OT: The Customer Is Not ALWAYS Right.

[Robatoy]

Hits the nail on the head. (If bad words bother you, don't open this, okay, you pansy?!)

[sweet sawdust]

do agree with the Customer is Always Right statement in my business, but that doesn't mean I can't be wrong on occasion. When a customer insisted that I not smoke while working on a project for her because it was bad for my health, I decided to be wrong and told her to go somewhere else. ( I have given up smoking for customers who were allergic to or bothered by tobacco when doing their projects). When I go to buy something and the clerk tells me it won't work for me and I know it will, I am right and should be allowed to buy the product, a warning or suggetion is always welcome though if given in good faith. None of this gives me as the customer or businessman the right to be rude.

[Tim Douglass]

-- Tim Douglass

started out with nothing and after years of hard work have finally managed to double it!

[CM]

Amen.......

cm

[Tom Watson]

You should never do retail.

Regards,

Tom

Thos.J.Watson - Cabinetmaker tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet

[Mark & Juanita]

Well, the customer isn't always right,but they *are* the customer. i.e, it's their money and they choose how to spend it. OTOH, there are some customers that a business just can't afford -- i.e. they cost more in actual money or just plain aggravation such that if they go somewhere else a business is actually ahead.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Sometimes, firing your customer is the best thing you can do for your business. I think it was Sprint that just dumped 1000 customers that were a PITA. Good for them. We got rid of our largest customer (a 7 figure account) a few years ago too. You can only take so much crap and then you say goodbye. One of our competitors gladly took the business from us. About a year later they filed for bankruptcy.

[Robatoy]

Au contraire mon fr=E8re. I live for the interface with the customers. I like dealing with people and when it comes to difficult customers, I have learned which hill to die on. In fact, my pricing often has a little built in when I think the client is going to be extraordinarily fussy. I have also passed altogether when I smelled a rat.

THAT is one part of wood dorking you don't learn from Norm.

[Tom Watson]

It's called a PITA tax down here. Everyone who has been in business long enough to know better slides their prices according to difficulty.

My point about retail was that I never advertised and they came looking for me.

I got rid of most of the worst ones during the initial phone conversation.

There were those who snuck through.

I held my nose and went on.

Regards,

Tom

Thos.J.Watson - Cabinetmaker tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet

[Lobby Dosser]

Salesmanship convinces them to do the 'right thing' and believe it was their idea all along. A win-win.

[Robatoy]

On Jun 11, 11:04=A0pm, Tom Watson wrote: [snipped for brevit=E9].

I had one a few days ago, and it went something like this:

"I painted my laminate countertop and it was all flaking and we're suing the paint company and they are going to give us thousands and we want a Corian top now."

[CM]

THAT'S FUNNY AS HECK!

I got a call from my only employee a few weeks ago right after he arrived at his first job of the day. A guy was renting a retail space and we were there to fix a few things for the property management company. The renter was a real jerk telling my employee how he was going to do his job and what was going to happen if he didn't follow directions. Every other word started with "F". I told my guy to leave if the renter continued with his attitude. He left soon after we hung up. I lost the account over it. But they were a pain anyways. We still have enough business to work 5-6 days per week. We have only walked off three jobs in 18 years. We are usually able to weed out the bad ones before a working agreement is struck. Life is too short to deal with mean people.

cm

I had one a few days ago, and it went something like this:

"I painted my laminate countertop and it was all flaking and we're suing the paint company and they are going to give us thousands and we want a Corian top now."

[nailshooter41]

I may have to hang onto that one. Next time we have one of the weekend warrior (who actually believes he is a warrior) guys that starts singing "The Battle of the Pimple Faced Kid" and lets everyone know how he bested him it might be due for a repost.

It would be interesting to see if Mr. Two Feet of Cock could see the parallel. Probably not.

Robert

[Frank Boettcher]

Me too. While I was not exposed to the end user customer on a daily basis, I looked forward to those opportunities to be a direct sales person. Always took the opportunity to see if I could get the rare grumpy individual to leave with a smile if not with the product. My view, the next time he'll buy from us.

However, I have had the thought, when patiently explaning the nature of statistical tolerance ranges to the individual who calls to complain that his table top is .002" out of flat, to offer to send him my favorite publication on the subject "Statistics for Dummies". But the title might offend......

Frank

[Robatoy]

I really enjoy the whole process of guiding the customer, doing my dog & pony show, then fabricating and installing and then getting paid for all of it from customers with a smile on their faces. One thing that helps a lot, is that I am totally up-front with them. "Dark colours show too many scratches!" (in which case I suggest Quartz.)

[bugbear]

Yeah. But spending 99c on a coffee doesn't get you Kingly rights.

It's just gets you coffee.

BugBear

[Robatoy]

99 cents?????? Where?????

[Lee Michaels]

"Robatoy" wrote

One thing that helps a lot, is that I am totally up-front with them. "Dark colours show too many scratches!" (in which case I suggest Quartz.)

People have been screwed so many times by the shiney shoed salesman, that a person who talks real english and doesn't bullshit them is a relatively rare experience. And goes a long way toward creating credibility.

[Robatoy]

I often get strange looks when I blurt out; "Nooo, you don't want that!"

[Lew Hodgett]

A "Salesman" never sold anything to anybody.

The "Prospect" made a conscientious decision to become a "Customer" by buying something.

Lew