“Hi. How are you today?” is what I ask every customer that I help. It is supposed to be an conversation starter so that moment of silence will not be so awkward. My customer sarcastically responds to me “Not good. I tried to put my card in the ATM and it would not work! I need you to fix this right now!” Oh boy. Here we go again. Another Bad Customer Gone Wild.
I retrieve the customers account information from his card to see if the card was closed out. Nope. It was active. I tried telling the customer that sometimes the ATM malfunctions and we have to get a ATM Technician out because we don’t operate the ATMs. This is not what he wanted to hear. He tells me “I have been banking with your bank for over 20 years. I have all my accounts, mortgage, lines of credit, IRA and etc. with you guys. Never in 20 years has the ATM given me a problem . My card is not the problem. You need to fix this problem. This is what you are supposed to do. You’re supposed to deal with this since you are in customer service. Now fix it!”
Well can you say rudeness! He almost spit in my face! Then he snatches his debit card out of my hand and says, "Here. Take this. That’s my business card. When you fix the problem, contact me through my phone. No I really prefer email. If this problem doesn’t get fixed, I will close out all of my accounts with your bank!” Then he walks off.
You know how you get a rude customer that expects you to pull magic tricks out of your magical hat and give them what they want? Or have you ever had that customer that yells at the top of their lungs and makes a fool out of their selves because they think that will get them what they want?
While these people feel they are getting their point across, they are only getting on your nerves. You as the person being in customer service end up getting pissed off. You really want to tell that customer a piece of your mind, but at the same time, your job could be on the line if you do. Then they wonder why you end up having a nervous breakdown, anger problems, try to play hide and seek when they come back, roll your eyes, slander under your breath, or have the tendency to spit in their food.
Just because you are in customer service in some kind of way, does not mean that people can run over you like a lost dog in the street. You have feelings too. You don’t come to work everyday just for someone to yell and give you an attitude. Its bad enough if your boss and or co-workers do this. They say treat people with kindness but dang! Some people don’t seem to return the favor. Many people feel if they buy something or invest in the company you work for, they should be put on a pedestal. Everything should be perfect. If a mistake is made, somebody’s head is about to get cut off. Literally. I can recall plenty of times where I have made mistakes so when I befall upon others mishaps, I don’t get rude or annoying about it. No one is perfect. At the same time every problem can not be fixed in a second.
Customer service means to service a customer or customers to the best extent possible. To listen to their situation, and resolve it with a solution. To provide outstanding service that many stores lack. Now when I say listen that means the customer shouldn’t be yelling. You can hear them. That’s what God gave you ears for. So the next time someone puts onions on your burger when you said minus the onions, gave you back the wrong change you asked for, look at this. If the shoe was on the other foot, you would not want to be argued at now would you?Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes, it 's not even your fault and you still get blamed for it.
I agree, I'm not sure if the customers realize the customer service people have feelings too. I hate when I'm standing in line and somebody gives the clerk a hard time.
~Em
I agree, I'm not sure if the customers realize the customer service people have feelings too. I hate when I'm standing in line and somebody gives the clerk a hard time.
~Em
Thank you for your understanding . Yes I have also seen people behaving like 2 year olds at other stores I have been too. Like I said they think they are looking real good but they are really looking very stupid.
yea, i knwo how ya feel, when i managed at the picture people, i would get to the studio at 7am and get everything set up, it takes an hr for the printer to warm up..you have to set the density and do chemistry on it and whatever, well one day this customer was actually waiting for me as i walked up tot he doors...and then continued to curse me out because i was 10 min late...when i explained to her the store did not open until 9am. she went on to curse me out further..i told her , i actually had to use the voice i use on the two year olds and explain like i was talking to a little kid why her pictures would not be ready...This woman was so rude, even her husband got annoyed...he finally blew upon her " she can;t pull the pictures out of her ass Elaine" ugh. she ticked me off so bad,
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I use to be a photo technician at CVS before I started working with the bank. So I know what you mean about the chemicals. It does take a long time to even get the machine started. Well you surely did have a rude customer. At least you didn't have to email your customer back and forth and see his face and attitude about 5 more times.
