I lost it an swore at a customer (livechat)

amersall

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Probably safe in this instance then. However, does that mean that if you were indoors, and swore over the phone at someone who was outdoors, that you might be committing an offence?

ooh, never thought about that

Savvy_Sue

amersall wrote: »

ooh, never thought about that

And, of course, conversely, if you were outdoors on your mobile f-ing and blinding at someone who was indoors, presumably that wouldn't be an offence either?

Methinks the law has been left behind by technology ...

But unless the OP's hosting service takes objection, it doesn't look like it's a problem. Unless you make a habit of swearing at the customers, because then you might lose too many!

SuziQ

You get timewasters in the marketplace the same as you get trolls on forums like this and I would say this customer sounds like one! My husbands business is transport and he specialises in transport for the disabled and their cycles/chairs etc. We have had one guy phone for the last 5 years asking every question he can think of including what types of clamps he uses etc,is always saying he is trying to arrange a day out to some football match and once he has been on the phone for around 40 minutes you have to make your excuses as it blocks the booking line. He will phone relentlessly for 2-3 weeks and then go quiet for a while before starting all over again. My husband has asked people he knows locally in the same business and they all know of him but long since told him to stop wasting their time! We felt (when I worked for the original business I used to answer the phone) that he was very lonely and tried to be kind,especially as he had a severe speech impediment which made the conversations especially difficult,but I have had to stifle many sighs and yawns in the past! To avoid losing his temper on one occasion my husband 'accidentally' cut him off,but he just rang back immediately and carried on from where he left off! One of the joys of business I suppose!

isplumm

Tea3 wrote: »

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)

Hi,

Could you not get hold of his IP address & block it?

Mark

Tea3

Thanks for all the replies - I agree now that sometimes a harsh no or go-away type phrase is needed with some people. If they had messaged through the website I could have got their ip as its logged then, but not through the chat set-up unfortunately. I really dont think it was a competitor although I do think it was some bored 14 year old sitting in a bedroom chatting to anyone for something to do. What I mainly sell would appeal to teens but i do think this person had no intention what-so-ever of buying and after 10 months I was willing to take the risk.

So far no feedback or complaints so no idea what action, if anything, they have taken.

Madmel

lol, I would tell them to go ahead & report you - what can they realistically do? You could get your other half to play the part of the "boss" and have some fun at the muppet's expense

You have shown tremendous patience and good humour over this. You're never going to please all of the people all of the time, but you sound like you're doing your best!

LittleMissInDebt

Madmel wrote: »

lol, I would tell them to go ahead & report you - what can they realistically do? You could get your other half to play the part of the "boss" and have some fun at the muppet's expense

Beat me to it! Exaclty what I was going to say - if they write to complain, write back as though you're your boss and tell them how sorry you are, and how unfortunate it is that you won't be getting any custom from them anymore because they were such valued customers then say you would love to send them some of your Sunshine Outlasting Mascara but unfortunately you sold it all on a hot day last week...

Honestly, they (if there really was a they and it's not just one very lonely, bored person) sound like a complete pain and I'm amazed at your patience!

Trespasser

LOL, one of the many benefits of working for yourself. You can call a spade a spade...... does nothing for customer relations ..... but it feels sssooooooo good.