Abusive customers

[Upgrayedd]

It helps when you can make fun of customers who are trying to be smug and 95% of it goes over the blokes head.

Then i go home and cry myself to sleep

 

[LIONS then DAYLIGHT]

What about this guy, lost his job for reporting to the police that a patron was driving hom drunk?

A QUEENSLAND barman has lost his job after he dobbed in a police officer for downing three heavy beers in an hour then driving home with his three children in the car.

Craig Tomsett of Gladstone was sacked by his boss at the Gladstone Golf Club when the police officer in question made a written complaint about his behaviour on February 13.

In the letter, the police officer admitted to drinking three schooners of Toohey's Extra Dry in an hour then driving home with his children.

He said when he was breath-tested at home by police he was "well under 0.05" despite having consumed the equivalent of 4.5 standard drinks.

Gladstone Golf Club manager Ivan Carr said Mr Tomsett was sacked because of his "inappropriate behaviour" towards the police officer but declined to comment further

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25218828-2,00.html

 

[Aussiekate]

I freelance in Graphic Design, and would describe myself as level headed and even tempered, but this took the cake for me.

I get a phone call yesterday and the woman on the phone identifies herself as a client I have done work for some time ago.

(After this call I checked and it was approximately 18 months ago)

I had done a design job for her business for some gift vouchers, and then passed the job to a printer for printing.

Her words were "Kate, I just wanted to follow up with you on the job you did for me, and to give you some feedback about the finished product, I wasn't happy with the paper."

I actually thought for a second this was a gee-up.

I did say to her that I would have had no issue with doing something about it if she had called me a week, even a month after she got them and wasnt happy. She actually then started to press the issue and get quite pissy with me.

She told me she has been using them since she got them and hadn't called before as she had been busy.... for 18 months??!!!

I think I ended the convo with "you're on drugs" lol

 

[superfraser]

There are rude and condescending customers everywhere, they are a fact of life.

That said, in general terms, Australians (of which I am one) are absolutely bog ordinary at service particularly in retail and food service (or more broadly hospitality). I am not sufficiently engaged in those business' to know why but we are just not good at service.

Each time I come back to Oz, I am initially struck by the complete lack of service v countries to our North - after a week or two, you just get used to understaffed restaurants, inattentive (entirely disinterested) staff and condescending attitudes from service staff - some of those are the ones in this thread who are more concerned about following the rules and covering their arse than solving a client problem.

Its ok though because we kid ourselves that we are good at service and that all our customers are just w***ers - that makes it all better.

I work in a bar and regularly (couple of times a month) have a customer tell me that my service skills are outstanding. Infact, in my last shift I had one guy compliment me for pouring wine in the correct manner and as he was leaving he shook my hand and thanked me for my service, while another woman had told my superviser that I was a "delightful young man".

I enjoy my job and do my best to be good at it, however, I very rarely get tipped.

Occasionally somebody will walk off without taking their 10c or 20c. Every now and again someone will leave me a gold coin.

And maybe once a month someone will give me a $5er or a $10er.

I think I'd average about $3 in tips each night.

Yet I work much harder, am far more polite and skilled in what I do in comparison to my colleagues.

Is it worth it?

...I'll keep doing it because it's who I am. But perhaps if Australians tipped for good service as opposed to nice breasts people would be prepared to work harder.

 

[Underdog]

There are rude and condescending customers everywhere, they are a fact of life.

That said, in general terms, Australians (of which I am one) are absolutely bog ordinary at service particularly in retail and food service (or more broadly hospitality). I am not sufficiently engaged in those business' to know why but we are just not good at service.

I just got back from Thailand (Koh Samui) not long ago and I must say, you can't beat the customer service over there. Everyone is so friendly and helpful.

...I'll keep doing it because it's who I am. But perhaps if Australians tipped for good service as opposed to nice breasts people would be prepared to work harder.

Well, your "tips" are included in your pay. The US have a substantially lower wage and require tips to make the difference, we don't.