Retail has trained people to act that way.
Retail workers are taught by company policy to take care of every problem and to 'make people happy.'
Once a customer learns that they can be crabby and get what they want, they begin the next transaction in a crabby mood. Then that becomes the norm.
They may not even realize that they're doing it, but it is how it works.
That's why it is easy to spot people who've worked retail: They're not crabby.
Thank you.Just like I was saying . People except to be treated with respect, but they sometimes can't respect others.Even when I come to work, I am supposed to smile my way through everything. Whether I am sad or happy.
You know what I hate? The phrase "the customer is always right". Whoever coined that phrase should have to deal with every customer in every store or business. Customers are not always right...in fact, they can be amazingly wrong. I'd go into this further, but I feel a rant coming on and it might be saved best for it's own blog entry.
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Mind Control is Easier Than You Think
The customer is NOT always right. Even when WE are the customer.
People, however, don't have much respect for anyone other than themselves.
They'll hold themselves up high for sending 20 bucks to some charity in Africa, but then treat a retail employee like trash for something that is not the fault or responsibility of the retail employee.... only proving (to me anyway) that they only donate to charity so they can feel good about themselves, rather than out of any ACTUAL desire to help others.
Preach! Yeah I don't understand that too.
Too true!
Today I dealt with some ornery customers who insisted that they got special deals at this other location, but they were talking about a big conglomerate store versus our tiny family owned store! They eventually left to "go to the bank" and haven't been back since. It's been over 7 hours. They aren't coming back, but that's okay. They were demeaning.
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Well I am glad I got you thinking about your next blog. I just wrote this for all the people who have had to deal with annoying customers in the past or present. And yeah who coined that phrase anyways? I have had plenty of customers argue with me about a deposit they did not make or a transaction they did not do and 30 minutes later they finally find out they are wrong.
I'm pretty sure the company that coined that phrase went out of business, actually. I'd have to look it up again, though. ;-)
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Well thanks. I figured that slogan would not work for long.
I figured that would probably happen. So if the customer told you to fall off the bridge would you? Heck no!
They went out of business..and left every other store behind to suffer the brunt of the damage from that phrase!
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I think anyone that has ever worked in customer service will appreciate this article.
What most people won't tell you, though, is that you have the right to refuse service. In some cases, you even have the right to escort the person out of the building.
My husband, who's a sales associate for Best Buy, gets all kinds. The other day he actually had someone threaten to break his neck. Suffice to say, the man can no longer set foot in any Best Buy or Best Buy-owned store (such as Future Shop or Magnolia Home Theater) or he'll get arrested thanks to the "no trespass" warrant filed against him. He's also had a man basically chase him down and nearly get beaten (the guy ended up just breaking one of the desks that the kiosk was sitting on). And that's just on a normal day, don't get me started about Black Friday!
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
Eh, while the store has the RIGHT to do both of those, many (too many) stores will turn on the employee for the sake of 'customer service'
Now, as your examples were, if there is a threat, I can't imagine a company doing so... any company I've worked for had that as a clear point. If you are threatened, they are gone.
But an overly rude customer who won't shut up and just wants to yell and scream like a 4 year old until you erase a 'extended viewing fee' from their account for a movie they brought in 5 days late? Nope. The company will quickly turn on you and not just credit that off, but apologize for YOUR behavior (which will be called rude) and give them free stuff 'to make them happy.'
(Then, oddly enough, when you follow their example and issue such credits, you'll be told that you're giving out too many credits and need to not do that.)
:?!) It seems that every company tends to do that. Especially the ones who tell you that the customer is always right. I especially hate when you have to apologize to the customer like it was your fault and it wasn't . It was theirs!
Even worse as management on the store level.
You KNOW that your employee is right, the customer is a prick and that the company wants you to crap on the employee anyway, which only enables the customer to be a bigger jerk next time....
I generally bucked the company just enough to not get caught. I had no problem telling someone to leave the store. Once I was applauded by others in line. heh.
many (too many) stores will turn on the employee for the sake of 'customer service'
I've found that most of the stores that have finally realized that the line-level employee is the company's lifeblood and basically has the power to destroy the paychecks of the higher-ups and, given enough pissed-off employees, bring the company to its knees (see Circuit City's stock prices) tend to take better care of their employees. Many of the big box stores also realize that for every customer they throw out, there's three more that are coming in the door that will make the store money.
