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Topic:
Your Most Awkward System Delivery Install Experience?
This thread has 41 replies. Displaying posts 1 through 15.
Post 1 made on Saturday May 24, 2014 at 20:22
Mr. Stanley
Elite Member
Joined:
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January 2006
16,954
I was thinking back on an install (after dealing with a blind customer the other day)...


Years ago I sold a receiver, EQ, Tape Deck, Record Player, Speakers to a nice blind guy...

I volunteered to deliver it to his place later that evening... I approach his neighborhood, and it was in the nastiest most dangerous part of town. Graffitti everywhere, all the shops and houses had bars on the doors and widows, sketchy people everywhere, crappy looking dogs running free...Garbage everywhere, broken furniture and BBQ's lying around... babies screaming in the background...Police sirens and ambulance sirens every minute or so... There was a 7-11 I went in to ask directions and it had a 2 inch thick bullet proof plastic or glass booth for the cashier... He didn't speak very good english so I said screw it and left.


I find this guy's apartment in this crack-head looking building... I hear people fighting and arguing in the building, and I'm totally paranoind unloading the gear by myself, afraid I'm gonna get ripped off, or they are going to break into my car.

...So I knock on his door, and it took like a couple of minutes for him to answer... I heard what sounded like the poor guy was tripping over stuff and banging into walls and crap. He opens the door, and from what I could see i the pitch black room --- looked like he was a total hoarder!!! I had to assembel one of those cheap equipment cabinets too... So I was chatting the guy up while I'm stumbling over piles of clothes and stuff with armfuls of gear...

I casually started feeling along the (dirty-filthy) wall, tripping over sh*t in the dark, for a light switch because I couldn't see sh*t. I found a switch and flipped it on... NOTHING!!! (Damn) so I didn't want to make the guy feel bad, I now was a little frantic looking for a lamp or another lightswitch -(why would he need working lights)?

Long story short, I excused myself and looked through my car for a damn flashlight---no luck. I finally found a fresh book of matches and went back and proceeded to assemble the cabinet and hook up the gear by .... matchlight!

A very awkward experience... THEN of course trying to educate the guy on how to turn the system on and off, play a record (from a blind person's perspective---whoa) and teach him where the various buttons were located was a stressful experience.
It took about 3 hours longer than I had expected, and I go out to my car to discover my Mercedes emblems and hood ornament missing, antennae busted off and trunk was "keyed" and gas cap flap opened with a missing gas cap! Not sure if someone had tried siphoning gas, or if they put something in the gas!

It was 1:30 A.M. and I just wanted to get the hell out of there alive.

What we do for a living sometimes!

The amazing thing was, that I NEVER heard back from the guy. Hope it all worked out for him.

Last edited by Mr. Stanley on May 24, 2014 20:45.
"If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger."
Frank Lloyd Wright
Post 2 made on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 09:16
william david design
Super Member
Joined:
Posts:
March 2005
2,943
I had to meet with a client in a bad part of Dallas, TX, one day.

As I pulled into her driveway, a large group of teenagers wearing gang colors started walking across the street towards my car. My client, an elderly woman, shouted across the street to the gang "you leave him (me) alone! He is with me!". The gang started backing away from my car and I went inside the client's house and finished the consult.

Looking back, I was an idiot. I should never have gotten out of my car.

Stanley, I have a blind person story for you.

When I worked at Sound Advice in FL one of the VP's was blind. One day I was in the Sarasota store and watched him sell an old lady a Sony TV. He was telling her the picture looked much better on Sony TV's... ;)
Defectus tuus consilium carpere discrimen mihi non constituit.
Post 3 made on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 09:19
chris-L5S
Senior Member
Joined:
Posts:
August 2008
1,027
The first thing that I thought about after reading this story! Love this movie!
Post 4 made on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 10:07
highfigh
Loyal Member
Joined:
Posts:
September 2004
8,311
On May 24, 2014 at 20:22, Mr. Stanley said...
I was thinking back on an install (after dealing with a blind customer the other day)...

Years ago I sold a receiver, EQ, Tape Deck, Record Player, Speakers to a nice blind guy...

I volunteered to deliver it to his place later that evening... I approach his neighborhood, and it was in the nastiest most dangerous part of town. Graffitti everywhere, all the shops and houses had bars on the doors and widows, sketchy people everywhere, crappy looking dogs running free...Garbage everywhere, broken furniture and BBQ's lying around... babies screaming in the background...Police sirens and ambulance sirens every minute or so... There was a 7-11 I went in to ask directions and it had a 2 inch thick bullet proof plastic or glass booth for the cashier... He didn't speak very good english so I said screw it and left.

I find this guy's apartment in this crack-head looking building... I hear people fighting and arguing in the building, and I'm totally paranoind unloading the gear by myself, afraid I'm gonna get ripped off, or they are going to break into my car.

