I lost it an swore at a customer (livechat)

Tea3

HELP! There is a visitor to my website who has been viewing regularly since this time last year but as yet has not made a purchase. They do however contact me every few days via a livechat type program and ask questions about what I sell - they have asked where I buy the items, what they do, how they look, how they work, am I male or female, am I busy just now, who my suppliers are (??), how I make some of my items as they want to make similar items(??) etc etc etc - often asking the same questions many times over. We have tons of info on the website explaining everything and I have sent them the links soooo many times already. Today I made the terrible mistake and obviously nasty comment in their eyes of saying they'd already asked that question twice before and we had sent them the relevant replies and links but here are the links again (this after 10 mins of inane repeated questions and chatter) they then got nasty in their replies and said they would go and ask a proper website and I (ashamedly and totally out of character said) thank f**k goodbye -obviously was wrong but I have had ten months of this and just snapped - I got some messages about I would be reported (??) and then a mouthful of swearwords I had never heard half of before in one sentence!

So my question is... if I am the director of the business and fully own it can I actually be in trouble for swearing at a customer? I realise they cannot report me to anyone in my company as I am the boss and own it but can they report me to anyone else for using a swearword at them? I have had some nightmare customers in my time but have never ever felt the need to get angry with them and indeed win praise from lots of customers for going over and above whats expected with customer service so it is 100% out of character but after 10 months plus of the same 20 or so questions from someone who had no intention of ever buying anything anyway made me snap.

Please dont reply saying its bad business practice to swear at a customer as I fully realise that but my word it felt good to say it - needless to say they are now blocked and cannot contact me although I am awaiting a letter, emails or phonecalls to start.

ADDED - forgot to say my items start at about £1 or less with nothing over £10 so its not a 'big expenditure' purchase where you may need to ask lots of questions before buying - some yes, but not 10 months worth of (with two to three contacts every single week during that ten months)

bingo_bango

Lol... sounds like a competitor (or wannabe) winding you up. You've done nothing wrong and he can report you to no-one.

This just might have been the chance you took to get rid once and for all. How many man hours have you put in dealing with this A hole? And still they wouldn't buy? They just wanted to know how to set up in competition?

I'd have lasted 10 mins with this guy, not 10 months. Enjoy the fact that they're gone, and enjoy the rest of your time running the business.

One less moron to deal with

mountainofdebt

To be honest I think you are worrying about nothing .......can understand your frustration - some people don't warrant being nice to !

love-hearts

Yes you could be done for section 5 of the public order act if the person says your swearing caused him or her alarm or distress:rolleyes:

Tea3

I must admit I am relieved they are gone but do think they will try to report me to my 'boss' now knowing thats me but was just worried incase there was some trading standards or consumer law etc about swearing at a customer. Thankfully looks like there isn't so I wont lose sleep over them 'reporting' me.

I dont think they were a competitor as they were really dumb their questions were the equivalent of "will this pen write if I am upside down" or "how long will this mascara last on my eyelashes if its sunny where I am" - things along those lines - my husband (and business partner) told me to block them months ago but I carried on being my usual nice - I say them as originally the boyfriend was messaging then when I got fed up of him asking each time if I was female I started saying no I was male and then the 'girlfriend' added me so she would chat to me if I was saying I was male to avoid the guy - arghhhhhhh!

Tea3

love-hearts wrote: »

Yes you could be done for section 5 of the public order act if the person says your swearing caused him or her alarm or distress:rolleyes:

I worried about that but they ended the coversation saying I was [insert ten swear words in a rown with the last one rhyming with runt and you have an idea] I figured I could say I was more shocked than them. Although I think I was more shocked at myself for typing it in the first place lol - soooo not me.

love-hearts

Tea3 wrote: »

I worried about that but they ended the coversation saying I was [insert ten swear words in a rown with the last one rhyming with runt and you have an idea] I figured I could say I was more shocked than them. Although I think I was more shocked at myself for typing it in the first place lol - soooo not me.

You should have swore a few more times then :rotfl:Don't worry about it xx.

southernscouser

To be honest I think you are a disgrace.

I would of told them to f off the second time they asked.

withabix

F**k 'em!!

withabix

(Wow, a complete post that was actually 10 characters!!!)

Tea3

Thanks for all the replies - much appreciated.
I am now no longer panicing about them reporting me
And I think I am amazed too that I dealt with the questions so long.
...mind you these are hard times and I may have just blown a £2 deal