August 25, 2006
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IS THE CUSTOMER ALWAYS RIGHT?
…No, sometimes the customer is an asshole.
We live in age of consumer elitism. Somehow, we have come to believe that if we are paying for something, we have earned the right to treat the people we are doing business with like shit. I’ve been guilty of this and I bet you have too. An insurance claim gets dropped, we have to wait longer at the doctor’s office that we planned, the car we just spent $500.00 repairing starts doing the same damn thing it was before we took it in, and suddenly we snap. We spit venom all over the person on the phone/behind the counter/under the car, and 95% of the time, they weren’t the person who dropped the ball in the first place.
I’m a firm believer in getting what you paid for, and I can be pretty tough when I don’t. (See my son’s post on customer service) But as a business man who has to deal with unhappy clients from time to time I’ve come to believe that being a jerk accomplishes nothing, even if it makes you feel better in the short term. I’ve also learned that a spoon full of sugar not only makes the medicine go down…it can get you free stuff!
A couple of years ago I was standing behind a man at the Thrifty Rental Car counter at the
I fly into
If my company makes a mistake (and we all make mistakes) I will jump through every hoop necessary to make it right and make sure the customer is taken care of. However, if the customer becomes abusive or is completely unreasonable I will still take care of their problem, but once it is solved I will politely but firmly explain to them that I no longer feel it is in our mutual interest to continue a business relationship. I haven’t done that often, but I have done it several times. I would much rather live with a smaller paycheck than deal with that kind of disrespect. I’m fortunate that I have the luxury to be able to do that, I know that many people do not.
Why am I writing about this? When I got to my hotel last night, there were two women in front of me trying to check in. The hotel had apparently lost their reservation and they didn’t have any rooms left with two double beds. One of the women (who happened to have a truly enormous ass) was screaming at the girl behind the counter. When she wasn’t satisfied with doing that she demanded that the girl call her supervisor and the woman screamed at the supervisor for awhile. In an effort to make things better, the hotel put the women up for free at a nearby hotel and gave them a voucher for two more free nights. I thought that was a pretty good offer, but the woman wasn’t satisfied. As she turned away from the counter to go wait for a taxi to take them to the other hotel, she called the girl behind the counter a bitch.
The girl had done a pretty good job of holding herself together up to this point, but as I stepped up to the counter the tears that had been brimming in her eyes started to spill over. In a voice loud enough for big-ass to hear, I told the girl that I was very sorry she had been treated that way. I didn’t say that because I wanted something for free; I really felt bad for the girl. But…not only were they able to find my reservation, she upgraded me to a suite for free.
I smiled and waved my key card at big-ass as I walked past her on my way to my suite.
Comments (27)
Yeah, you’re right, though I can’t help but notice the two employees you sucked up to were both attractive females…
But what do you do when the company has screwed you and the employee does NOTHING to help. Once a car rental place didn’t have a car, any car, for me, although I’d reserved one weeks in advance, and they were not even the teeniest bit apologetic, never mind getting me a car from another company or something. Sometimes the employee is an asshole.
Big ass, LOL!
I have worked for years in various forms of customer service, and I know what you mean. Now, whenever I have to complain or criticize, even if I’m on the phone with a phone rep about errors, or whatever - I always apologize to them by saying “I know it’s not directly YOUR fault, and you’re getting the heat, but you need to get someone to help me do something about this.” Whenever you acknowledge that you know they PERSONALLY were not the ones to make the errors, even a stressed-out-complaint seems to be handled better.
How is it that we have become the same person? I mean, really.
I’ve always subscribed to this method of kindness. I have also been on the side of taking the heat from the angered customer. What they want more than anything else is acknowledgement of their pain and some sympathy with a possible solution in mind. When I’ve provided said sympathy, it has seemed to diffuse the anger enough that we can interact in a more human-like way. Also, when a confrontation is forthcoming, I approach with a smile and its hard to attack a smiling face. Some of the bravado dies off. Odd how that works.
I like the way you think. Hugs!
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could carry around a cattle prod to deal with some people?
We have had many similar experiences. One time, after watching a lady hassle and harrass a young woman behind the counter at a hotel, we sympathized with the young woman and apologized for the rudeness of the other woman. The young lady ended up giving us a huge cut on our room! We didn’t sympathize expecting anything in return, we were just trying to do the right thing. I know some people think the Bible is dated or not relevant, but I still think “treating others the way you want to be treated” works and makes life more enjoyable.
You’re right, most of the time the person you are dealing with isn’t the one who created the problem. And they’re more likely to help you if you are nice to them.
pw’s theorem: The bigger the ass, the bigger the need to show it to the world.
xoxoxo
Unfortunately, a LOT of times the customer is an asshole. I’m glad you’re a good customer who gets treated well. I worked in a place where we were constantly oiling the squeaky wheels, and under-valuing regular good customers who didn’t make a stink. And then again, personally speaking, I did get the rental car uprade a couple of times. I’m also a charming and lovely customer.
Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Whenever I call in or email a complaint and a person follows up with a phone call, I always talk in calm tones and tell them I realize it’s not their fault and I’m only complaining so nobody else will go through the same problem I had. I did this recently with Amtrak. I did tell her (gently) that I wouldn’t be using Amtrak again. So what did she give me? $25 off my next Amtrak ticket….LOL Is that good business strategy? How can I pass up using this discount?
