Tell us about a difficult customer or customer complaint?

Question

Tell us about a difficult customer or customer complaint?

Answer 1

Working in a noodle take away place, a woman complained that it was not the food that she had ordered and opened the box and threw it all over the counter to point out how it was wrong. (I think she ordered no carrots or something) there was food everywhere

Answer 2

I work in  a small town family type chain bar and restaurant.  Last week a server accidentally spilled Mexican ranch dressing on a customers washable $39.99 coat.   The manager paid her $200.00 for her $39.99 washable coat.  She still complained to corporate office.  Can we say *****!!!!!!!

Answer 3

no

Answer 4

I had one parent scream at me that the kid returned his book to my library. It turned out that his sister at ANOTHER school returned it to that library. Of course I never got an apology.

Answer 5

One was a local well known tv producer who, after a long lunch with a ton of booze vomitted ALL over the ladies bathrooms and passed out in it. Last week we had a couple from the UK in the restaurant who complained about their free amuse bouche then said their starters were bland and cold so they reordered and then complained about those. They said their mains were cold and tough and reordered those, complained that their wine was corked even though it was fine and then sent back their desserts also. Of course at the end of it all they refused to pay a cent. You just can't please some people. The other 50 diners we had in were happy so what can you do?

Answer 6

A woman brought her kid into my cafe and ordered the cheapest drink on the menu for herself and a free fluffy for her kid. She brought her drink back three times saying it wasn't the way she wanted it, so we remade it three times. Then her kid spilt his fluffy all over the carpet. While I was cleaning it up, she demanded a new fluffy plus some free drink vouchers to "make up for it".

Answer 7

I was a secretary for the state for 25 years so I had to deal with some real difficult customers.  The one that stands out in my mind would have to be a person that was denied food stamps, it was not my decision, but she came in later and threw a big pot of boiled and tempid lentils at me. She also ranted something about how I personally denied her the ability to feed her starving children.

Answer 8

She peed in the dressing room and blamed it on her daughter.  Ick.

Answer 9

The very difficult customer

Sometimes you do everything right. You’ve put all the right techniques into practice, but the person remains difficult. In this case, you should try to bear in mind that

   1. Difficult people are usually difficult for a reason.

   2. People who are scared and anxious are most likely to be difficult - and may remain difficult until their problems are resolved.

Anxious people can become childlike and have “tantrums”. Treating them like children will encourage them to act like a child, whilst treating them like responsible adults will encourage them to act rationally

e.g. "I understand your problem and I assure you I’m trying to help. Please take a seat and I will let you know as soon as I have any information ".

will be much more calming and effective than:

"I am doing all I can. You will just have to wait your turn ".

If people remain angry, it is often because they think that they are not being listened to.

    * Make an effort to look as if you are interested. Put your listening skills into practice.

    * Particularly difficult people may be playing to the crowd.

    * Try to take noisy and unreasonable people aside - perhaps to a separate room or waiting area.

    * You may gain the sympathy of other people when dealing with difficult customers. These sympathetic people may try to help by arguing with or commenting on the behaviour of the difficult person.

    * Whilst this may feel like welcome help, remember that it is easy for the difficult person to feel even more threatened and aggressive.

    * A desk can act as a barrier.

    * It may help to stand side by side with a difficult customer in a quiet place.

Handling customer complaints

Complaints must be dealt with sympathetically, calmly and promptly. If you follow these standards you will be able to diffuse a customer’s feelings of disappointment, anger and embarrassment.

Listen Listen calmly and sympathetically. Do not interrupt the customer. Do not look away or appear distracted.

Give the customer your complete attention.



Apologise Phrase apologies in terms of being sorry that the customer has been disappointed. Do not state or imply that there is a fault or that service has been bad. When you apologise, MEAN IT, after all customers are VIPs

Clarify When appropriate, repeat the facts of the customer’s complaint to him/her to ensure you fully understand the problem.

Explain Explanations of what might have happened of why things are done as they are must be clear and favourable to other staff and to the organisation. Do not attach blame, as such, in any explanation

Agree Gain agreement from the customer about the next course of action to be taken, Suggest only action and alternatives which are within the organisation’s policy. Where necessary get help from a supervisor.

Take Action Prompt action, within organisation policy must be taken. This applies as well when that action is to get a superv sor to assist you. Nothing aggravates customers more than unnecessary delay in resolving their complaint.