In this story, the boss shows just what true leadership looks like by teaching a rude and entitled customer a lesson she will never forget.
My boss is really great. He instructs staff to use one-word responses when customers become unreasonable, and to hit the ‘panic’ button – a monitor that pipes the conversation through to him. Conversations like this still occur, but at least it’s all handled.
Customer: “This is ridiculous! I had to stand in line for 15 minutes! Why couldn’t you serve me sooner?”””
Me: *hit the button* “Sorry, sir. Other people were in front of you. How can I help?”””
Customer: “Give me the [Product], and I’ll take 20% off!”.
Me: “Sorry, sir, I can’t do that, and there is no reason to; this is normal business. We wait in line every day.”
Customer: “Yes, you can. If you don’t give it to me, I’ll take your job! You worthless minimum wage scum!”
Me: “Can’t.” I go into DefCon mode.
This is where my boss’ one-word strategy works so well. Irate customers can easily ignore a sentence, but it’s hard to misunderstand a single word.
Customer: “Can’t? Sure you can! What do you mean by that?”””
Me: “Can’t”
Customer: “What’s the point?”
Me: “Orders”
Customer: “Whose order is this?”
Me: “Boss:”
Customer: “Well, I’ll get your boss!”
Me: “Okay.” (My boss comes out.)
Customer: “This employee was being extremely rude to me! I want my purchase free, or at least with a big discount!
Boss: “No.”
Customer: “No? What do you mean? She’s being rude!”
Boss: “Don’t be rude.” *Okay, sometimes you have to use two words*
Customer: “She was!”
Boss: *points to monitor* “Monitor.”
Customer: “What?”
Boss: “I heard that.”
Customer: “So?”
Boss: “Don’t be rude.”. There will be no discount.”
Customer: “The customer is always right! So why not?”
(At this point, my boss will give his typical speech.)
Boss: “Five reasons why.”
Customer: “Huh?”
Boss: “Here are five reasons why you don’t get a discount.”
Customer: “What do you mean?” “Who are they?””””
Boss: “One: I don’t have to. And two: I don’t want to. Three: There is no reason for me to. Four: You can’t force me. Five: I won’t.”
Customer: “I won’t come back here again!”
Boss: “You should have said that before. I might have given you the discount if you had said you would never come back if I gave you a discount.”
(The customer left. The case is closed.)
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