 

[blaargh]

What about this guy, lost his job for reporting to the police that a patron was driving home

I am not critisising the act of dobbing in a drink-driver but I think that I remember reading an article where the two parties involved had a long history of confict and had several incidents while they were neighbours. I think that this was also viewed as a simple act of revenge by the barman for the incidents while they were neighbours. I could be wrong though, didn't take a whole lot of notice when I was reading the article

 

[superfraser]

Well, your "tips" are included in your pay. The US have a substantially lower wage and require tips to make the difference, we don't.

Well maybe that's why.

Where's the incentive for good service?

I am held in high regard by my managers and get more shifts then most others.

The other problem is the training of staff. They get very little training.

 

[jonoman89]

I've had a woman talk to my manager because i was chewing gum as i cleaned the store.

I also love customers who don't understand queing up.

And customers who try to steal you off other customers, and when you say you're with another customer they crack the shits.

 

[rocker_oz33]

one customer came in and said bloody hell where's something.l said bloody hell we don't even sell that item,she went on saying that she buys it here every week l said l don't think so.she stormed of and came back 10 mins latter and said sorry l dont buy that here it was some where else.I'm normally really nice to customers but l was shitty that morning

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Well maybe that's why.

Where's the incentive for good service?

I am held in high regard by my managers and get more shifts then most others.

The other problem is the training of staff. They get very little training.

Maybe the incentive for good service is the self satisfaction of a job well done, getting paid and having a job.
Stop your whining. You're getting paid the right amount aren't you?

 

[superfraser]

Maybe the incentive for good service is the self satisfaction of a job well done, getting paid and having a job.
Stop your whining. You're getting paid the right amount aren't you?

Whining? I felt more as though I was adding to the discussion with my personal experiences. But whatever.

It's nice to see a guy who is so sucked into the mindset of being an employee. I hope that in time I'll have my own successful company and would love to employ poeple like you.

 

[Leper]

There are rude and condescending customers everywhere, they are a fact of life.

That said, in general terms, Australians (of which I am one) are absolutely bog ordinary at service particularly in retail and food service (or more broadly hospitality). I am not sufficiently engaged in those business' to know why but we are just not good at service.

Each time I come back to Oz, I am initially struck by the complete lack of service v countries to our North - after a week or two, you just get used to understaffed restaurants, inattentive (entirely disinterested) staff and condescending attitudes from service staff - some of those are the ones in this thread who are more concerned about following the rules and covering their arse than solving a client problem.

Its ok though because we kid ourselves that we are good at service and that all our customers are just w***ers - that makes it all better.

Ditto.

The rigid adherance to procedures is the one that gets me, or more so, the procedures themselves, which are often set by the law (RSA). Was recently at a relatively upmarket pub in Sydney with my family and went up to the (lounge) bar with my 9yo daughter and was told by the barmen (very politely I will say) that she must stand back because the law says that "a minor cannot stand within 1 metre of the bar". WTF?

Then you've got the good old Aussie counter meal, which has metamorphosised in the last couple of decades from $5 bangers and mash to a $30 rib eye..... but the staff still look at you from 10 metres away and wait for you to come and get your meal. I know it's all about labour cost, but how hard is it (at $30 a pop) for them to bring it over to you? If the guy above moaning about tips did such things maybe he'd be better rewarded?

Anyhow, stiff shit..... $30 unlimited free flow seafood brunch to get to........

 

[Gabbie]

I'm way past putting up with the shite some people dish out. I had an abusive person on the phone recently going off her trolley at nothing that had nothing to do with me - the people who could help her wouldn't take the call grrrrr - in the end i told her there was no need to abuse me and swear and I just hung up on the baitch. Then her daughter rang, same thing and hung up on her as well. They don't pay me enought to take this garbage from nuff nuff joe public bogans. Nothing happened to me when I told those concerned what happened.

 

[Eagle87]

I'm way past putting up with the shite some people dish out. I had an abusive person on the phone recently going off her trolley at nothing that had nothing to do with me - the people who could help her wouldn't take the call grrrrr - in the end i told her there was no need to abuse me and swear and I just hung up on the baitch. Then her daughter rang, same thing and hung up on her as well. They don't pay me enought to take this garbage from nuff nuff joe public bogans. Nothing happened to me when I told those concerned what happened.

