I Own a Business and Want to know if this is poor service?

That's the beauty of working for yourself, man. I know people who are involved in businesses where they bend over backwards to accomodate EVERY customer, regardless of their borderline rude (or idiotic) behavior. However, the examples you listed are not borderline rude, they were blatantly rude (with the one exception of the old woman who decided to buy elsewhere- that's just part of the game).

So long as it does not significantly hurt your overall business, run things how you seem fit. Enjoy the fact that you don't have to suffer idiots if you choose not to do so.

Good luck.

Junior,

Just remember the rule: "The customer is always right"

Scenario 1: You should have politely asked why, rather than getting visibly upset.

Scenario 2: Hard to say, but you may not have had a better option here.

Scenario 3: The guy wasn't rude to ask for the help after hours, but was rude of him to be insistent and get upset.

You seem to bring out the worst in people for some reason.

I'm not an owner, but am a project manager for a smallish consulting firm. Sometimes you have to pick your battles. The more often you let the customer be right the more often they're going to buy from you, and some people are rude but if they're giving you their money, then you get the last laugh.

That said, the three things you said are a little ridiculous. If you're closed you're closed. I'm in my office well after our hours all the time. If the phone rings I let it go to voicemail unless I'm expecting something.

The second thing is something that we deal with as well. Some clients have been burned by other consultants and are skeptical. This often leads to sarcasm and snide remarks as you've mentioned. These ones I deal with, because it presents a good oppurtunity to gain a client, or in your case, a customer. Simply explain that you're not them and ask how to can provide better service than they did. You already know what they don't want, so just go a little out of your way, give them your normal good service, and gain a customer.

Your first problem happens all the time. We come in, write a proposal with a scope of work and an outline of what we plan on doing, and the client says ok thanks, and tries it on their own. Often they fail and we get called back, but its still frusterating to do work for something and have them try to take it. Would it be possible to do something like say you'll take $5 off if they buy from you? Or throw in a bonus like a free car charger or faceplate?

Some people just aren't worth it, but as you know, you don't make money from customers that walk away empty handed.

stutteringjohn wrote:

You seem to bring out the worst in people for some reason.

So, in dealing with about 500-700 customers a month, I describe three in which I've had big issues with and suddenly I bring out the worst in people?

I have a sneaking suspicion you're the kind of customer I'm writing about.

That all three thought it was such a horrible encounter that it was deserving of a follow-up phone call to talk to the owner indicates that you were likely over the top argumentative.

That said my assessment of your behavior for the situations described:

First, possibly fine, depends how 'visibly' upset you got.

Second, fine.

Third, horrible. You should have helped him completely or told him the store was closed. Other people work and hope to make other stores by closing time. It isn't rude of him to ask for help after closing hours. If you help, it is generous of you, but you have the option to decline, i.e. "Sorry, we are closed. I would be glad to help you tomorrow." not "You are so incredibly rude for asking me to do work after my store's posted closing hours."

Timmy Jenkins wrote:

Third, horrible. You should have helped him completely or told him the store was closed. Other people work and hope to make other stores by closing time. It isn't rude of him to ask for help after closing hours. If you help, it is generous of you, but you have the option to decline, i.e. "Sorry, we are closed. I would be glad to help you tomorrow." not "You are so incredibly rude for asking me to do work after my store's posted closing hours."

I disagree. He tried to be helpful within the confines of needing to leave for a family function. The guy wouldn't have been happy either way, screw him.

A friend (about your age) owns a bread shop in our town. He said a costumer once was irate about there being dough left in the bread after baking it. (This actually was the store's fault) He spent 30 minutes sucking up and apologizing to her unbearably. She forgave the store, and now she and her work associates buy loafs for their breakfast/lunch snack every week, sometimes multiple days a week. Take that anecdote for what you will.

the difference between a good and great salesman is to take an irrate customer and make them think you are doing them a favor

Angry customers are ones who are afraid their problem will not be solved. In the case of #3, he wanted his problem addressed. Late at night, closing time - you could easily spin it into a situation where you offer to have a solution for him by the morning. Nothing can be done now - your distributor is asleep etc.

If people think they are getting special service, they will be patient. If you hand them your card and say, "I am the owner and will do everything I can to help you" they will respond. If you take charge and say, "we can deal with this best in the morning when my top sales agent Chet can address this" you sound even better.

Off the Grid wrote:

Angry customers are ones who are afraid their problem will not be solved. In the case of #3, he wanted his problem addressed. Late at night, closing time - you could easily spin it into a situation where you offer to have a solution for him by the morning. Nothing can be done now - your distributor is asleep etc.

Actually the best salesman is someone who listens and doesn't lie to his clients. You've broken both rules.

With respect to scenario #3 the response should have been automatic. 1) identify yourself as the owner. 2) repeat that you have an important family function to go to. 3) ask him for your phone number so that you can dial him and your PERSONAL CELL NUMBER will be in his call log. Tell him if you get a free moment tonight you will call him and discuss the various options, and ask him "if that's OK with you?" You want to leave it with a "yes" from him. If it's not OK then let it go and tell him which of your competitors could best help him and be done with it.

Scenario #1. You got angry, then attacked her. She made the right decision to go to the corporate store.

You, and your employees need to have an instantaneous rebuttal to explain to her why, as an affiliated partner, you provide exactly the same services as those corporate stores. Remind her that she is going to have to drive to MEGA WIRELESS STORE, most likely take a number, and wait for an available agent. Tell her, you're already #1 in the queue, I'm the owner, then keep closing, "which plan did you decide is right for you" and be typing that info into the contract.