Then, there are the customers that spend more money in a single trip to the store than the GM makes in a year (can you say "Black American Express"?), in which case, it is lucrative to bend over backwards for them. However, the ones around here, at least, are very professional and quite a joy to work with so catering to them isn't really an issue.
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
Yeah. I just get sick and tired of the company trying to let you go because one customer had a complaint about you or what product you sold them that did not work for them. Companies tend to lose really good hard workers over situations like this.
Wow! I feel bad for your husband. Well the bank I work at says if you feel that the customer is getting out of control in a certain way, you have the right to get the cops or security( they work in our building ) to escort the customer out of your face. We have not had a serious customer like that yet.
I've had a death threat on me because I wouldn't take a return on a custom made cabinet.
I didn't want to order it until the guy measured again to confirm, but he was confident that his measurement was right. I told him that if we ordered it and it didn't fit, we couldn't take it back, but he was confident that his measurement was right.
His measurement was wrong and when I told him that we couldn't take it back, he said over the phone that he was going to come down here and kill me.
I said "Ok, just let me know when so I can punch off the clock first."
he never showed.
I was regularly called a racist when I worked at a blockbuster video in minneapolis.
I remember tossing a guy out of the store. He wanted free dvd cases that we weren't allowed to give away. We could sell them, but not give them away (heck, we couldn't have them, and we were employees).
He said "You racists are all alike, you're only doing this because I'm black!"
I snapped on him. "You're only saying that because I'm white, you racist! Get the hell out of my store."
Heh. race card doesn't work with me. I feel no guilt over what people that weren't me did to people that weren't whomever I am dealing with. .. as such, I have no problem pointing out racism in others.... even minorities.
Well coming from a minority ( the illustration I have says all,)I have had customers of my ethnicity feel that because I am black, and they are too, I can waive the fee on money orders, and cashing their checks even when they know they don't have a wells fargo account. Then the thing that gets me is when they cash a check and they know that don't have a account with us, some give me one expired id when they know they are supposed to have two . Then some say " Hey sista, give a brotha or a sista a break. You know we don't always go by the rules. " I get offended when anyone says this. The rules apply to everyone. Not just certain ethnicities.
But anyways customers will try to come up with the lamest excuses for getting by or getting something from your company and making you look bad.
The rules apply to everyone. Not just certain ethnicities.
THANK YOU!
Yeah, the local cops love his store so much, one of the officers eats lunch in their employee lounge. It's nice, too, that the GM and most of the other managers will fight tooth and nail for their employees. Walkies with headsets help on the matter, too. It's kind of funny to see one of the managers (many of which are big guys) come sauntering over to escort the customer out because they heard him over the walky swearing the salesperson out because the customer is too cheap to pay the ticket price and the employee can't do anything about that.
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
I used to give free rentals to cops who'd come into the blockbuster store in uniform.
Every time they did, at least 1 or 2 people would quickly leave the store.
I figure that it is worth the 8 dollar credit to save around 200 dollars worth of theft.
Lol, yeah, black and whites tend to have that effect. The store usually sends the LP person to lunch when the cop comes in for her own lunch because she parks the cruiser right outside. :D
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
Now don't you wish almost all the companies could be this way.
Most of them will be eventually, considering the fact that the United States as a whole is moving toward a service-oriented economy. The ones that don't will be the behemoths that think they can do whatever they want and get away with it (and inevitably, they too will probably fall or change their ways, it'll just take longer).
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
If we would lower business taxes and lower some of the OSHA standards (as well as the EPA standards that prove worthless, given that we're now important stuff from countries that don't follow them.), then we could get back some of that production business.
So there is some justice in the world. Good! I'm glad this guy got what he deserved. Wow I sound cruel now.
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The customer service person is the first to receive the brunt of the person's frustration. I would think it is like a job hazard that one ust has to accept. While I have never worked in a customer service job that I have had to deal with something like this, I would think its a part of human nature that you have to accept.
