Your thoughts on behaviour

About a month ago I contacted a person that sells Alfa parts, I have dealt with said person a few years ago when I spent a few hundred pounds with him, he seemed decent enough. I took note of some other parts he had for future reference.
The reason for making contact again was I was interested in something I had seen there. He informed me that it had been sold but he had another but wasn't sure of it's condition, but he would check and come back to me. If it was ok I could swing by his way to pick it up if I was going to National Alfa Day
Two weeks went by and I heard nothing so I left him a message asking if he had had a chance to look, again no reply.
This morning I decided to ring him as it's NAD this weekend. It was 8-25am , when he answered I simply said good morning and gave my name, before I could say any more he shouted down the phone that it was far to early to talk about parts and slammed the phone down!
I was some what taken back by this as I consider putting the phone down on someone extremely rude.
Ten minutes later he texted to say that it was unexceptable to be called at that time, that he had other priorities to attend to which didn't include my car or parts.
Now this guy has advertised on the Alfa club website for many years with is phone number displayed and no mention of time to ring.
So was it to early?
I did reply a text which I think was polite, but I would like your views so far

Man sounds under pressure. Clearly not what you would expect from a reputable vendor. I'd just move on and not give him your business.

midlifecrisis said:

Man sounds under pressure. Clearly not what you would expect from a reputable vendor. I'd just move on and not give him your business.

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Yes, but if I am under pressure I wouldn't answer the phone, or if I did I would simply say sorry can't talk now I will call you later.

GTVGEOFF said:

Yes, but if I am under pressure I wouldn't answer the phone, or if I did I would simply say sorry can't talk now I will call you later.

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I agree, but no one does anything they think is un-reasonable. As the honourable member for Crises says, move on

C

He was maybe waiting for a call, we don't know. Give him the benefit. I would not want a business call before 9.

Chalk it down to a bad day and take your money elsewhere. Sounds like he was having a bad day and you took the brunt. Unprofessional maybe, human certainly.

Personally, as above, wouldn't phone a business before 9am as a rule, especially if a mobile number.
Still rather a rude reply though!

I start my day very early and frequently have to think whether or not it is too early to call someone. My old job involved chasing debts and for non-engaging debtors I would sometimes make 'breakfast calls' to give the best chance of them answering. Then again, non-payment could result in them losing their home so I wanted to give them every chance to sort things out.

Yes, your call was too early but he could either have refused to answer or politely asked to call back.

The issue with owning your own business is there is no escape and complete accountability.

08.25... half way through the day for most!

Interesting some of the times that are agreeable to make or receive business calls. I'm employed and as a manager will answer the phone from 0730 - it's rare to get a call that early but when I do it's always serious - and my team would usually text up until 0800 anyway. That could be my industry as it's retail and manufacturing. I wouldn't consider 0825 too early to call though.

I try to wait til 9, but sometimes will call at 0815 onwards, like had been said, they don’t have to answer. I’d have called him back at 9.01 and see how he was then…

sionie1 said:

Interesting some of the times that are agreeable to make or receive business calls. I'm employed and as a manager will answer the phone from 0730 - it's rare to get a call that early but when I do it's always serious - and my team would usually text up until 0800 anyway. That could be my industry as it's retail and manufacturing. I wouldn't consider 0825 too early to call though.

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Ok, the concenus is a bit early, but actually it's not a business, he does this apprently as a hobby, not sure if or where he works, if he doesn't want calls before a certain or within a certain then best state it. As I pointed out to him if he had replied to me like he promised there would have been no need for me to chase him

dickygrace said:

I try to wait til 9, but sometimes will call at 0815 onwards, like had been said, they don’t have to answer. I’d have called him back at 9.01 and see how he was then…

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Thanks Dickie

Yes,I was going to, thought I had just caught him at a bad time although that doesn't excuse bad manners
But within ten minutes he was texting me telling me he had other priorities and I basically wasn't important. Seems he had time to do that!

Maybe he mistook you for someone else.

Unless the part still has Monica Bellucci’s assprint on it go somewhere else.

Oneball said:

Unless the part still has Monica Bellucci’s assprint on it go somewhere else.

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Im a buyer …..

I won't take calls before 9am - generally because I might be doing the school run. Certainly in my business (Telecom infrastructure) most people won't take calls outside of 9am to 6pm or after midday on a Friday

Well in my defence when I was initially trying to contact him I tried several times at different times of the day with no answer. I finally got through around 5pm but he was driving, so as I said I wanted to get hold of him before the weekend. Thought I would try first thing.
Like Dickie said I thought 'wow' caught him at a bad time, and as I sat pondering whether to not bother with him again or ring later when he may have calmed he texted me and I quote:-

8-25am is not acceptable, I have other priorities and don't wish to talk about parts or your car.

This after putting the phone down on me. So I just had to reply:-

I don't know what time zone you live in but in the real world 8-25am is not early.
I have to say I am surprised at your impolite attitude and lack of manners, it shows lack of character.
If you had bothered to call me as you promised I would not need to chase.
I now do not now wish to do business with such an impolite person.

This guy has been advertising rare parts for well over ten years I have noticed him on the Alfabb forum in America and I know he has had dealings as far as Australia so would have thought he could get calls at anytime.
He did re-text me back again saying 'he only did it as a hobby and that he had a young family (well we have all had to deal with that) and he would not now sell me parts. Like he will ever get the chance.
Guess I put this up on here because I did question whether I had acted unreasonably, and to vent my spline.
Could we now have some thread drift please as I wish to forget the episode.

I sell my Maserati parts while also having real jobs. If some one called me at a bad time I would simply not answer and call them back. I often get calls at inconvenient times either early or while I am busy doing some thing else. If I can answer I will, and I hope I have never been rude to anyone on the phone, customer is king right?. I have spent 30+ years in the oil business and there are no "allowed" bad times, you are on call 24-7 and expected to take calls in the middle of the night, and indeed rush off to a customer site in the middle of the night, child's birthday, xmas eve etc. 8.25am is a little early but no excuse for that.

sionie1 said:

Interesting some of the times that are agreeable to make or receive business calls. I'm employed and as a manager will answer the phone from 0730 - it's rare to get a call that early but when I do it's always serious - and my team would usually text up until 0800 anyway. That could be my industry as it's retail and manufacturing. I wouldn't consider 0825 too early to call though.

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There are business calls within your business and then calls to others outside your business.
I often get calls within the business from 7am, but they are colleagues and know I'm up and around. A few customers are the same.
A few years ago what did used to annoy me was calls from customers who worked shifts, and because they were working insociable hours, it was acceptable to them in their eyes to phone me who wasn't....

davy83 said:

I would simply not answer and call them back.

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If it's important, they'll leave a message....

C