How to deal with arrogant customers?

Question

Hi, I own an unfinished furniture retail store and I was wondering if anyone agrees with the way I deal with snooty customers: I kick them out.Our store has been around for over 16 years and our customers love us,always trying to be helpful and give great customer service.But I have the biggest problem trying to stay friendly with the people who come in and expect me to throw rose petals infront of their feet and wait on them hand and foot.I realize my customers are my bread and butter but I'm only willing to go so far when they show such arrogance.One customer got so mad I told her 10-year-old son to stop climbing on our displays, I had no right to discipline her son,blah, blah, so I asked her to leave.Another lady threw a hissy fit because I made her pay a 10% restocking fee for an item normally non-returnable,so I asked her to take her business elsewhere. To me,it's all about respect, give it to get it and customers are NOT always right. Anyone agree?

Answer 1

i couldnt agree more with you...i work at a kitchen sales and design family business...we have been in this one location just outside of the richest part of the chicagoland area...and i cant tell you how many people walk in here with the attitude "well my mother told me i was SPECIAL" the problem was that their mother's didnt specify, special at being retarded, or self-indulgent, or being a complete a-s-s-h-o-l-e...

they come in with the snotty attitude...act like they are so rich..then choke when they hear the prices of what they want to buy...and suddenly start trying to wheel and deal until my profit margin is so low, the sale is barely worth my efforts, and they expect A LOT of EFFORT...like they were the only customers i am going to have that year...

i never kick anyone out when we are in the throws of trying to make a sale...i kiss *** (to a certain point) always service with a smile....but these people, the second something is wrong, in their own mind, sometimes its not something wrong at all...but they go Fing crazy...wanting me to completely reorder cabinets, or have a laboror come on out to work extra days for free...all this unresonable stuff...when they get unruly, and start being unrealistic about things....sure i have thrown a few out...its tough cause your throwing away a reference, and our jobs are based on that, but its a matter of saving some personal pride, and taking a stand against being a punching bag...

so i am all for it...more of us should do it so that these whackos begin to see that they arent SOOO special after all...and maybe they ought to shape up before they cant put their foot in the door anywhere...

ps: i think stiore like ours should get together and make a website on bad customers...so that way we have a place to reference some of these loons and know who to stay away from...

Answer 2

It's your business, do what you want. But, a smart person once told me: "If you refuse business from all the *******, you are going to lose 90% of your profits." I own a business and I do have my limits as to what I will take, but I always give a second and third chance.

I have to assume the first instance of rude behavior is miscommunication, misunderstanding or just a nice person having a bad day. I see about 300 people in one week and I rarely have a problem. I often have the unpleasant task of telling children to behave, and so far I have never had an angry parent. I think it's in the way I say it. Maybe try "I'm sorry honey, but this isn't a toy. I don't want you to get hurt so go ahead and climb down."

I also find that when I do encounter a true butthead, I can kill them with kindness and that solves the problem. I always have written policies to refer to. You shift the blame from yourself to the policy. You just act as if you would give away everything for free and meet their every unreasonable demand, if it weren't for the nasty old store policy. It works.

Answer 3

You can resolve the pain this is causing you by making a decision to be just as firm as you have been but maybe create some language that says, "I value my customers but I also have to protect my business."

With the return customer you could have said, " I have a sign here that says I do not take returns. However, I am making an exception for you and charging a restcking fee to cover my cost of spending time restocking it. This is more than reasonable and I am sure you can understand this." THEN, be silent. Wait for the customer to come over to your side. If she still argues just say, "I can let you keep this or you can return it and pay the restocking fee. I apologize if this is incomvenient for you." She will either accept it or not.

As for the person with the kid, I recommend not talking to the kids too much but to the parents. "Ma'am, He is not allowed to climb on the furniture.You need to stop him please"

Always give the customer the opportunity to make a different choice, to come on your side of the argument. Never confront, but challenge them to accept you have a business. And never reveal they have your anger. I don't care how wrong I may be, if a person is rude to me, I will never go back to that business.

In fact, I have not gone back to one store because the woman owner never says thank you. I support her business instead of going to Walmart, but she doesn't say thanks. Ever. So she lost my business.

Answer 4

Agree. Business is also about respecting each other. Telling them to take their business somewhere is correct. Sometimes you have no choice. Being around 16 yrs is a pretty long time. With good customer base, I would not worry about a few bad ones. Like you 've mentioned you give great customer service people will still love you. Don't have to tolerate such arrogant customers!! They are not always right! YO!!

Answer 5

The customers are NOT always right, I understand how you feel. People are what makes the world go round, different personalities, etc. You will not please everyone who enters your store, just like this is not a perfect world to live in. Do your best and keep your head up. Post a sign parents are responsible for their children and their behavior, same goes for the restocking fee... If people give you a hard time, it is your store, ask them to leave nicely...

Answer 6

You are completely right. I work as a waitress and I usually think that if I owned a business I would not have any customers because I would tell people off left and right. So many people don't know how to behave! It's like you said: they expect to be waited on hand and foot like you're a servant. Most people are very kind and polite but others, I swear, its like they leave the house in the morning and think "who can I piss off today?" And there's nothing you can do, no offer you can make, no coddling and butt kissing that's going to make them happy, so don't worry about it.

Answer 7

It's your business and you can run it however you see fit.

BUT.......The people that you piss off and kick out will tell far more people about their experience with you than your happy customers will!!!! They won't tell the story where they were wrong, they will tell it where YOU were wrong. The kid climbing on the displays becomes the boy who was just standing there minding his business and you turn into the mean lady who screamed at an innocent child. Understand what I'm saying?

Answer 8

No the customer is not always right. You have every right to protect your merchandise and livelihood, and expect to be treated with respect. If you're seeing the same issues arise, you might be able to take some initiative to head them off at the pass so to speak.

Years ago, I worked at a clothing consignment store and we had a 11X14 framed sign behind the till that said, "Respect and courtesy is a two way street, thanks for following the rules of the road" Customers laughed when they saw it, but got the message and our incidences of customers behaving inappropriately plummeted!

With regards to the customer who didn't like you addressing her son, she's was right in theory. You should've addressed your comments and concerns to her :-) You say you run an unfinished furniture store so I'm guessing he might have been causing damage that you needed to stop immediately? However, she might not of gone on the offensive if you'd asked her to rein in her offspring, instead of approaching him directly.

My two cents worth.

Answer 9

Thank God u have ur own business and I think what u do is fine--wish i could have had that option years ago. I was told one time that I had to kiss the customers' butt. Another time I had a customer who was in such a hurry and reminded of it several times during our brief exchange --he kept saying he was just passing through and blah, blah, blah, and I asked him if geography gave him an excuse for being an a**hole? About got fired for that one--laughing

Answer 10

i agree with you for telling the kid to get off the display and as for the one who threw a hissy fit for the 10% stocking fee she's lucky you took the item back. some customers think they won you cause they are buying from your store and i think you are right to stick up for yourself in these situations would that lady who's kid was climbing have sued you when the kid fell off and hurt himself, hell yeah. keep doing what you are doing you are obviously not a jerk to all your customers since you are still in business and customers have no right to act like those ladies did.