I like this article: The customer is NOT always right.

[david_42]

My business partner used to run a Audio store. A complaining customer (trying to get a free out-of-warranty repair) demanded to talk to the manager. She said, "You won't like this, but I am the manager." So, he demanded to speak to the owner. "You really won't like this. The owner is my husband."

 

[kornkob]

Yep. When people start off with the attitude of "Oh great, a f'ing customer" when one walks in the door, those guys need to start looking for another line of work.

Also, when retail workers get upset at customers that don't follow their carefully scripted customer handling process, they've ceased to think of their customers as people and started down a very bad road.

I really dislike that Visa commercial that portrays the cash paying customer as some sort of horrible person who is 'holding things up' and causing all kinds of disruptions to a business simply because they aren't paying with plastic.

Customers who need special attention or have specific needs or questions are the very reason that people in retail have jobs. The only real reason that there is any need for retail workers is that machines are less flexible and less interactive than humans. Expecting customers to act like mechanical automatons is no less disrespectful than expecting your service workers to be mechanical automatons.

 

[Tenchiro]

OK, now you have hit a nerve.

Up until 6 months ago I was the manager of a major Apple reseller in Australia. My store did over 6 million dollars a year in sales and specialised in corporate and government clients. We were also an "Apple Authorised Service Agent" the only one in a town of around 350,000 people.

Hah, I worked for Apple for a few years and most of their customers were like that at the time. Most of our calls were for people that were out of warranty and demanding we fix whatever their problem was for free. Most of the time their reasoning was that they were the sole reason their kids school bought Apple computers or something similar.

The most abusive customers rarely got anything from me, but that special person would get sent a pen or keychain or something.

 

[McKBrew]

I don't know if axxhole customers are the norm, but they have enough impact on things to make a salesperson/service representative leery of all customers. I've had several instances where the person at the counter has apologized to me numerous times for waiting, etc... and they act like I'm going to get mad and snap at them.

 

[dirtymike1]

I don't know if axxhole customers are the norm, but they have enough impact on things to make a salesperson/service representative leery of all customers. I've had several instances where the person at the counter has apologized to me numerous times for waiting, etc... and they act like I'm going to get mad and snap at them.

thats because most people would...and thats a crying shame....

 

[dirtymike1]

Ohh and as for the art of a$$ kissing, I jsut gave my boss my last bottle of IPA. I figure since my hard work in the office hasn't gotten me anywhere, maybe a good homebrew will

 

[kornkob]

I know it is an anecdote but consider this instance.

I once had an employee who was observed being very rude to a customer, without any real cause.

When I took her aside and talked to her about it she started telling me about how all her customers had been such complete and irrational ****ies that day. So I pulled her stats and customer records and we sat down and I had her tell me what each of the people did that was so bad.

We discovered it came down to one irrational person who pushed all her buttons. After that she started taking everything every customer did personally.

Every time I've nailed an employee down (or been painfully honest with myself) this has been the case: a single really bad customer starts the person down a bad road and after that, half the problem is the service person themselves making the situation much worse than it needs to be.

Totally anecdotal, I realize. But to convince me that 'most' customers are 'bad' there'd have to be some pretty dramatic evidence because I firmly believe that most customers are benign and that service people often make things worse after encountering one of those 'bad' customers.

 

[McKBrew]

Totally anecdotal, I realize. But to convince me that 'most' customers are 'bad' there'd have to be some pretty dramatic evidence because I firmly believe that most customers are benign and that service people often make things worse after encountering one of those 'bad' customers.

Absolutely true. If bad customers were the norm, we'd definately see more evidence. It's like going to work in a good mood and one supervisor says/does something to p!ss you off, and then you are so torqued you take it out on the rest of the office.

 

[Jester369]

I'm going to remember this thread is here and link to it the next time somebody starts ranting about their crappy LHBS

Well, I certainly hope you don't post it in my recent thread about being unhappy with my LHBS. The woman I was dealing with (one of the owners as a matter of fact) was being rather rude to me, but the shorter she got with me, the more polite and patient I got (and I started out perfectly polite to begin with - I don't think I have ever given attitude to a retailer). I honestly was just trying to find out why she was so torqued at me at that point. When I finally had had enough, I apologized for troubling her, and that was the end of it.

 

[BierMuncher]

Most people are good and don't wake up wondering who they can p!$$ off today.

I just think of the chronic a$$wipes like cartoon characters...it makes it easier not to stab them in the eye with a pen.

 

[PeteOz77]

AThe only real reason that there is any need for retail workers is that machines are less flexible and less interactive than humans.

Well, yes, that and the fact tat when you abuse a machine and threaten to call the office of fair trading..or offer to tell "EVERYONE" about their horrible service, a machine can't react.. and kiss their arse. Upset customers LOVE to have someone to bitch to.

 

[PeteOz77]

My favourite customer was a woman that came in and asked to speak to the manager (me) straight away. She didn't want to speak to any of the "underlings" as they can't make decisions like the manager can. After asking dozens of questions, and getting a heap of really good information over the course of about 20 minutes, she asks for a "10% discount for cash" I explained that the price on the personalised quote that I had typed up for her was the best I could do. She replies with "But you are the manager, you can sell this for any price you want"

I asked her to come behind my desk and look at my point of sale screen. I showed here the cost of the equipment she was purchasing which has an 8% margin if I sell at retail price. I asked her if she thought it was a good idea for me to sell her the items at a 2% loss? She smiles and says "that would be GREAT!" I then asked her how I was going to pay my staff, heat, light, insurance, internet, phone and etc bills if I sold my stock at a loss? I also suggested that the store owner might not be too thrilled to find out that I was selling his stock for a loss, and that I would lose my job if he found out.

He reply? "I won't tell anyone!"

She didn't buy anything, and I went back to my real customers after wasting 1/2 hour of my life on an IDIOT.

 

[uglygoat]

the customer is always an *******... mallrats.

this thread delivers!

 

[Sea]

The thing we can't forget here is that this isn't isolated to retail or service situations. The customer who is an arse to someone who is trying to help them buy something, is an arse in everyday life. Now, I know ther are exceptions, i. e. people who have had a really bad day and it comes out the wrong way, but in general it's true. And furthermore, it's not just about bieng an ass, it's about being a bully. There are quite a few people out there who bully their way through life because it gets them what they want, and they have never been put in their place.

 

[MikeFlynn74]

So last night - I was at the local Grocery store. Wel every line is backed up with at least 10+ people. So I go to the liquor store part with my 10 items and grab a couple of bottles. The old man behind the counter lets me wait in line for 10 min and when I get to the counter says "Im not checking all that stuff out". I said fine ****it left my stuff there and walked out of the store.

That lazy mother****er really put me in a bad mood. I have never had anyone turn me down in that store for any reason. Old bastard.