How to handle a very rude customer! Need a rational talking to...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Business owner here. I have never done living social but face crazies all the time I am PARANOID about bad Yelp reviews. I would probably accommodate the heck out of her at this point just to make her go away. Go above and beyond. Someone like this WILL write an awful help review. Ugh self employment is really frustrating sometimes!!!

OP here. Exactly. I rue the day I put my business on Yelp! Hundreds of satisfied customers but getting them to post reviews is like pulling teeth. 1 or 2 bad experiences? They post without fail!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have two service and support jobs. My primary day job and a second job that I work part-time.

I know that there are plenty of a$$holes out there, but you need to be professional about it regardless of how you get treated. In this situation, you don't point out that the customer made and error, you just say something like "I'm sorry, but the service you want, Service A, is only available on Fridays and Service B is only available on Wednesdays. Would you like an appointment this Friday for Service A? I'm sorry that this is not what you wanted, but this is all that we have to offer. If you cannot make Friday, we also offer Service A on Mondays, would you like 8:00 next Monday instead?" When she gets obnoxious and rude, you respond "I'm sorry that you had difficulty with our web-site, I'll take that under advisement for the next time I review the web-site with my designer."

In this case, you've managed to survive the customer call from h*ll and you have a scheduled service date. Be the bigger person and let it go and provide the service. In the future, if you really want to avoid working with this, make it inconvenient for her to schedule "I'm sorry, but we have no openings in the next six weeks for Service A. If you would like to schedule six weeks from now, I'd be happy to give you an appointment then."

As someone else pointed out, when you are in customer service, the customer is always right. You did the only thing you could, which was suggest that you refund the money for the deal. But, once she declines, you just have to bite your tongue and schedule and put up with the shrew.

OP here. Great advice. I pretty much followed the advice in your second paragraph but it's as if she set herself up to be pissed off and wouldn't back down. But, your advice is really great and I will use it if I (gulp) ever face another hellion such as this one!

Guess I'll suck it up and provide the service. What she does from there is her choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Customer is always right. If this gets under your skin, you aren't cut out for what you are doing. Sorry - probably not the answer you wanted.

Wrong, and I suspect you have never worked in the service industry.

You couldn't be more wrong.

[Anonymous]

Yelp and the people who write off-base, nasty reviews operate like terrorists. Especially the people who give 1-stars for not using a service. How can they rate something if the store was closed? I feel your pain OP.

[Anonymous]

No real advice, but my thought as I read your post is this sounds like some of the posters here on DCUM.
Especially after she managed to wiggle in the fact that she has an MBA.
Yep, one of DCUM’s finest!

[Anonymous]

Any business who has to do groupon or living social is having serious issues financially and getting enough clients! I am not sure if that is something you want to brag. Ok, customer made a mistake, but you sounded nasty.

[Anonymous]

Go ahead and act the fool and let your ndignation cost you business both present and future.?

[Anonymous]

I've bought a few of those vouchers that have confusing options or limited redemption periods or similar restrictions. Look, you need my business or you wouldn't be selling the stupid vouchers in the first place. I would think that you would do whatever it takes to get me on premises and turn me into a satisfied repeat customer. Sounds like you forgot who the customer was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any business who has to do groupon or living social is having serious issues financially and getting enough clients! I am not sure if that is something you want to brag. Ok, customer made a mistake, but you sounded nasty.

OP here. Living Social is a cheap way to advertise compared to some others. It is beneficial if you use it correctly and we have been successful in converting long-term clients. But it only takes a few to spoil the experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two service and support jobs. My primary day job and a second job that I work part-time.

I know that there are plenty of a$$holes out there, but you need to be professional about it regardless of how you get treated. In this situation, you don't point out that the customer made and error, you just say something like "I'm sorry, but the service you want, Service A, is only available on Fridays and Service B is only available on Wednesdays. Would you like an appointment this Friday for Service A? I'm sorry that this is not what you wanted, but this is all that we have to offer. If you cannot make Friday, we also offer Service A on Mondays, would you like 8:00 next Monday instead?" When she gets obnoxious and rude, you respond "I'm sorry that you had difficulty with our web-site, I'll take that under advisement for the next time I review the web-site with my designer."

