HugeNerd - 8:25 pm on Jun 10, 2009 (gmt 0)

Well, we have this very problem at our B&M -- we have a counter sales/will-call pick-up desk. Our account holders (we're a wholesaler and we do extend credit to many of customers) are almost never the problem as they know what we do well and how to utilize our services properly...and they're in our buildings a few times a week and are on a first name basis with their salesmen. That sort of deal.

Anywho, we are open to the public as well, so we get plenty of people who look us up in the phone book and waltz in with some 50 year old part from a manufacturer that went defunct 20 years ago...and DEMAND wholesale price on a special order item that may take an hour of research to even find a potential replacement. I mean, these are parts which not even the engineer who designed it would be able to tell you whether it will work until he's tried it.

Well, after a few near-fights between our staff and 'customers' we instituted a Technical Service Charge and posted a nice big sign. Essentially, if you want to sit at our counter and ask us questions, make us look up parts, contact manufacturers, create special orders, etc., you're going to pay us $15 for every 30 minutes of work which go into researching the answers (we won't even talk to them until they hand over a credit card)...on top of paying MSRP for any item ordered. Those 'customers' who want to come in and argue and waste our time now take one look at the sign and walk right out the door again. Bottom line, if they're too cheap to be good customers, tell them you're going to charge them for wasting your time and they'll happily go somewhere else and waste their time. So far, in 2009, we have had zero Technical Service Charges in 27 B&M locations and no incidents between the sales staff and customers. Must be working!