So why wouldnt the people who could help her take the call?

Why wouldnt you get stuck into them and get them to sort the problem out?

Why is it EVER acceptable for someone who represents a business to be able to say "I only work here and I cant solve your problem and those that can wont talk to you"??

I mean if you really gave a shit about solving the customers problem then YOU could have by pushing the ****ers you work with to take the bloody call.

Or am I missing something?

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Whining? I felt more as though I was adding to the discussion with my personal experiences. But whatever.

It's nice to see a guy who is so sucked into the mindset of being an employee. I hope that in time I'll have my own successful company and would love to employ poeple like you.

I've been working since I was 15, I go to work, I show some initiative and have always taken pride in what I do. I don't expect anything apart from being paid correctly, being able to advance my career and being able to access training courses.
From 2002 until 2007 I had my own business, a Licensed Post Office, in the 5 years my wife and I had it we increased every facet of the business by between 33% and 87% the only reason we got rid of it was the lack of time off. I'm now happily working for wages again in a recession proof job with bucket loads of O/T if I want it. Again I don't expect anything extra than what I'm entitled to and I do the job to the best of my abilities.

Goodluck in your endeavours to have you own successful company. You could do worse than hire my ilk. I'll turn up on time, I'll leave when the job is done, I won't ring in sick for the sake of it, I won't whine about not being appreciated and if you give me opportunities I'll give you what I've got.

I'll never forget my now 20yr old sister in law's first job when she was 15. It was at a pizza palour down near Phillip Island. I was at her parent's place when she came home after her second night. The first thing she did was whinge about how the owner/manager sat around all night while she had to do all the work. Go figure!!!
I asked her what she expected and she said that he should be doing just as much as her. When I said to her that he's probably already worked all day and that it was his business and he was paying her wages so he could do what he wanted, she couldn't seem to grasp it. I asked her if she got all her work done and she said yes but she had to work hard to do it. I asked her what the problem was and she started on about the owner not doing anything again.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

I'm way past putting up with the shite some people dish out. I had an abusive person on the phone recently going off her trolley at nothing that had nothing to do with me - the people who could help her wouldn't take the call grrrrr - in the end i told her there was no need to abuse me and swear and I just hung up on the baitch. Then her daughter rang, same thing and hung up on her as well. They don't pay me enought to take this garbage from nuff nuff joe public bogans. Nothing happened to me when I told those concerned what happened.

Perhaps you should have taken all her details and told her you'd sort it for her. Then go to the people it concerns and tell them to fix it, if they can't you'll just ring her back and give her their direct number and name. That should do the trick.

As for the highlighted bit, are you paid to deal with enquiries from the public? If you are imagine if no one rang up, you'd be out of a job.

 

[Eagle87]

Perhaps you should have taken all her details and told her you'd sort it for her. Then go to the people it concerns and tell them to fix it, if they can't you'll just ring her back and give her their direct number and name. That should do the trick.

As for the highlighted bit, are you paid to deal with enquiries from the public? If you are imagine if no one rang up, you'd be out of a job.

They just dont get it do they?

The starting point of good service is to understand what is meant by the term service. As soon as we think we are better than everyone else and "serving" them is beneath us, we are ****ed. Welcome to much of the Australian service sector in 2009.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

They just dont get it do they?

The starting point of good service is to understand what is meant by the term service. As soon as we think we are better than everyone else and "serving" them is beneath us, we are ****ed. Welcome to much of the Australian service sector in 2009.

No they don't. There's a thread in the general section called 'Customer Complaints'. It's the same in there, I don't understand it. You're employed and paid to provide a service.
It's true that there are customers that you are never, ever going to satisfy but in my experience they are very rare if you handle things properly.
Here's a free tip for you younger people, it's amazing how much easier it is to deal with difficult customers if you know what you're doing. Listen to and learn from experienced staff. Actually take an interest in what you're doing. Employ a bit of common sense and logic. Take your time and think it through, try not to ge flustered.
If you arm yourself with some knowledge difficult customers may not emerge in the first place.

