cussing me out

[chadrpalmer]

ive been in this industry for ten years or so...ive used a standard reply to someone who starts cussing me out...i tell the im a church going fella and i do not appreciate that language, could we have a discussion without it. its been pretty fail safe for me all these years, but today i lost a customer. he said it was "insulting" to tell him i was a church-goer. i have still not figured out where the insult lies...if hes an atheist, so be it, i would not be insulted if he told me he was one. he apologized for his language, but insisted its the last time he would ever be here. now ive heard that many times, and you can tell when they mean it, or when they are blowing off steam. he meant it. this was all over dirty wheels. i offered to rewash, i offered a free wash, etc...no go. i dont believe im TOO sensitive to the cursing, its just not how we do business...that being said, if weve broken someones car, i generally let them curse me a bit, as it seems to deflate the situation, but dirty wheels? come on!

 

[briteauto]

If I understand you correctly, he was cursing at you about dirty wheels that you offered to rewash even before you metnioned being a church-goer. This tells me that he is not wound too tight and that it is better for YOU not have him on your property.

As far as the language is concerned, there is such a thing a verbal assault. Would he be comfortable using that language in the presence of a police officer or a judge?

I think the way you respond to people gives them the message to stop in a non-threatening way, without sounding forceful.

 

[Washmee]

If someone starts cussing me out , thats the end of the conversation. I just walk away and let them carry on to themselves. My experience is that these people don't have the skills to win an argument without using intimidation or threats. If someone has to have a meltdown over some dirty wheels, no matter what you do will not make them happy.

 

[Ben's Car Wash]

It not the "religion" that was the issue, it was the point that you reminded him that he was inappropriate.

Yesterday on of my kids (Luke... a good name... a Gospel name... the beloved Physican) my employee whos dad is dying from cancer who is validvictorian this year and getting a full scholarship was cursed out by an old man saying "F YOU" (like Dick Cheney did on the Senate Floor) because he didn't like that $3 car wash sign! What did he say that to a 17 year old kid who doesn't make the prices up? Luke didn't know what to say... he just raised the gate.... when he told me I said to him.."next time just respond GOD BLESS YOU TOO SIR"! Sometime SHAME IS A POWERFUL TOOL.

 

[pitzerwm]

I told my employees to always treat the customer with respect until they used a 4 letter word. At that point they could do or say anything except shoot them. I didn't pay my people enough to take that kind of crap. In front of a new trainee, I kicked out a $40 fee because they used the F word to the employees. The trainee was floored that I cared about them more than the $40.

I think Chad's response was smart and his customer a moron. You must understand that you can't make every customer happy. You do your best and learn from the problems.

 

[sonicsoft]

I think everyone forgets that for most part Customer Service people are the punching bags of the Average Joe.

When some starts to curse me out if they are the type to filabuster I just tell them they can talk to me when they start acting like an adult. If they are the type that you can interject and take over the conversation I normally ask them questions and steer them to a point when they feel guilty.

sorry you all I can't spell to save my life!

 

[Earl Weiss]

I take a similar approach. I simply say that the conversation is over until they stop yelling / cursing an walk away.

 

[Chiefs]

If they won't stop and they won't leave we call the police to escort them off the property.

Two stroies on this. One funny and one not so funny. One day a customer comes in with a 9 year old beater and his girlfriend. Apparently something ornage was stuck to his hood and he blames us for it. Before I could say, Yes Sir, can I help you?, he starts cursing me up one side and down the other and getiing into my space. Immediately I tell my office emanager to call the cops. He say, "Go ahead M_____F_____er call the cops." They show up in less than two minutes and after 45 minutes interviewing the guy in the squad car he finally gives them his real name. They punch it into the computer and a minute later they cops are handcuffing him. Seems he had several warrants out for his arrest. Thank goodness criminal are so stupid.

The other situation occurred about 11 years agho when we were still full service. A customer became enraged because we put "wax" on his (it was drying agent). Nonetheless he caused a huge scene. I tell him to leave or I'm going to call the cops. He doesn't so I pick up the phone at the cahsier's booth and dial 911. Well this guy rips the phone out of my hand and cracks me in the head with the receiver. That was all she wrote. We go at it. We westled for a minute or two breaking a couple hallway windows along the way. Finally I got the upper hand and I proceeded to beat the hell out of him for about 2-3 minutes until the police come and pull me off him. After interviewing witnesses, they told the guy to never come back or they would arrest him for trespassing. I'm not proud of that incident and I'd like to think I've become a lot more rational and calm over the years but I do have a low tolerance for crap from a-holes especially when they think they can trat you like dirt and push you around.

 

[CaliCWKing]

I was emptying my safes when three of the "newer" looking nickels fell into my change catch. Within 45 seconds i got a loud knock at my equipment room door. This guy thought he was putting in quarters. I proved to him that he was actually using nickels by showing him the nickels he had put in and by adding in two more (to make 25 cents, which is at what interval my machine will give you credit) to further prove my point. He gets irrate and tells me that the customer is always right and starts to curse. I told him that i was sorry he felt that way to which he replied that i was making a big deal out of 75 cents, to which i replied, "No, you are."