I agree with you. My husband manages a local Autozone. Some of the stories he tells me about rude people are unbelievable. I just cant understand why some people think it is alright to be downright rude, especially when you are bending over backwards to help them….. I just make it a point to not be one of those people…
hope your weekend is a good one
I spent much of my adult life working retail at Kmart. *making sign of the cross* In addition to (hopefully) making me a better customer, my children have also learned proper store etiquette. Mostly upon fear of death, but learn it they did.
Bravo! You know, Mark, Dave Barry retired, and I think the Miami Herald should give you his job. Then you woudn’t have to go anywhere and you’d end up sitting at your computer all day and get a big ass.
RYC: Thank you. Everyone has been so supportive of my ditching the man. Feels good to have so many friends behind me.
There are days I would have loved to have a customer like you next in line. I try to be as cheerful and pleasant as possible. The ruder they become, the larger my smile gets. I’ve also learned that the screamers, squeeky wheels as I call them, have learned that they can generally get what they want just to get them to shut up. I make sure I have my facts straight. I will check with my supervisor before returning to a customer to make sure I’m handlking it correctly if I can. Twice I’ve had to be the screamer. Both times have involved my being at home and my child being stranded in an airport or bus stations because her connection left without her. I refuse to use swear words but I do remind them that they are then responsible for the safety of my child and that I will hold them to it. The airport placed her on a plane home. The bus station placed her in a hotel for the night and then got her a connection home the next morning. Both were thanked with kudos for the employees to the companies.
HUGS!!!
You should spend some time in retail during Christmas. My part-time job, gift wrapping at Dillard’s Dept. Store nearly sent me over the edge during the holidays. I would put in 50 hrs a week at my regular job and then work the extra 20 at my part-time job just to keep a roof over our heads while my kids finish school. People were constantly saying, “lady, do you know how much I spend in this store every year?” I just wanted to look them in the eye and say “it’s not fault you’re that stupid.” Of course, I would just say, we’ll do our best to wrap your 10 presents in the next five minutes plus answer the phones, take payments, and assist the associates with cash…all with a smile…of course! I retired my part-time job the end of May. I knew if I spent one more Christmas there, I would begin to hate Christmas. People are just mean…I’ve seen them throw things at the mangers…cuss them out…anything to get what they want. I was raised by my grandparents who pounded “the customer’s always right” into my head, but after seeing what I’ve seen the past three years; people are just taking advantage. Believe me the rules of having a receipt and no returns after 30 days are necessary…customers will pull all kinds of crap…unfortunetly, those of us who are honest often get caught off guard by the rules and end up not getting taken care of. Sorry to ramble…this is a real sore spot. PS…I love to visit your site. Thanks!
Thank you for this post. If only people could learn that there is nothing to be gained by being rude. Well said!
This was a good reminder for me that sugar is indeed a better elixer than vinegar….I always try to go with sugar when I can, but I have been guilty of losing it from time to time, and frankly, lately, it has been much too often….perhaps this has something to do with the fact that I live in SO-CAL and it is much too crowded with rude people here, and I have become just as rude sometimes….UGHHHH, that is hard to admit.
ryc: Your Uncle Frank. Single ?
Many times I think us ‘older generation of workers’ has a better work ethic. Now not all, lots of kids have learned to earn their way in life, that not every thing is handed to you just because they want it and their parents can afford to give it. But generally, that is how most of us older folks grew up, earning what what we wanted, not being handed everything on a silver platter.
This is a very good entry you have written.
Nice to meet you!
I can’t stand to be behind rude people in line. and good for you for speaking up. Kindness really does go a long way.
Let’s face it…if we’re the ones behind the counter… which would we go out of your way to give the extras….the big assed, red faces screaming profanities at us, or the kinder, more sympathetic person waiting quietly in line? hmmm
I once helped a friend at her coffee shop and I worked behind a counter, when an irate customer began screaming profanities and being rude to one of the young teenagers working the counter. I hurled a baking sheet across the room and was about to leap over the counter to attack this customer, my youngest son, 17 at the time….grabbed me and held me back. I guess this should be a warning to all asshole customers out there that not all the counter help are polite to the customers and stand there and not say a word while they are being screamed at in public….and that’s why I could never do Customer Service.
mommy does customer service. she says the ones who have temper tantrums make her laugh. she has to put the phone on mute. then she puts them on speakerphone and says rude things to them that they can’t hear so all the other people where she works start to laugh too. mommy also has a big ass but that means she has a big comfy lap for me to curl up in.
Yeah, I always try the nicey nicey approach first…but then, after 3 visits, 40 phone calls and 20 episodes of idiocy I usually cave into highly annoyed loudness…but never cussing.
I started out working in the fast food industry. I now have a customer facing job with the phone company. I’ve seen just about every kind of asshole customer ever. (Rule 1. Never, Ever, Yell at fast food workers until you have your food in your hand)
I agree, poor girl, I hope fat ass had a really bad stay at the near by hotel, I hope there were bugs and that the matress was stained. I hope the other one flushed the toilet when fat ass was in the shower and scalded her.
I worked in retail for 4 years and was witness too or on the receiving end of rants from customers that felt slighted. I think the reaction stems from a need to regain control or to be recognized. Being a loud ass, at least temporarily, makes you feel like something is happening. I certainly don’t look at service workers the same after working that job.