 

[Dan Moody]

No they don't. There's a thread in the general section called 'Customer Complaints'. It's the same in there, I don't understand it. You're employed and paid to provide a service.
It's true that there are customers that you are never, ever going to satisfy but in my experience they are very rare if you handle things properly.
Here's a free tip for you younger people, it's amazing how much easier it is to deal with difficult customers if you know what you're doing. Listen to and learn from experienced staff. Actually take an interest in what you're doing. Employ a bit of common sense and logic. Take your time and think it through, try not to ge flustered.
If you arm yourself with some knowledge difficult customers may not emerge in the first place.

no offence hhh, but i've got this picture of you in mind...

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

no offence hhh, but i've got this picture of you in mind...

lol, none taken. Not even close. I'm about half that, I'm 40.

18 years of footy, 20 years of cricket. From late teens until my late 20s I would have put a lot of today's binge drinking, rooting teens to shame but I've always taken my employment seriously.

7 odd years at Coles
2 years in a gold mine in WA
10 years in the Navy
5 years owning a Post Office
18 months with my current employer (I think it will be my last until retirement)

 

[superfraser]

Ditto.

The rigid adherance to procedures is the one that gets me, or more so, the procedures themselves, which are often set by the law (RSA). Was recently at a relatively upmarket pub in Sydney with my family and went up to the (lounge) bar with my 9yo daughter and was told by the barmen (very politely I will say) that she must stand back because the law says that "a minor cannot stand within 1 metre of the bar". WTF?

Then you've got the good old Aussie counter meal, which has metamorphosised in the last couple of decades from $5 bangers and mash to a $30 rib eye..... but the staff still look at you from 10 metres away and wait for you to come and get your meal. I know it's all about labour cost, but how hard is it (at $30 a pop) for them to bring it over to you? If the guy above moaning about tips did such things maybe he'd be better rewarded?

Anyhow, stiff shit..... $30 unlimited free flow seafood brunch to get to........

Umm.. When you come to my pub you will never have to go and get your own meal.. We will always bring it out to you.. And personally, I don't expect a tip for that..

I would only like tips when I go above and beyond my role.. There's only a couple of opportunities in any shift where I have the chance to, but I ALWAYS will, because I take pride in myself..

All I'm saying is that it is VERY rarely rewarded.

 

[Eagle87]

Umm.. When you come to my pub you will never have to go and get your own meal.. We will always bring it out to you.. And personally, I don't expect a tip for that..

I would only like tips when I go above and beyond my role.. There's only a couple of opportunities in any shift where I have the chance to, but I ALWAYS will, because I take pride in myself..

All I'm saying is that it is VERY rarely rewarded.

Sorry, but please define "above and beyond"?

I am a customer. I have the choice of 100's of venues and I pay more for eating out in Australia than almost any place on Earth and our minimum pay is the highest of any country in the world. Our hospitality staff (by world standards) are very well paid and ludicrously earn additional pay for working at times when most people use their services (nights & weekends).

Given your base pay is higher than that of any comparative worker in the world and your working conditions would similarly be at the top end in the world, what exactly is "above and beyond"?

Have you travelled much? Have you been served in an average pub/restaurant in Asia?

 

[rdhopkins2]

I worked for a telco company in the UK a few years back in their 'customer service' call centre. I had my probation extended for being too nice to customers and trying to solve their problems, despite having complimentary letters from customers direct to the CEO prior to that. I was told to get these people off the phones asap or be sacked.

My concern was that I was doing my job and if I had to liaise with 5 different departments to solve the problem so be it- would rather do it right than fog them off. Management not interested. Just said get 'em off the phone.

Needless to say that once they eventually passed my probation after a 3mth extension I basically handed in my notice in then and there and said thanks for the job but I've got something else. Travelled to Egypt for a month before returning to London to a much better job as a trade administrator in a commodities broking firm.

My philosophy about customer service is to help the customer get sorted the first time round and if you can't personally- find someone who can. Unfortunately customer service is now so stats oriented that the service levels drop considerably.

I've got a commerce degree in sports management and marketing and have been working for about 5yrs both in Aus and the UK. Been great experience. The best thing you can learn from a crap company is their mistakes in treating customers, ACCC issues etc. The best will obviously invest in you, be supportive of you and want the best mutual outcome.

