Sometimes the customer isn't always right and someone has to tell them.

[David Strelitz]

I'm currently counting down the hours to a major heart op tomorrow and having been compiling a long list of anecdotes over the past 40 years in video services, thought I would share this one.

I had a call one Saturday afternoon from a woman who started with "I don't know if you remember me, I called you about 6 months ago...". She had a large collection of her late husband's cine films for transfer to DVDs. In order to give her a no obligation quote I suggested she came to my studio at my house.
First thing Monday morning my wife spotted an obviously disabled woman walking down the path, complete with crutch and shopping bag.
We helped her in, sat her in the studio and I proceeded to sort out the contents of the bag. My wife offered her a cup of tea, which she accepted by which time, I had sorted her films into FOUR piles. 50, 200, 400 and reel to reel audio. "These reels (over half) are audio tape which I don't do". Imagine my surprise when she told me I was wrong. I showed her the difference but she was insistent I was wrong. By now I was quite furious at her stupidity. "Look around you, thousands of pounds worth of equipment in here, do you really think I don't know the difference?"
Her response was "let's agree to differ". At which point her films were bundled into her bag and she was told she was leaving. Her tea was cancelled and as she hobbled down the path she informed me I was the rudest person she had ever met. Her visit had some benefit 😳

[Osi Osgood]

David, the best wishes on a most successful operation on such a vital organ! Your right, the customer isn't always right, but you dodged a bullet. She would have been the kind to complain about the audio not being clean enuf, too much "hiss" ect ect

[David Strelitz]

Perhaps she has had the last laugh as an hour after I posted, a blood test showed a slight infection, so op postponed. 😤

[Graham Ritchie]

David all the best for your operation that lady you refer to reminded me of only two weeks ago the folk at the Heritage Park asked me if I could come down as they had someone with a bundle of film I might be able to help them with to view. When they arrived it was all audio tape, sorry I said I cant help them with it as its not film. They apologize for the trouble, I replied know problem and sent them over to the radio crowd as they should have reel to reel to help them listen to there old family audio tapes which they did. Thankfully I have never come across folk like you describe, most are pretty good and appreciate any help with there old family films.

[Douglas Meltzer]

Best of luck on your upcoming surgery, David. If you hear "Let's agree to differ" said in the operating room, get out of there pronto!

[David Strelitz]

By way of an update, major heart Refurb done and approaching end of second week at home.

As some light relief another anecdote from my archive.
A photographic retailer I provided video services to, had a big transfer job for me. It was about 20 reels mainly 400s with a few 200s.
The job started well with the usual mix of family stuff. As we started on reel 3, a title came up...The Vacuum Cleaner Salesman. This was not a Hoover training film but a full on bluey. What followed was that with the exception of a couple of more reels, the rest were all porn.

Dilemma! Do I tell the customer, the daughter of her late father, that her dad had the biggest collection of porn in North London, or something else. I opted for the later, blaming film deterioration and how I didn't want her throwing good money after bad. She was so grateful for my honesty😂😂😂 and oblivious to the real reason I lost out on several hundred quid.

[Osi Osgood]

That takes integrity. Good man! It's harder to find by the day, putting what's right over profit. I have to admit, an adult film about a vacuum salesman "adult" film, has a myriad of joke possibilities, kind of like the "plumber" films ... "Oooh, your tools are so big!". I have in my collection one adult film, it even has good color, but it has a soundtrack, and the nararator has the smarmiest, most hilarious dialogue! He sounds like a carnival barker. "Wow wow wow! Look at those ***s" ( think of a guy with the worst nasal infection ever!). The funny thing is that, though it is X rated, it is actually less intense than most theatrical R rated films today Even the dialogue doesn't have cussing.

[Douglas Meltzer]

David,

Very glad to hear that the surgery went well. I wonder if there's ever been a "smoker" with the title "The Traveling Projectionist"....

[Mike Newell]

Customer Service Pacifier. Works everytime. Keep it for Burgielookers as well.

[Osi Osgood]

Oh, if only that had the ability to extend it's use thru the phone lines! Please keep us informed of your health progress. Best to you!

[Mike Newell]

Just use a tin whistle and blow it down the phone. Works every time.