Crazy, rude, irrational customer – I was frustrated by your name calling and embarrassing behaviour. Now I realize the store is just as complicit as you, in encouraging the worst possible behaviour. If it didn’t want such behaviour, it would allow it’s staff to say “I don’t respond to such behaviour, please leave”, and management would stand behind such statements.
The store would stand behind it’s own posted policies (that the customer was arguing against) instead of capitulating to the “customer’s always right” silliness. So frankly, I blame the store. Which customers were you trying to please? The irrational rude one? You certainly weren’t pleasing the other customers who were so rudely interupted by the tirade (but then again, we weren’t the noisy one so I guess we don’t matter).
To the customer: try calm, civil rational discussion if you have an issue.
And
To the business: try setting your standards high, and don’t in anyway tolerate negative behaviour.
This article appears in Aug 7-13, 2008.
I totally agree with you. My favorite low-paying job was in a second-hand bookstore. The owner made it clear that I was to be polite and professional (which I was), but I wasn’t expected to put up with any crap. If I had a problem with a customer, I could tell them to leave. My employer trusted that I had sense enough not to take advantage of this right.I think that a store that has a firm “customer is always right” policy is basically saying that it’s employees are expected to take ABUSE (and it is abuse) with a smile. As we’ve seen in other bitches right here on this site, some people don’t deserve good customer service because their intent is to treat the employees like a verbal punching bag.
I worked a part time job where the manager’s always gave the customer everything they wanted, even if it was against their own policies.I used to get chewed out by customers who were mad I said no to them, but they saw my manager say yes to another customer.Once a customer asked me if she could buy the display model of a piece of furniture. I said no (because we aren’t suppose to sell them). Later that week, my manager sold it to another customer and when my customer came back she was very upset that it was gone! She wasn’t mad at me so much as herself; she realizes now that if she doesn’t like what a clerk says, she can go up a level and get what she wants!
Ugh. I’d like to know when “The customer is always right” turned into “The customer may be abusive, rude and aggressive whenever he/she feels like it”. I work in a furniture store too, and customers often seem to think being biligerent (sp?) is the way to “hammer me down” to a lower price, when in fact it makes me stick to my guns even more and not give them any sort of deal. Especially in commissioned sales, customers seem to think that you need the sale so badly you’ll do anything for them and put up with anything they throw at you so as not to lose their business. Dear consumers: that’s soooooo false!
I know! I’ve been on both sides of that, and honestly, if you’re nice and friendly staff is going to do so much more for you!example: the other day I was returning a dvd to a certain awesomely fabulous video store with a difference. the movie I had rented was scratched- it skipped a lot. I could still watch it, but I did miss a couple of scenes. when I returned it, I simply told the girl at the counter. I didn’t whine, complain, bitch or blame her for it- I simply told her, more so they’d know and could fix the problem for the future. WELL because I was nice she gave me ac ouple of free rentals! Somehow, I think if I’d been rude, that wouldnt’ ahve happened. if you smile and say ‘i know this isn’t your fault but’ your complaint is more likely to be greeted well.
That’s so true Hedgyhog…..I’m always inclined to help people who are pleasant. You give what you receive!