Rude Customers >:(

spadoosh

I work for a company that i think has a stigma attached to it of bad customer service. Yet is the biggiest retailer in its sector. Its very very rare i encounter a confrontational situation (i cant think of more than 2 occasions in the 8 years ive been there).

My biggest gripe of retail is what i dub the 'MSE warrior' who because theyve seen something on the internet think they know retail law. The amount of times ive heard the term 'sale of goods acts 1979' is untrue. And 99% of the time the customer is completely misplaced in their opinions. Prime example, item on shelf has two locations 1 has £3 price the other has £4 price (label not been changed) customer then states 'you HAVE to sell it me at the lower price, sale of goods act says so'. I have to then appologise to them for their lack of knowledge and inform them of what is the correct process in this type of situation. Now if youd just kept your gob shut and asked nicely you be walking out paying the cheaper price. You telling me what i HAVE to do is going to involve you getting angry because you dont know the rules and me not HAVING to do anything!

I understand this can be seen as bad customer service but i promise if someone comes up to me being polite, ill do anything within my power to help. Ive dropped goods off at customers houses before off my own back, been to stores across the region to pick up items with no recompense. I like making people happy, solving problems and interacting with a multitude of peoplem, ive never gone to work and let my personal life affect the way i deal with customers, why should customers let their personal lives affect the attitude they have with people, you never know who the person your speaking to is and what they're capable of.

I dont care who you are or what you do, i do care about how you are with me, the person, the man. I might be representing a company, yet that company isnt me and as such we are different bodies and should be treated differently, the corporation has no face, heart or mind. I do!

whitegoods_engineer

Great thread.

I like the bit in the OP about the 'school run' customers.

When I ring up customers with an ETA in the morning, I often get the "I'll be out on the school run between x and x time"

I just reply that if they are not there when I visit, I'll leave a card and they'll need to rebook! If they can't arrange for somebody to be there when I get there, that's their problem, not mine!

skylight

whitegoods_engineer wrote: »

Great thread.

I like the bit in the OP about the 'school run' customers.

When I ring up customers with an ETA in the morning, I often get the "I'll be out on the school run between x and x time"

I just reply that if they are not there when I visit, I'll leave a card and they'll need to rebook! If they can't arrange for somebody to be there when I get there, that's their problem, not mine!

I say that. I think its courtesy to a driver too, who therefore could take a break, deliver another local parcel first or not bust a gut trying to get somewhere. (As I know drivers prefer to get rid of all their deliveries the first time!) However, if I really cannot get someone else to collect the kids or be in for the parcel, then it has to be re-arranged and I wouldn't sweat about that either!

eranou

Another one that really grinds my gears is the conspiracy theory customers who seem to think that all companies are owned and run by the same people

Me: "sorry you have the wrong number you are looking for x company".

Customer: "why cant you help me?"

Me: "Because that's a separate company from ourselves I cannot help you with their products"

Customer: "Rubbish your all the same people you just don't want to help me!"

Me: I'm sorry but as I said I cannot help you with another companies products.

Customer: Well put me through to someone who can then!

Me: **Facepalm**

spadoosh

Going to put a few good light hearted ones on here from customers.

Within 2 weeks of starting my job an elderly lady comes up to me on pensioners day (dont get me wrong i love elderly people, they tell the best stories but what a daft idea making 1 day to serve more than 15 pensioners we get hundreds and hundreds, there just isnt enough time/staff to be able to listen to them all!!) anyway she says 'what do i water these roses with?' after quite a long pause i decided to go for it and replied 'i'd go with water though im sure a drop of brandy would do no harm' luckily she saw the funny side and realised what she was meant to say was 'what do i feed these roses with'

Another one i like to use is the customer: 'do you have a toilet' my response, 'to use know or later' proper confuses them!! (work in a diy store, we sell toilets)

The most annoying question has to be
customer: 'do you sell plugs?' (can have variants of any product which name has many meanings)
me: 'what type of plugs'
customer: 'you know, plugs!'
me: 'your right, i do, is that a bath plug, sink plug, 13A plug, ear plug, plug socket, plant plug or wall plug?!'
customer: 'o right, ermhh, a wall plug please.'
me: 'sure, this way'

The question i was looking forward to the most came this weekend.

joiner: 'you sell biscuits?' (giving off a slight incling that i probably wouldnt know what he was talking about)
me (i had to do it): 'no, you should try iceland down the road though'
customer looks as if ive made his day before i but in and said 'sorry, but it was the answer you were hoping for'

Another customer comes up and asks if we sell GL455 hammers (spells Glass hammers, trying to be clever) said 'yeh theyre on aisle... between tartan paint and spirit level bubbles'
He then goes over to check incase his wind up was real.

NiallB

spadoosh wrote: »

The amount of times ive heard the term 'sale of goods acts 1979' is untrue.

"You HAVE to sell me it for that. It's the LAW!"

"Well, no Madam. Firstly, do you know what 'Invitation to Treat' is?
Secondly, I was standing right here watching you swap the price tags.
Thirdly, give me back that other one that you've just hidden in your bag."

Ah the joys of charity retail

redpete

banger9365 wrote: »

what happened to the customer is always right

The same as should happen to "There's no such thing as a stupid question" - it should go into the bin marked "nonsense sayings"

rich11

I have loads of stories about my time in retail.This bloke walked in at 2 minutes to midday on a Sunday and started browsing magazines(newsagents) I told him we were getting ready to shut at 12 but he completely ignored me.By 12.10 I had had enough and started turning the lights off etc.He raged that "I was shutting an hour early" "he was reporting me to head office" and that I was a lazy so and so for going home early he even went as far as to show me his watch which said 11.10

His face was a picture when I reminded him that the clocks had gone forward that morning

rich11

Another beauty was this bloke used to come in every day to pick a newspaper up.Despite having signs up saying guide dogs only he insisted on taking his mangy dog inside the shop.One day the inevitable happened and the dog peed in the shop.I was not happy but the bloke laughed saying its only a bit of pee calm down lad.Wasnt so happy when I blocked the door and handed him the mop and bucket to clean it up himself

rich11

I had a unique approach to shoplifters.I used to make them pay for whatever they stole(I am a big big bloke) This woman used to come in every day and browse until we got busy then take what ever she wanted.I waited one day and caught her red handed she had never EVER purchased anything at all.Her response? Well if you make me pay for everything I wont ever come back and shop here!!!!