Customer service...

[Shimmer]

When the customer is demanding, pushy, and being a nuisance...the customer is NOT right.
When the customer can't make up her mind, can't figure out what s/he needs, but is taking up time that could be spent with someone who knows what s/he wants...the customer is NOT right.
When the customer is rude, overbearing, and grabby...the customer is NOT right.

Service personnel are there for a reason, to provide service to the customers.
They are NOT there to be yelled at, spit on, bitched at, ordered around, etc.
"The customer is always right." is an adage that needs to be done away with. That phrase is NOT carte blanch for one act like an ass, just because someone is in a position to 'serve' you.

 

[CantAffordMAC]

very true. The customer isn't always right...in some circumstances they are. I'm just glad that I'm a kind, caring person who's not mean or pushy or rude to someone who's helping me.

 

[MACATTAK]

Very true!

 

[n_c]

Forreal!

 

[Dizzy]

Love it. Especially appropriate since Black Friday is right around the corner- I wish all my customers realized these things.

 

[duch3ss25]

I couldn't agree with you more Shimmer! I have never done customer service jobs but I believe that having a nice and kind personality will take you further than being bitchy and pushy. I'm speaking from the customer point of view here and with customer service, it's a two-way street. If you want to have a good service experience, communicate what you want NICELY to those who are there to "serve" you and they will meet you half-way. If they can't, I find that they are more than happy to get somebody to help you have a good experience from their establishment. On the other hand, be a nuisance and they'll treat you like one.

 

[Simply Elegant]

Yeah I totally agree. I think that some people use that to their advantage. Unfortunately for those bad customers mentioned above, their complaints never get taken seriously.

 

[lalaxp]

Haha, what about the mean& bitchy workers?

 

[Shimmer]

I wasn't talking about the workers. This thread isn't about service personnel. It's about customers.

 

[gigglegirl]

seriously, some customers just love to push push push thinking that you are there to serve them (true to an extent). What I reallllllly hated being the person running customer service is when I stuck to the rules and tell them nicely what I can do for them, they adamantly demand to have things their way, the manager is ultimately called and the manager folds to their demands. All the managers did this to every customer service worker which is an issue unto itself. Then it makes the person who was following what they are told look like a loser who is incapable of satisfying the customers. GREAT. that was my greatest pet peeve!!

 

[CaraAmericana]

I been know to be bitchy on rare occasions. Shame on me.

 

[MACa6325xi]

Depending on the company you work for, "the customer is always right." Now everyone knows this is not true. However, in retail, customer service, etc the customer is technically always right. That does not mean that employees should be subjected to abuse. If someone is disruptive, combative, spitting, fighting then maybe the police or security should be called. There is a right way to do things. We can rant about "asshole" customers, but they are still "customers." Customers should be treated with a certain amount of dignity and respect, even if they are the worst people in the world. A hospital cannot choose it's patients. The doctor or nurse can't say "You nasty ass patient, get your ass out of my hospital." We can't choose who we have to deal with. This is life. We will always encounter rotten people, but when life gives you lemons, you have to make lemonade.

 

[gigglegirl]

You should never treat customers with no respect or dignity--but that doesn't mean you need to deal with their crap no matter what. Make the best of the situation yes, but if they are rude/degrading to you, you should not have to deal with it.

I've learned in my university marketing and economic classes (and this can be debated on proper use of terms but this is what it is)--there are customers who are "winners" and "losers" with a few intermediate categories. Winners being those who say require little help, buy a lot=profit margin is high per winner customer. Losers are those customers who cost more to service than the profit they bring. So they are "losers" because instead of adding value to your business, they drag it down. In those cases, when the customer threatens to take their business elsewhere, you open the door and point them in their direction--let them deal with these "losers".

I do not agree with the customer is always right. Nope. And you can say there will be a bad word of mouth of sending these "losers" to your competitors and that can definitely happen. If you are selling something great and have the winners--then you work your damndest to keep them.

 

[redambition]

how true shimmer.

the manifesto of "the customer is always right" doesn't make sense.

crazy demands, trivial complaints, total and utter rudeness towards and contempt for the staff of the company that is trying to help them make their purchases, how is this behaviour right?

it's a basic principle of human interaction: if you are nice and polite to the people you are dealing with, then they are going to be more responsive to you. you can be making a complaint, but if you're reasonable, calm and prepared to work with the company in regards to a solution, you're more than likely to get a decent outcome.

if you're rude, nasty and horrible to deal with, well then be prepared for those who have to put with you to be less responsive, less helpful and less friendly.

 

[MACa6325xi]

No one said the behavior is right. It isn't right, but customers behave badly all of the time. Unless, you have your own business and you can choose your customers/clients, there is nothing you can do.

 

[redambition]

there is plenty that can be done, even if you don't own your own business.

part of it is setting realistic expectations with the customer (god, if i had a dollar for every time a sales person told a customer that we could do something in an impossible time frame i'd be rich!), part of it has to do with visibility, part of it has to do with knowing which customers to focus on to proactively grow sales with, and which to leave be, servicing their orders but not trying to grow their sales and hope they go elsewhere eventually.

even the nicest customer in the world can be a real loser for the business if they are too high maintenance for their expenditure with the business.

 

[M.A.C_Addiction]

F'kkn AMEN! Seriously!

 

[aquarius11]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shimmer When the customer is demanding, pushy, and being a nuisance...the customer is NOT right. When the customer can't make up her mind, can't figure out what s/he needs, but is taking up time that could be spent with someone who knows what s/he wants...the customer is NOT right. When the customer is rude, overbearing, and grabby...the customer is NOT right. Service personnel are there for a reason, to provide service to the customers. They are NOT there to be yelled at, spit on, bitched at, ordered around, etc. "The customer is always right." is an adage that needs to be done away with. That phrase is NOT carte blanch for one act like an ass, just because someone is in a position to 'serve' you.

I couldn't have said this better myself. Very well put.

 

[alien21xx]

I couldn't agree with this more. I have left more than one job because the employer has insisted that I am wrong not to put up with verbal abuse coming from unreasonable customers. If companies and customers insist I'm a lapdog who has no right to be treated with dignity and respect in the same way that I treat them, they can keep their money. I don't need it. I'm here to serve, yes, but not at the expense of my dignity.

 

[ms.marymac]

I think the phrase "The customer is always right" was coined during a time when most people had good manners.