Safe Opening: Shop Around, Schedule Once
A lady in San Francisco owned a safe that wouldn't open. She contacted a locksmith who tried, but couldn't open it. She had the combination and was convinced it was some kind of malfunction. The locksmith called me to ask how much I would charge. He said he'd relay my price quote to the lady. Later she called. In English that made me think "Eastern European" she described her problem, asked if I could handle it, and finished with the all-important "how much will it cost?" I knew she'd been told my price, but I repeated it. She reacted with the standard shocked noises . . . she didn't have enough money for my fee. Could she pay installments? Simple question, simple answer: "NO." This is a loser. When people ask for such concessions alarm bells go off in my head. You might get an initial partial payment, but usually not the rest. Ask me how I know. Upon hearing my reply, she said she'd have to wait until she gathered ...