how to deal rude customers

[R2K]

Recently we r seeing a lot of rude customers approaching our store.......most of them just start bargaining as soon as a they get in the store....no matter how cheap we quote the price of services ppl just gets rude....

i know this is usual in retail business but how can we deal with such ppl even if we keep ourself calm as possible

so how often u guys deal with rude or cheap customers in ur store and how do u make it work ....

[nash]

My GOD you have them too i thought i was the only one

[R2K]

^^

its not only me and u but i am damn sure that everyone in retail business like us would be dealing with this problem..........but how do u manage these a##holes anyways

[nash]

i think you need a holiday

i`m like this when business is down and customers want something for nothing and if they don`t get what they want they become rude.

Just to get your own back why not send to Tesco or Boots saying they are doing half price prints or gifts.

  

[nash]

Another point HOW MANY good, polite, NICE customers do you have. I bet that out weighs your rotten customers i think the ratio is 100:1

[dpa_photo]

Here is how I handle rude and unreasonable customer.  I always keep in mind that we are professional and never mean to any customer.

If customer wants to beat me up on price, I will explain to them how to do it themselves at home to save money.  What equipment they need to buy and knowledge they need to learn.  I normally use the example of going out to restaurant to eat.  Cooking at home is always cheaper, but people still go out to eat and never bargain at a restaurant about how much they are being charged after they ate the food.  I will ask them have they ever go out to eat and complaint to the restaurant after they ate the food about how cheap they can do it at home.  My result of using this example have turned rude customers into real customers.  Most of the time they just don't think.  If you make them think a little, some of them will behave more like a reasonable human being.  Not all, but you can't win them all anyway.  I find this way I also maintain our integrity as a professional business.  Just kill them with kindness always work for me.  IMHO.

[bubar]

that's all about relativity...

if the rude customer is ready to spend more than £100 then I consider I should have been more polite...  

if it's only about a few sterlings, the time I've spent being patient represent a lost... so I send it directly to my most detested competitor.  ;D

An other solution (my favorite) is to ask the rude guy what's his job, and then ask him if can do it for free...

you can easily guess the kind of replies...and then, with a large smile, ask him why I should accept something he would refuse...

99.9 % of the time...that ends the argument  

[philspectrum]

R2K

you don't say where you are located....

Of my past 3 shops, two have been city center markets area, and have had a small quota of noticably rude customers, my third shop, near universities notably less.

Biggots are biggots, but many rude people know they are rude, and feel guilty about it. If they are handled well they will return and be fine next time.

I allow each of my staff to BAN one customer per callendar year. While this threat gas been used, it rarely is..... I feel that if my team know they have a last resort, they are prepared to work harder to win over the muppets.

I agree totally with Nash that most most customers are super nice and v grateful, but they are easily forgotten unless they tip, or bring you buiskets or chocolates, but some do!

I struggle most with customers displaying predudice, if they dismiss women with photography I will insist on my women serving them. If they return, we all win, if not, I don't give a shit.

We all have bad days, just don't let the bastards grind you down!

I always prefere shops with cheerful staff! Don't you?

P

[nash]

Here  this is a good onefor you, lady came in this morning asking for two 7x5`s which cost her £2.00.

After she paid she commented that she tried to print it at home and could`nt get the size right

after various tries she got it right and then the ink would`nt dry.

She asked me for advise and when i said i could`nt give her any advise. She said "Your not very helpful are you i won`t be coming back here again".

To top it all she asked for two wallets as one print was a present for husband and the other for her mum. ALL THIS HASSEL JUST FOR £2.00

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR  

[AJLA]

I unfortunately have quite a lot too and manners don't cost a penny, but my nice ones are super nice,

I have a member of staff who used to work in the city and it never ceases to amaze him how different our clientele is here in comparison.. rude, awkward, even odd and most of them are not willing to try to use a kiosk by reading instructions 1 to 5 etc

Surprised I have any teeth left after gritting them closed so often.  Then . . . we are all in business still

[R2K]

i think you need a holiday

i`m like this when business is down and customers want something for nothing and if they don`t get what they want they become rude.

Just to get your own back why not send to Tesco or Boots saying they are doing half price prints or gifts.

  

Sending all the rude customers to other competing stores is not a good idea at all......

once i did this when a customer told me that the other store near us was cheaper......i told him  to prove it

he just went to the other store and printed it at cheaper and brought the purchase bill from there to my shop to show me.......

like u imagined  i felt i just got messed up...

but that day i just realized the intensity of competition going in my area.....

and guess what ?to my utter surprise that guy just came back again....and i gave him a much cheaper price and we r still getting business from him......lol.....but we can't do this with every freaking customer ....because thats gonna cut a huge portion from our profit margin

[R2K]

Here  this is a good onefor you, lady came in this morning asking for two 7x5`s which cost her £2.00.