Well if you have ever worked any job that deals with interacting with customers, you have had to probably deal with customer servicce. Customer service doesn't mean when you deal with rude customers and their problems. You could be helping a customer by ringing up their stuff. Jobs just don't tell people that at times you have to deal with customer service in some kind of way. Whether you are dealing with a customer, or trying to wow them by welcoming them to the store, thats customer service. But I do really get what you mean because at certain places they specifically have customer service areas.
When they have a tantrum, you know it's just because it's nap time. There's no excuse when an adult does it.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Thats funny. But I feel bad for you if a parent has a complaint about their child. If their child didn't eat the right foods, got pushed down by another child, ran with their socks off on the playground and more, you have to hear from the parents. But you still have it made.
I definitely would NOT want to work in customer service for this very reason. But being a customer, myself, I sometimes do find myself taking my frustration out on customer service representatives. Most of the time I catch myself and apologize, because I know customer service representatives are very limited at what they can do, but unfortunately there's no one else to talk to. I get extremely irritated after waiting on hold forever because all of that wait time is spent just stewing over the issue I am trying to call about. Then, of course, there's those dreaded calls that get transferred overseas to people who barely understand what I'm saying and in turn I barely understand them. And those voice operated prompts that never seem to understand what your saying that always direct you to the wrong department.
Customer service has just become such a nightmare....
Yes I can agree that sometimes you can get the run around when it comes to customer service. The one I am mentioning is the one where you meet customer service face to face and you have certain people trying to act like a fool because they feel that will prove their point.But I have also had the run around too when it comes to customer service through the phone. All they can do is transfer you to other people cause thats what their boss tells them to do. Its stupid but yeah I get what you are saying.
I totally agree. I'm a waitress and a secretary. When people just complain and yell, it doesn't solve anything. After a while, you start to resent the people you work for and it's not supposed to be like that. Unfortunatly people don't think about if the shoe were on the other foot. I know that now when I go out to eat or talk to someone on the phone, I respect them more because the next day I have to do the same job.
One interesting issue is that many corporate policies about how things should work on a store level are made by people who do not work in a store.
When I worked for a video store, the corporate office decided that to 'speed up the checkout process' we were going to follow a 7 step checkout procedure.
We got a BUNCH of complaints when we started doing this as it only made the checkout process longer.
However, in a corporate office meeting, a bunch of people said it'd be a great idea. They don't work in a store or have anything to do with it. Their only contact with the store is through district manager who do not work in a store, but visit stores and get store managers kissing up to them to stay on their 'happy' list.
That's how retail works. People who don't know make policy based on the information handed to them by people who don't work in a store, based on information handed to THEM by people who kiss up to them.
And they wonder why employees are disgruntled.
Thank you. Thats a good one.
Well thanks. I do the same thing too. I wouldn't want someone yelling in my face so why should I yell in theirs?
Tomorrow on Minnesota Public Radio there's going to be a show about customer service in which restaurant servers get to call in and tell their stories of nightmare customers. It's on a show called Midmorning. 10 a.m. central time. You can stream it from the website...http://www.mpr.org
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Goodness, I hate when people can't just be respectful when they're trying to get help with something or other...especially when the customer service person working with them is doing all they can to resolve the issue...
Of course, when they're not even listening to what you have to say... that causes even me irritation, and I'm usuallly pretty good at not getting irritated. -_-;
Bad customer service is a nightmare...of course, it does make you appreciate the good customer service a lot more. ^-^ Maybe all those people making fools of themselves should get a good dose of dealing with someone who really doesn't care. xD
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
--
The Story of Myself
Thanks for your comment. Yeah a lot of customers at the bank feel that if they yell out their problems , that will help them get their way and it does not.We especially have some rich people that bank with us and they believe when they have a problem you should fix it even if it is their fault or can't be fixed.
Thanks for your comment. Yeah a lot of customers at the bank feel that if they yell out their problems , that will help them get their way and it does not.We especially have some rich people that bank with us and they believe when they have a problem you should fix it even if it is their fault or can't be fixed.