You really need to have this one down. Does the corporate store have a better price on phones? Do they have better plans? To they have incentive deals that you don't? What is it that she could possibly be thinking that they might have that you don't? You had better have all of the answers for her before she leaves the door. Close the deal while her panties are off.

Scenario #2. Let her vent. If fact, explicitly encourage her to vent. Tell her you don't mind. If she sees you aren't rattled her tension level will quickly come down and you will own her. You should have known you had her closed at her first "F*** you." You missed a layup.

Ultimately though, when someone walks or you drop the ball, you need to move on the the next deal and don't look back.

You got it, always agree, without dogging yourself or your company.

I was taught this as a young buck, and experimented with the most over the top emotional clients...just to test the techniques to see if I could spin clients from POS (pissed off client) to RF's (raving fans).

Had one guy, swearing and threatening violence as he came in the office. I just kept agreeing with him and softening the blows, spun him, sent him on his way as a happy camper...he said to me "you are the best account manager I have ever met."

Ah, the early days.

Worse part about all of this (i.e. irrate customers) is understanding it's NOT personal. The customer will treat you like crap, say whatever he/she wants, & you have to sit there & smile. UGH!

I'm a high school teacher & deal with INSANE parents all the time. They come in, fly off the handle, say whatever they want, & I can do nothing about it (esp. with administration sitting there in the conference room), but take it on the chin when they tell me I'm a bad person/horrible teacher.

I know they're only trying to protect their child (who just happened to be a terrible student), but it doesn't make it any easier. Sigh.

It's your store and you can deal with them howerver you want, but I personally would not serve malicious customers. It's better to lose a small amount of business than to be a pushover and let people walk all over you.

While what everyone is saying is true- it is your business, you're the owner, etc., here is something I learned and I think there is a lot of credence to:

No matter how much advertising you buy, word of mouth will always give you the strongest advantage/disadvantage.

Just be nice to people. Even if they're jerks, you shouldn't act so pissy about it. This applies to both work and daily life.

I work on the indirect side. I have been in the Wireless business for a while started off out of college selling bag phones, been a sales rep, manage locations, did B2B sales and now work with guys like you. My advice to you is working retail is like that. People are going to buy phones online, in wal- marts, corp stores, other dealers, etc.. but come into your store and ask you all the questions they couldn't get answered. Its retail my friend.

1.) don't get upset, Just ask the lady why she would to go there when you have everything right there. Also can explain that you can help her in the future if she has any questions. One reason people buy from corp locations is because it stable they have everything stock and if they need to exchange phone change plans etc.. they know they can do it in a corp store. Also can offer free accessories, wave act fees, etc..

2.)Customers are going to get upset somewhere else and show up in your store. Be as calm as you and just ask the customer if they can just calm down and explain what happen. Explain that you'll do anything in your power to help them out. I have found that most times it's something as simple helping them understand there bill, there phone features. If you can't help i have found if you call in to customer care for them explain to the rep whats going on and putting the customer on the phone most times customer will thank you when walking out your store.

3.) It sucks when someone wants to come in when your closing but again thats retail. If you walk out lock the door. If your doing paperwork do it in the back office where they can't see you because they will knock if they know your there. I can tell you that if any of these camplaints get to my desk your going to be in the wrong by your actions on how you explained these to me.

I have a few young owners and all of them think there sh*t don't stink. I would bet they all will be done by next April only reason i give them till then is because of the hoilday season coming up. Customers see you as the guy that works at radio shack just a kid working because they're parents told them they needed to get a job. Don't take anything it personal, I remember people talking down to me when i was a rep not knowing that i drove a Benz SL as a second car and owned a bigger home then they did. People just see you as a desk jocky and yes i have been called that. Just keep good relationships with IAE's, ISM's, and vendors. Believe me in the wireless business everybody know everybody and we talk to one other. Remember IAE's/ISM's dont care about your feelings or your family partys you were late too we dont want to get store complaints because then i got to explain to someone above me that cares even less about your problems how we need to do an action plan for your location. If your selling a brand then you need to follow the rules don't put yourself on the shit list for something so simple. I am guessing you can be shut down at anytime if you are a wireless indirect owner. If not then say whatever you want to people. Who do you sale under? if you dont mind saying.

Good luck,

Sorry for spelling and grammer wrote this quick! need to get a workout in.

people are asshol*s. Sounds like you handled yourself well.

In my business I will try to kill every asshol*e with kindness, the ones that keep on trugging down the asshol*e highway are ignored until they get the point.

Make yours buddy. Take as much as you can.

It is not bad customer service. You are the owner, and by now you understand that you cannot please 100% of the people 100% of the time.

If 95% of your customers are extremely satisfied (not sure how you arrived at that metric) then you are obviously providing excellent customer service.

The customer is NOT always right.

Scenario 1: You helped her for an hour. That's not exactly bending over backwards for someone. You don't make a sale every time and shouldn't expect to. That's part of running a business. You give your best sales pitch, and if the customer chooses to take their business elsewhere, that's their prerogative. It's not something that you should let bother you, or you'll have a hard time lasting as a business person. Move on to the next customer. You'll learn to develop thicker skin; it just takes time. Hang in there.

Scenario 2: Yes, I would have responded the same way as you.

Scenario 3: After you explained you had a family event to go to, the customer should have politely left. It's not like they called you in advance and drove a long way to get to your store.

So you're 2 for 3 in my book.