Customer Handling, your ideas

A customer placed an order, and began complaining in 15 mts

[Habtom]

This morning a customer began complaining about an order which he placed before 15mts, asking if the order has been shipped or not, how slow our shipping techniques are and the email goes on . . .

Have customers got this impatient?

Hab

[mattyb515]

Absolutely. It seems that with the advance of the internet and hi-speed everything, people are turning into instant gratification junkies. We get those from time to time but I simply point out that all of our order processing and shipping policies can be found at the relevant pages and include the links. That usually gets a thank you.

[andye]

Yeah, have a definite policy on how long you'll take to do things, tell them what it is, and then follow through on it. Generally they find that reassuring.

[Essex_boy]

Unless you really need this order refund and refuse to deal with them.

[Habtom]

On the same note, I have seen customers being happy when they receive emails with somebody's name on it, instead of <Customer Support> [e-mail], <Berhe> [e-mail]. [That name reminds me a friendly neighbour :)]

They are quite happy, "Dear Berhe, Thanks for contacting me. But the order hasn't arrived yet". Yea, Mr Customer, We guarantee 3 days delivery time, so you are left with 2 days, 23 hours and 45mts.

Habtom

[piatkow]

I have worked in environments where customers required that sort of response, but if they did they had to arrange it by phone and it was down to them to send their own motor cycle courier to the warehouse.

[dpd1]

Yeah really Essex... The customer is always right, blah blah blah... But if you can afford the loss, who needs that kind of customer. When people start out like that, it's usually just the beginning anyway. Next they'll want a return and on and on.

Dave

[Philip_M]

I agree with Essex Boy. Some customers should be passed on to competitors ASAP.

For what it is worth, I have always believed that it would be possible to compile a list of say 20 names of people who will not deal with my business because they have been offended in some way in the past. It would also be possible to compile a list of say 20 names of people we will not deal with because of their unreasonable or disagreeable behaviour. I rather think that the two lists are pretty much the same.

[Wlauzon]

I agree with Essex Boy. Some customers should be passed on to competitors ASAP.

We have been doing that for years. There are 2-3% of customers that are more of a liability than anything else.

Funny thing is, it looks like one of our competitors finally caught on, and sent one to us a few weeks ago :D

[Essex_boy]

When I owned a market reserch agency we had a mythical employee, Paul Adams, who always got the blame for everything.

Customers seemed to like the idea that someone was at fault and would get a ticking off, we liked the idea as it meant we could all let off steam in a theatrical manner when a grumpy customer rang.

To put things right you tell the customer that you would deal with it and not let Paul Adams near it, they loved it.

[Habtom]

When I owned a market reserch agency we had a mythical employee, Paul Adams, who always got the blame for everything.

Ever fired him? lol

[webwoman]

I have started a list of customer names who I will not sell to. They are on my banned list. These are people who I have had to refund even though the post office confirmed delivery, or people who have sent particularly vicious emails (just plain nasty and insulting despite my best efforts to please them). In 5 years, I only have 4 people on the list. Who needs them?

[Essex_boy]

It is rare someones rude to you but it does happen