...So I knock on his door, and it took like a couple of minutes for him to answer... I heard what sounded like the poor guy was tripping over stuff and banging into walls and crap. He opens the door, and from what I could see i the pitch black room --- looked like he was a total hoarder!!! I had to assembel one of those cheap equipment cabinets too... So I was chatting the guy up while I'm stumbling over piles of clothes and stuff with armfuls of gear...

I casually started feeling along the (dirty-filthy) wall, tripping over sh*t in the dark, for a light switch because I couldn't see sh*t. I found a switch and flipped it on... NOTHING!!! (Damn) so I didn't want to make the guy feel bad, I now was a little frantic looking for a lamp or another lightswitch -(why would he need working lights)?

Long story short, I excused myself and looked through my car for a damn flashlight---no luck. I finally found a fresh book of matches and went back and proceeded to assemble the cabinet and hook up the gear by .... matchlight!

A very awkward experience... THEN of course trying to educate the guy on how to turn the system on and off, play a record (from a blind person's perspective---whoa) and teach him where the various buttons were located was a stressful experience.
It took about 3 hours longer than I had expected, and I go out to my car to discover my Mercedes emblems and hood ornament missing, antennae busted off and trunk was "keyed" and gas cap flap opened with a missing gas cap! Not sure if someone had tried siphoning gas, or if they put something in the gas!

It was 1:30 A.M. and I just wanted to get the hell out of there alive.

What we do for a living sometimes!

The amazing thing was, that I NEVER heard back from the guy. Hope it all worked out for him.

Oh, you poor guy! Worried about the hood ornament, antenna, emblems and gas cap of your Mercedes when you were in the apartment of someone who didn't have a chance in hell of anything more than living in a shit hole? Kudos to you for seeing the big picture!
My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
Post 5 made on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 10:18
highfigh
Loyal Member
Joined:
Posts:
September 2004
8,311
The first stereo shop I worked for was in a mall and one day, a blind man came in to buy a new receiver. The owner's nephew greeted him and when the man parked his dog at the door, the nephew told him to grab his wrist, so he could take hom to the receivers. As the rest of us watched, the owner said "The blind, leading the blind".

Another time, in the middle of a blizzard, we were thinking about closing early when I got a call from someone asking if someone could come over and hook up a stereo. I said "Sure, no problem- where do you live?". I regretted not asking as soon as he told me- it's a really bad area and I would never go there close to night time. I went and as soon as I saw the system, I recognized it as the one I had sold a couple of years before, and had been reported stolen by the original purchaser. For some reason, I could hear myself say "You know that system is hot, right?" and the guy looked at me a bit sideways before asking "You got a problem with that?". I said that it had already been paid by the insurance company and he asked how much it would cost. I told him "A hundred" and he was OK with that. As I connected it, he asked how I knew and I explained that it's the kind of system I would have assembled and since we were the biggest Sony/Jamo/Audio Technica dealer in the area, as well as the fact that I had the same model of turntable and cartridge, it was highly unlikely that it came from anywhere else.

I was happy to see that my car was intact.
My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
Post 6 made on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 10:19
Ernie Gilman
Yes, That Ernie!
Joined:
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December 2001
30,104
On May 25, 2014 at 10:07, highfigh said...
Oh, you poor guy! Worried about the hood ornament, antenna, emblems and gas cap of your Mercedes when you were in the apartment of someone who didn't have a chance in hell of anything more than living in a shit hole? Kudos to you for seeing the big picture!

What, me? I didn't make any political comment!
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
Post 7 made on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 10:38
Mac Burks (39)
Elite Member
Joined:
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May 2007
17,515
On May 25, 2014 at 10:07, highfigh said...
Oh, you poor guy! Worried about the hood ornament, antenna, emblems and gas cap of your Mercedes when you were in the apartment of someone who didn't have a chance in hell of anything more than living in a shit hole? Kudos to you for seeing the big picture!

Why should Mr.Stanley care about that guy? You liberals are all alike. How about some personal responsibility for being blind? #nobamacare 2016
Avid Stamp Collector - I really love 39 Cent Stamps
Post 8 made on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 11:30
Duct Tape
Loyal Member
Joined:
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November 2008
5,295
On May 25, 2014 at 10:18, highfigh said...
The first stereo shop I worked for was in a mall and one day, a blind man came in to buy a new receiver. The owner's nephew greeted him and when the man parked his dog at the door, the nephew told him to grab his wrist, so he could take hom to the receivers. As the rest of us watched, the owner said "The blind, leading the blind".

Another time, in the middle of a blizzard, we were thinking about closing early when I got a call from someone asking if someone could come over and hook up a stereo. I said "Sure, no problem- where do you live?". I regretted not asking as soon as he told me- it's a really bad area and I would never go there close to night time. I went and as soon as I saw the system, I recognized it as the one I had sold a couple of years before, and had been reported stolen by the original purchaser. For some reason, I could hear myself say "You know that system is hot, right?" and the guy looked at me a bit sideways before asking "You got a problem with that?". I said that it had already been paid by the insurance company and he asked how much it would cost. I told him "A hundred" and he was OK with that. As I connected it, he asked how I knew and I explained that it's the kind of system I would have assembled and since we were the biggest Sony/Jamo/Audio Technica dealer in the area, as well as the fact that I had the same model of turntable and cartridge, it was highly unlikely that it came from anywhere else.

