bad customers....

nothinglikeit

Now I`m not talking about slow payers but I`m talking about the mean, nasty and otherwise just rude customers. I work in the customer service field now. I get quite a few unhappy campers. These people are the ones constantly telling me how to do my job, complaining despite me doing my job correctly, etc.
 My question is should I expect more of the same once I am the owner?
I mean I`m the low man on the totem pole now. (at least that`s how the customers see it) But does this change when you`re in charge?
Also I don`t plan on dealing with the public per se. My customers will be other businesses. Are they any better? thanks in advance.

nothinglikeit

touche: hoseofjerkyjanie. You`re right if they complain I may not have any customers. But I get these customers that complain about policies out of my control in my current condition. What to do then? on the flip side when you`re the employer what can you do?

nothinglikeit

I`m on the way to doing number 3 like hardcore, Jerky Janie
They know about the complaints and usually do what`s right for that particular customer. Which is something you suggested. The problem is what Tangtuler mentioned in the first place. It`s the inefficiencis of thier policies. For some members (in the credit union) they`ll bend over backwards, yet for others they will follow thier beuaracratic policies to the letter. This leaves me in a bind because I`m simply following orders. But I do my best to try to do damage control with the decisions i can make. But I am starting to compile  a list of things i`ll do differently when I`m in charge.

nothinglikeit

follow up: how do you deal with those customers that just can`t be pleased? You try to appease them but they just want too much or are asking you to bend in a way that will actually hurt your business?

william

If you treat your customer good and with outstanding service, you`ll see better results.  In addition, keep in touch with your customers.  They will feel good knowing you want to ensure their success.

nothinglikeit

That`s all well and good but apparently my bosses told me that I`m being too mean to the customers. I only tell them that they need to follow the rules. I countered to my boss that I could just not say anything. She retorted that I should tell them what the rules are and ensure that they follow them. But I have to do it in a way that won`t hurt their feelings, alienate, or otherwise make them feel bad. So my hands are basically tied. I`m simply trying to work within the rules which is unpleasant to some customers which in turn complain. What`s a guy to do? I`m not interested in being an anti customer jerk, but these people seem to think of me as such just for explaining what the rules for protecting our business (banking) are. Does this ever happen to you guys? and if so how do you get around it as a business owner?

nothinglikeit

ha ha ha. I`ve turned to the last option lately. I like your ideas which are awesome and what I use when it`s a policy issue. But most of time it`s now general etiquette which died in the Victorian area apparently. They just do things that get under my skin like stand at my window when i`m trying to put money away from someone who literally just left my window. Or my personal favorite of shoving a deposit ticket in my face. I swear one of these days a customer will try to insert a debit card in my mouth. There`s basically 2 customer types now: The unknowingly rude customer, and the habitual rule breaker. I`m apparently supposed to be a door mat to both according to my managers. Only problem is I don`t want to be. The only thing that matters to the customer is the customer, I get that. But it`s almost like these folks don`t care about anything except themselves at the expense of human civility and manners. I`m basically fighting a lost cause. I understand that I`m supposed to be a good ambassador to the credit union`s member. I try my hardest not to take things personally. But is it so wrong to stand up to yourself and kinda ask your customer to be a good customer citizen as well? Or are my expectations for mankind (sadly) too high.
nothinglikeit2007-2-24 0:1:46

nothinglikeit

yeah and that sounds like the way I`d play things if I were in charge. I understand that you want to make the best of the customer`s experience and maybe take a bit of abuse if they`re in a bad mood; But I`m not one to put up with a lot of unnecessary nonsense. My theory is I can either help you, or you can go somewhere else if you`re that unhappy. 

patentandtrademark

I attended a video conference recently where the practice of "firing" bad customers was discussed.  It`s a hard call because we all spend so much time trying to attract business it is kind of counterintuitive to get rid of customers.  At the same time, if the bad guys are becoming a distraction and keeping you from serving the good ones, it`s time to do SOMETHING.  Perhaps it might help to give the bad guys some time to reform and if that still does not help, suggest they go elsewhere.
There`s a way to do it and still be a nice guy.  I have recently started to gently "nudge" a few clients and hope I don`t have to write them a "disengagement" letter.  It`s not an easy situation, but I think there is always a line that can be crossed where the professional relationship just can`t be productive for BOTH parties.
 

nothinglikeit

yeah i know it`s not easy. I think once I`m serving my customers, I can manage them better than my bosses do theirs. More importantly I can do things my way which will end a lot of my frustration. 