After she paid she commented that she tried to print it at home and could`nt get the size right

after various tries she got it right and then the ink would`nt dry.

She asked me for advise and when i said i could`nt give her any advise. She said "Your not very helpful are you i won`t be coming back here again".

To top it all she asked for two wallets as one print was a present for husband and the other for her mum. ALL THIS HASSEL JUST FOR £2.00

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR  

lol funny incidents like this do happen at my place as well.....

just ask them a if we need to drop u at ur home in limousine just because u made some freaking $2 prints.....just kidding

[Tony.T]

Gents- I've just had to edit a post in this thread.

Please do not use Anglo Saxon expletives in your posts. We are a world wide forum with people from many cultures on board. Best to not be regarded as impolite in your posts  

[Tony.T]

Back to the thread at large!

Yes, we get rude customers and I'm afraid I have pretty nearly Zero tolerance of rudeness.

However it is rare, and most of my customers are really nice.

[Richard SPC]

What we all have to remember is that EVERY business has it's fair share of who are not up to the standards of the good customers that that business may have. That is not to say that these 'non good' customers are ALL rude, they most certainly are not.

Yes I have some customers that whenever they come in, they will try and find issue with everything. Some people are just like that through out their life. Don't think that these people are only being like it with you. Even at my young age (LOL), I am from the old school where I expect to be treated how I treat others, but even if you treat the customers that are not the best in the best possible way, they will probably still moan. Live with it, don't take it to heart and move on to the next one who will hopefully be better.

You have to remember that these rude customers don't come to you for a battle, they come because of the top notch service you are offering, and will keep coming back. You will never be able to change a customer who is a compulsive moaner, which will undoubtedly wind you up if you do try.

I have one guy in particular, 72 yrs old, retired, from another culture but came to UK in 1950. He does not like being served by women as in his culture they are second class citizens. He moans like hell all the time and yes can be rude and if I did his work for nothing he would still want a discount. Yes he is a pain, but he comes to us because he can not get the quality he wants elsewhere and he spends loads of money.

Like I say, we all have customers who really wind us up every time they are in the shop, but I can probably count mine on one hand so am not really bothered in the slightest as the good customers really do brighten the day up and make it worthwhile getting out of bed each day.

BE POSITIVE.

If you can only be Negative, shut the shop and get yourself a job.

[Tony.T]

Well put richard

[philspectrum]

we have adopted the universal pre-emptive hassle tax system.

it is infinitely variable and based on gut instinct!

[Big Dave]

Phil,    - I've been wanting to implement that for quite a while now.... it's too bad all our prices are posted.

[Tony.T]

we have adopted the universal pre-emptive hassle tax system.

it is infinitely variable and based on gut instinct!

sounds interesting- please explain !

[R2K]

What we all have to remember is that EVERY business has it's fair share of who are not up to the standards of the good customers that that business may have. That is not to say that these 'non good' customers are ALL rude, they most certainly are not.

Yes I have some customers that whenever they come in, they will try and find issue with everything. Some people are just like that through out their life. Don't think that these people are only being like it with you. Even at my young age (LOL), I am from the old school where I expect to be treated how I treat others, but even if you treat the customers that are not the best in the best possible way, they will probably still moan. Live with it, don't take it to heart and move on to the next one who will hopefully be better.

You have to remember that these rude customers don't come to you for a battle, they come because of the top notch service you are offering, and will keep coming back. You will never be able to change a customer who is a compulsive moaner, which will undoubtedly wind you up if you do try.

I have one guy in particular, 72 yrs old, retired, from another culture but came to UK in 1950. He does not like being served by women as in his culture they are second class citizens. He moans like hell all the time and yes can be rude and if I did his work for nothing he would still want a discount. Yes he is a pain, but he comes to us because he can not get the quality he wants elsewhere and he spends loads of money.

Like I say, we all have customers who really wind us up every time they are in the shop, but I can probably count mine on one hand so am not really bothered in the slightest as the good customers really do brighten the day up and make it worthwhile getting out of bed each day.

BE POSITIVE.

If you can only be Negative, shut the shop and get yourself a job.

seems like u just misunderstood my statement...........its not that i am having a negative attitude.......i am not telling that every damn customer is rude.......i am just mentioning abt a small share of ppl....u totally took it in a wrong way......if i was being negative we wouldn't have been in this business for 30 years......i was just asking how u guys deal with these kinda customers....

btw u got a great website of ur shop there

[Tony.T]

Actually R2K, I think Richard was responding to my post........