I was happy to see that my car was intact.

You worked at Sound Stage?
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Post 9 made on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 11:41
Ernie Gilman
Yes, That Ernie!
Joined:
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30,104
Not quite the same, but awkward.

Rogersound Labs had a midnight sale every year. When the place had only one showroom about 20 feet square, the line went around the block. When we had moved to a bigger place with three sound rooms (for which I built switching systems from scratch), it went around a longer block.

I was at one of these sales around 1:00 AM when someone asked me for help. There was a couple there, and he wanted to buy something. He spoke Spanish. I didn't. His wife was there; she spoke Spanish and German. And there was me; I did all right in German. But I learned right then that when ideas are translated between two languages, all subtleties of expression go right out the window. The three of us "talked" (made strange sounds inexplicable to those around us) for about five minutes and the guy actually bought something! I have no memory of what it was, just that it made me feel good that I had helped, and it made me feel good that it was over.

The closest I got to awkward on an installation was about two years ago when I was not expressing myself well and the guy picked up on it and guesses that I didn't really want to climb up on his roof and run a cable down under the apartment in that hell-hole neighborhood. I've never been afraid of critters but that place spooked me. For LA people, it was near La Cienega around 60th.
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
Post 10 made on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 12:26
IRkiller
Advanced Member
Joined:
Posts:
May 2012
920
Years ago we used to run Circuit city's DTV installs in Wichita because they had no one else to do them. This was before credit checking and all that by DTV. So, anyone who wanted satellite service (read:anyone who had their cable disconnected for not paying) could just go in and get DirecTV.

We did one of those way out in rural west Wichita in a trailer house worth maybe $3K. It had grass right up to the front deck. But, right at the edge of the deck was a clear spot. A clear circle that had what I would call a "furry X" in the middle of it.
Upon closer inspection, it was apparent that someone poured acid on a cat. And the cat and grass simply melted from the acid. Sorta like this:


Oh to have a camera phone back then..........
how in the hell does ernie make money?
Post 11 made on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 15:29
highfigh
Loyal Member
Joined:
Posts:
September 2004
8,311
On May 25, 2014 at 11:30, Duct Tape said...
You worked at Sound Stage?

Who the hell are you?
My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
Post 12 made on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 15:30
Duct Tape
Loyal Member
Joined:
Posts:
November 2008
5,295
On May 25, 2014 at 15:29, highfigh said...
Who the hell are you?

John Krug. Who the hell are you?
[Link: facebook.com]
Post 13 made on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 15:38
highfigh
Loyal Member
Joined:
Posts:
September 2004
8,311
On May 25, 2014 at 11:41, Ernie Gilman said...
Not quite the same, but awkward.

Rogersound Labs had a midnight sale every year. When the place had only one showroom about 20 feet square, the line went around the block. When we had moved to a bigger place with three sound rooms (for which I built switching systems from scratch), it went around a longer block.

I was at one of these sales around 1:00 AM when someone asked me for help. There was a couple there, and he wanted to buy something. He spoke Spanish. I didn't. His wife was there; she spoke Spanish and German. And there was me; I did all right in German. But I learned right then that when ideas are translated between two languages, all subtleties of expression go right out the window. The three of us "talked" (made strange sounds inexplicable to those around us) for about five minutes and the guy actually bought something! I have no memory of what it was, just that it made me feel good that I had helped, and it made me feel good that it was over.

The closest I got to awkward on an installation was about two years ago when I was not expressing myself well and the guy picked up on it and guesses that I didn't really want to climb up on his roof and run a cable down under the apartment in that hell-hole neighborhood. I've never been afraid of critters but that place spooked me. For LA people, it was near La Cienega around 60th.

That woman may have been from Brazil. An older woman came into the store and she was extremely upset because she had no idea where to catch the bus, nor did she speak English. I heard a few words that sounded a bit like Spanish, but it wasn't the Spanish I learned in high school, along with a different language that sounded unfamiliar. She said 'rote', so I pointed to something that was red and she nodded, happily, which told me what I needed and I was able to give here the instructions she needed because I spoke a tiny bit of German, too.
My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
Post 14 made on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 15:40
highfigh
Loyal Member
Joined:
Posts:
September 2004
8,311
On May 25, 2014 at 15:30, Duct Tape said...
John Krug. Who the hell are you?

Were you a customer at SS? Your name seems familiar. If you were, when did you tend to go there? I worked there from Feb, '78 until April of '88.
My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
Post 15 made on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 15:45
Duct Tape
Loyal Member
Joined:
Posts:
November 2008
5,295
On May 25, 2014 at 15:40, highfigh said...
Were you a customer at SS? Your name seems familiar. If you were, when did you tend to go there? I worked there from Feb, '78 until April of '88.

I worked there from 96 to about 2000. I started in sales, then ended up in car audio installation.
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