I had to call the cops on somebody once, a few years ago... over a used tank that somebody was selling for $400 and he wouldn't offer over $380 so the seller said no thanks. A couple of days later somebody else came in to buy it for $400 and while that was going on, the same guy called back saying he was on his way with $400. When I told him it was sold to somebody else he went postal. By the time he got to the shop, the tank and customer were gone (hiding in the back LOL!) and he started threatening me, accusing me of bad business (no deal had been made, no money changed hands between he and I - or the seller of the tank, a third party.)
When he'd left previously he'd refused to make the deal directly with the seller who was in the store at the time, so I had considered this guy done, and the used tank was open to offers. When somebody came along offering the right price (asking price was $500 btw...), I struck a deal with the other customer, money was paid and the deal was sealed before the whacko ever came back to the shop.
After he stood there and cursed me up and down for about 10 minutes, and there were other customers in the store watching this, my (now ex-) husband *finally* came out of hiding and told him to get out of the store. The guy then started in on him... both men standing there yelling at each other, they both puffed out their chests like a couple of roosters in a fight, getting in each other's faces. One of my regular customers, a big strapping young man, discreetely positioned himself between the nutjob and the way to get behind the counter, where I was standing. (Nice to have friends! LOL) The "customer" threatened some more, so Scott took him up on his offer to 'take it outside'. Scott had the phone in his hand and was about to call 911 when the offer to take it outside was made. The man walked out the door, with Scott hot on his heels - I cringed thinking it would come to fisticuffs... but instead, Scott stopped, pulled the door shut (he was still inside) and locked it, then called 911.
The guy got in his truck and sped away, we got his tag number. Cops arrived a few minutes later and while they were taking the report, one officer got a call on his radio, stepped outside for a minute and 2 more cruisers pulled up. At one point we had 5 cruisers and 7 officers surrounding the building. Apparently this jack@$$ was phoning police dispatch and taunting them, telling them he was on his way back to beat us up, beat the cops up and some other nonsense...
Fortunately I have a pretty detailed customer database so I was able to provide the officers with the guy's full name, address and telephone number as well as his business card
I'm reasonably certain that the guy spent his weekend cooling his heels in jail.
He never came back, however about 18 months after this incident, the man phoned the store one day. He identified himself, and asked if I remembered him. Tentatively, I said, "Yes..." Well he then went on to apologize for what he'd done. I was somewhat taken aback by the call out of the blue, and the apology, but I did accept it, and thanked him for it.
He's never been to the store since that day, and I don't think I'd like to see him back - but I have to say it took some chutzpah for him to pick up the phone and make that apology, and I do respect that.
We think he may have entered a 12-step program of some sort - part of the program is to make amends for damage done - so to that end, all is forgiven, and I wish him well.
Talk about drama!!!
Jenn