In this case, you've managed to survive the customer call from h*ll and you have a scheduled service date. Be the bigger person and let it go and provide the service. In the future, if you really want to avoid working with this, make it inconvenient for her to schedule "I'm sorry, but we have no openings in the next six weeks for Service A. If you would like to schedule six weeks from now, I'd be happy to give you an appointment then."

As someone else pointed out, when you are in customer service, the customer is always right. You did the only thing you could, which was suggest that you refund the money for the deal. But, once she declines, you just have to bite your tongue and schedule and put up with the shrew.

OP here. Great advice. I pretty much followed the advice in your second paragraph but it's as if she set herself up to be pissed off and wouldn't back down. But, your advice is really great and I will use it if I (gulp) ever face another hellion such as this one!

Guess I'll suck it up and provide the service. What she does from there is her choice.

I'm the PP from up top. Full disclosure: I sometimes fail at this myself and treat customers less courteously than I should (e.g. I snap). Doesn't happen too often, but it happens because we are human. All you can do is give it your best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've bought a few of those vouchers that have confusing options or limited redemption periods or similar restrictions. Look, you need my business or you wouldn't be selling the stupid vouchers in the first place. I would think that you would do whatever it takes to get me on premises and turn me into a satisfied repeat customer. Sounds like you forgot who the customer was.

Perhaps this is the main problem. Many business would NOT do whatever it takes. Instead, they would do what the voucher offers. IME, customers see a great deal, buy it and then try to figure out the logistics. They are then mad when the business will not accommodate a desire that is not honored by the voucher.

[Anonymous]

I know that in this country, people working in service industries usually bear with the rudeness. I have been impressed on numerous occasions by the extremely courteous responses to aggressive client behavior.

However, I'm French. In France, you might very well get booted from a shop or business for being a rude customer. Waiters and people in service industries can be very polite, but there are plenty who are not!

So do what you feel like doing, OP. If she's elderly, she might not know how to write an online review. Even if she does, you can respond in a dignified way and not lose much business. I believe there is a line in the sand - some rudeness you can tolerate if you can see a client is having a bad day or doesn't really mean it, and some is just beyond the pale and not to be tolerated. Only you can decide which one it was today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Customer is always right. If this gets under your skin, you aren't cut out for what you are doing. Sorry - probably not the answer you wanted.

Wrong, and I suspect you have never worked in the service industry.

You couldn't be more wrong.

I worked retail for several years, the stupidity I saw was laughable. Most people are poor at reading signs, and that is just a starting point.

[Anonymous]

OP, you are not going to win with someone like this. I know accomplished people, and they are never condescending or rude - regardless. They know their own reputation is at stake. No one wants to work with someone who thinks they are "too good" - because IRL, very few really are that good (and trust me, those very few are NOT the obnoxious people).

Are you sure you want to work with Living Social? Often, when receiving a service, the nasty sticklers (being nice here) are the Living Social customers, as it happens. Truth be told, they don't strike me as "repeat customers" or "valuable" in any way. I know this will get flamed, fine by me. I overhear a lot - LOL. Anyway, decide if it is worth it to you. Frankly, the only Yelp reviews I pay attention to are the negative ones, as many of the positive reviews seem to be written by family and friends of the business owner, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you are not going to win with someone like this. I know accomplished people, and they are never condescending or rude - regardless. They know their own reputation is at stake. No one wants to work with someone who thinks they are "too good" - because IRL, very few really are that good (and trust me, those very few are NOT the obnoxious people).

Are you sure you want to work with Living Social? Often, when receiving a service, the nasty sticklers (being nice here) are the Living Social customers, as it happens. Truth be told, they don't strike me as "repeat customers" or "valuable" in any way. I know this will get flamed, fine by me. I overhear a lot - LOL. Anyway, decide if it is worth it to you. Frankly, the only Yelp reviews I pay attention to are the negative ones, as many of the positive reviews seem to be written by family and friends of the business owner, IMO.

OP here. My Living Social offer is very limited, with pretty strict guidelines. On the one hand, it's good because it results in repeat business and is a cheap way to advertise. On the other, if someone doesn't read before purchasing, they take their frustration out on the business. Very little of my business comes from Living Social. It's just one of the marketing tools I use but I'm considering crossing it off the list because Living Social customers tend to be socially active so they are the ones most likely to complain.