FatCookie

When we were getting started, we were trying to develop a customer service policy that would cover us when things go wrong (we do cookies, so when people don`t like their order, it doesn`t arrive, or arrives late due to USPS traffic, and everything else customers can think of that is bothering them that particular day).  It was turning into a convoluted bunch of rules, I could no longer follow (and b/c we were newbies, we were following other peoples way of doing customer service...bad idea).In the end it dawned on us, that we were finally in charge and decided to go with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.  It makes it easy for us to follow (when the customer is not happy, we do what they want: refund money or ship them a new batch on us) AND it makes it easy for the customer to understand.  They won`t have to go through a maze or multiple people to get their issue resolved.  So far we have had excellent success.As far as the rude people are concerned, I definitely feel for you.  Anyone working with the public has to somehow get through the day without going insane but what makes it worse for you is that you are on the frontline, not your bosses, so it`s easy for them to tell you how to deal with these customers.You should be proud of yourself for wanting something more and something you can oversee.  I would never go back to working for someone else now that I have had a taste of the freedom of working for myself.  Having control beats out everything!Good luck with your endeavor and next time someone behaves badly, just think to yourself, that what goes around, comes around.  The more good kharma points you collect, the more you can cash in when entreprenuership gets crazy!Warm regards,When-Dee Morrisonowner, FAT Cookiewww.fatcookie.com

MrsClean1

If you don`t own the company yet and anticipate it in the future, then now is the time to do some tweaking to get your clients happy. I enocourage you to speak with them one on one to find out what the real problem is. Then deal with it. If it is just a personality thing, then maybe you have to let them go and move on to better clients.

nothinglikeit

Craig: I actually had a customer tell me at my job tell me that working in a clothing store isn`t that hard. The funny thing is he`s right. It does take a person with the skin of a Lizard to put up with a lot of the unnecessary attitudes from customers. But the actual work of keeping a customer happy is easy. Unfortunately as an employee you are somewhat limited in doing this. That a scary stat by the way.  A lot of my negative customer service experiences are starting to make sense though....

Fiberartist219

I agree that there are plenty of people out there with personal problems! I was working with a customer the other day at my "day job" and the sales consultant apologized later for his customer`s behavior. She started yelling when I asked if her father could come in to sign paperwork or if he had any ID. I told the sales consultant that she wasn`t yelling at me, she was just yelling. She is mad at her situation, not us.
Anytime someone brings up "power of attorney" or "Can so and so come in to the store to sign in person" emotions get involved. The lady was upset because she threw away her dad`s ID when he could no longer drive, and he can`t act nicely in public due to his condition... so not only was he unable to come in and sign, but he was unable to go to the DMV to get a new ID. Well, I must say, I`m sorry to hear that, but I`m not sorry to respond with our policy!
This was definately not the first time I had listened to a customer rant and rave. It certainly won`t be the last either. I just try to make sure that whatever it is that they are mad about, it isn`t my fault! In those very rare occaisions in which it IS my fault, I apologize profusely.

jenidlg

I know I`m jumping in on this a little late in the game but I wanted to share an experience I recently had as the "unhappy customer".  In this case I was that customer.  I had ordered a product from a catalog and the shipping was ridiculously expensive and slower than promised. 
I called the company to get answers, all I could do was vent because the product was on its way, albeit very, very slowly.  I was suprised and how much it seemed that not one person in that company could have cared less if I were no longer their customer. 
In my humble opinion, it is important that the customer feel that someone cares about them.  You don`t usually have to sell the farm to make them happy if they just feel that you care.  I would have left that situation a lot less frustrated and maybe even purchased from them again if I had left the conversation feeling like they wanted my business.  I didn`t even get an apology for the delay.  Just rude people telling me I was being impatient. 

jenidlg

Very True Craig.  Customer Service is failing miserably all around the world.