For every 100 customers you serve, aim to serve 100 to the best of your ability. Aim to have 99% of those satisfied and you will do well. There will always be the occassional tool customer that thinks the world revolves around them but overall most appreciate your efforts. Quite often some of the biggest pain customers have been previously stuffed round by your company. Work out who these are, why and fix it, give the feedback to your boss. Put yourself in the customer's shoes and go the extra mile where possible.

 

[Eagle87]

I worked for a telco company in the UK a few years back in their 'customer service' call centre. I had my probation extended for being too nice to customers and trying to solve their problems, despite having complimentary letters from customers direct to the CEO prior to that. I was told to get these people off the phones asap or be sacked.

My concern was that I was doing my job and if I had to liaise with 5 different departments to solve the problem so be it- would rather do it right than fog them off. Management not interested. Just said get 'em off the phone.

Needless to say that once they eventually passed my probation after a 3mth extension I basically handed in my notice in then and there and said thanks for the job but I've got something else. Travelled to Egypt for a month before returning to London to a much better job as a trade administrator in a commodities broking firm.

My philosophy about customer service is to help the customer get sorted the first time round and if you can't personally- find someone who can. Unfortunately customer service is now so stats oriented that the service levels drop considerably.

I've got a commerce degree in sports management and marketing and have been working for about 5yrs both in Aus and the UK. Been great experience. The best thing you can learn from a crap company is their mistakes in treating customers, ACCC issues etc. The best will obviously invest in you, be supportive of you and want the best mutual outcome.

For every 100 customers you serve, aim to serve 100 to the best of your ability. Aim to have 99% of those satisfied and you will do well. There will always be the occassional tool customer that thinks the world revolves around them but overall most appreciate your efforts. Quite often some of the biggest pain customers have been previously stuffed round by your company. Work out who these are, why and fix it, give the feedback to your boss. Put yourself in the customer's shoes and go the extra mile where possible.

Absolutely spot on.

Your comments on companies and their stats are interesting and also disturbing - but it rings true.

 

[superfraser]

Eagle87,

Mostly, above and beyond what I am means being as polite and friendly as possible, an example being talking with a 90 year old woman on the phone for a solid 5 minutes while she was booking her table at the pub for her birthday, as opposed to getting the details as quickly as possible and getting her off the phone.

But above and beyond has stretched much further then that. The furtherest that comes to mind was standing in between 3 guys who were looking for blood from another guy during the night club hours of the club. The guy on his own had earlier bottled a friend of the 3 other guys, a group of guys had already severly beaten the guy who did the bottling. There was a huge brawl outside between the two groups and all of the security was involved outside.

We were in a room in the pub which had closed only minutes earlier. Another barmen who was in his final year of a paramedics course was looking after both the guy who had been bottled and the guy who did the bottling, when his 3 friends came into the room through a side door. I was the only other person in the room and the only person that stopped that guy from further beating. Thankfully the security entered into the room very shortly after it the 3 guys came in.

...and I haven't travelled much.

Only to some places in Australia. Hence I can only compare myself against other Australians.

I'm not claiming to be a hospitality guru or any such thing.

All I'm saying is that tips for good service would be appreciated. No matter how small.

Oh, and while I'm at it;

Very recently, a guy came into my pub when it was very quiet. He didn't want tap beer so asked about the bottles. I had a bit of a chat with him, explaining to him our discounted bottled beers and giving him my opinions about them.

Convinced him to try a beer which he then drank for the rest of the day and bought it at a couple of different bars within the venue.

He gave me nothing, I expected nothing. I don't consider that above and beyond.

He came to the bar I was in 4 more times that day, each time ordering the same beer I had recommeneded. The girl that I was working served him 3 times and recieved $30 in tips from him, because she's a great looking girl - believe me, the service was no where near being special.

I served him once in between those 3 times. Nothing.

So I guess my problem also comes from witnessing that type of thing - although $10 tips for any of the girls at my pub is seriously rare. Mostly it's just coins for them.