
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2005-04-22 11:33:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by gtz (user info) at 2005-04-21 09:34:56 (#)
Ranking: 2
I enjoy your repo stories. MORE! MORE!
Submitted by MadScientist (user info) at 2005-04-21 22:33:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
You haven't read this before- it is new. I did post one story about a repo from a deaf gay guy.
Submitted by NoahsArk (user info) at 2005-04-21 20:27:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
No way is this new, I've read this story before
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2005-04-21 12:12:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by garcon_fou (user info) at 2005-04-21 08:29:34 (#)
Ranking: 2
next time, might as well throw the dvd player and playstation, etc, into the truck as well.
You're just a proactive repo man.
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2005-04-21 09:47:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I don't want any more stories but this one was pretty good, too.
Submitted by gtz (user info) at 2005-04-21 09:34:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I enjoy your repo stories. MORE! MORE!
Submitted by Jungle_Jimanee (user info) at 2005-04-21 08:46:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by garcon_fou (user info) at 2005-04-21 08:29:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
next time, might as well throw the dvd player and playstation, etc, into the truck as well.
You're just a proactive repo man.
Submitted by indoninja (user info) at 2005-04-21 08:15:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This shit cracks me up, keep them coming.
Submitted by funk_boy (user info) at 2005-04-21 03:37:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by dwr_budr (user info) at 2005-04-21 03:13:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This was good, even though rent-to-own places are total shit.
Submitted by Wazza (user info) at 2005-04-21 03:03:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Good story
Submitted by bdakotac (user info) at 2005-04-21 02:40:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This shit is great. It is also the truth.
Submitted by chronic_one (user info) at 2005-04-21 02:26:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Um, where all my extry kees??
Submitted by MadScientist (user info) at 2005-04-21 02:10:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Holy shit- I didn't realize it was that long.