The Customer

[SlotKing]

There have been too many threads on here recently discussing how "the customer is always right."

As someone who has been dealing with complaints, obscenities, etc. for over 15 years now, I can tell you that this is simply no longer the case.

Businesses, no matter how large or small, are looking for ways to cut costs. People who frequent these businesses, for the most part, are looking for extra added value for the dollars they spend.

Now, please understand... customers have every right to decide where their hard earned money will be spent (unless you live in the US, where our lovely politicians think that isn't so), and businesses have every right to "cherry-pick" their customers (if the customer is rude, offensive, etc).

If a customer has frequented a business, and they have been genuinely wronged by that business, then yes, the customer is right and they should have their mistakes corrected, and usually have a little something thrown in on top of the correction as a way of thanking them for bringing the error to their attention (and as a way of showing the customer their business is appreciated). This is how almost every fast food operation works.

The same goes for a casino. If the customer has been genuinely wronged, as in they had something not credit right, a bonus was mis-applied, or another error not on the fault of the customer, then the customer should have the error corrected and maybe, but not always, something given as a goodwill gesture to the customer as a way of saying "Thanks for your business, and we apologize that this happened."

Now... in the case of rogue customers... To quote John Abbot from GoneGambling...

The customer is only right some of the time, and when they are not right we make sure we let them know where they went wrong.

People need to understand that even if they make the decision to frequent a business, they must follow the rules of that business. Lashing out at a company simply because they did something wrong is not the way to go. Don't make unreasonable demands of a business' time and resources simply because a small mistake happened or something didn't go your way. Go about righting the situation calmly and rationally. You are most likely to have your situation resolved within due time if you go about solving the problem this way.

OTOH, Businesses must find a way to be civil to their patrons without making it look like the customer's fault, or stooping to an insulting level. Saying things like "Do you think we ever want your business after reading that?" is an absolute no-no, regardless of how insulting or demeaning the customer was. I understand that people can get hot under the collar, they can lash out, and they can go off on a completely unsuspecting person for no reason sometimes. This is no reason to shoot back at them with the same attitude they showed the business. Tact, professionalism and courteousness have all but disappeared in this world and it's time for them to make a comeback.

Some reps on here still do display these traits, and I applaud them for it. Some members on here also display these characteristics.

Now, if only everyone would.

 

[all4greed]

Nicely said.

I've done every office job from reception to management. Dealt with all of it.

When I've had with a rude/impatient/pissed off person on the phone that I've contacted for nonbusiness reasons , I diffuse their attitude with one simple question:

Are you having a bad day?

It catches people off guard and always makes them change their attitude because I've called them on how they are coming across.

 

[lost2much]

That would seem condescending to me all4, it might even make the situation worse. I mean, hell yes I'm having a bad day, why are you antagonizing me?? I know your intention is good with that comment, but it kind of comes across as the old "calm down" line I think. I believe that a better line would be let's see what we can figure out here, I/we appreciate your business and want to keep our relationship on good terms. Now, what do I need to do to make you feel better about our relationship? If I can I will.

In my experience people always feel better dealing with someone that they think is on their side. Doesn't always work, but can't hurt either. Just my opinion on the subject. Kill em' with kindness I say!

 

[Mavin1]

Got to agree with you and well said. I had earlier posted in two threads my thoughts on how the customer used to be considered always right and how it has turned around.
But back when this was the way things were dealt with, people were kinder and more courteous than now.
So after thinking on it more, this doesn't apply these days as some people have forgotten how to be civil to others, no matter what the circumstance may be.
Therefore I retracted my posts.

Thank you for your post.

 

[vegetagirl2008]

They always say the customer is always right, not when they are acting like a raving lunatic.

 

[all4greed]

That would seem condescending to me all4, it might even make the situation worse. I mean, hell yes I'm having a bad day, why are you antagonizing me?? I know your intention is good with that comment, but it kind of comes across as the old "calm down" line I think. I believe that a better line would be let's see what we can figure out here, I/we appreciate your business and want to keep our relationship on good terms. Now, what do I need to do to make you feel better about our relationship? If I can I will.

In my experience people always feel better dealing with someone that they think is on their side. Doesn't always work, but can't hurt either. Just my opinion on the subject. Kill em' with kindness I say!

I get what your saying.

My last experience was trying to deal with a medical bill. The person that I dealt with was very short with me right off the bat. I don't expect or need a greeting of, "How is your day" or other such small talk. But I don't like a angry tone with rapid fire questions.

What I do expect is a pleasant enough tone or even monotone voice and a can I help you type attitude instead of me being just another customer with a problem and I'm going to take my crappy day aggravation out on you.

Believe me when I say I've been on the receiving end. Try working in the construction industry (field office) dealing with all sorts of personalities from laborers, engineers, and project managers. You would develop a tough enough hide to shrug most things off.

Bottom line is I like to be treated as I have treated others. But if it starts out bad on their end, I might say something...

 

[lost2much]

Totally understand all4greed, only so much crap you can take in one day. Hard as it is though, ya have to not carry over the last experience to the next with the customer. Hard as hell, I know!!

 

[lost2much]

by the way, as some of you know, I always give the same that I get when someone is an Ahole with me. It's funny, at work people will always say that I am so nice to the idiot on the phone, but the truth is I can turn it on and off, just part of the job. I will say that most of the difficult people I deal with tend to call back and ask for me next time, so must be doing something right!! Even if I really think they suck!! HAHAHA

 

[gambler777]

I agree with you. However I have had 2 accredited casinos screw up in the past 3 monthsand neither of them gave me anything for my trouble. Yes in both cases it was a processor problem,, one with deposits, one with a withdrawal, however I think the casinos should take the responsibility of their processors. I didn't pick the people they chose. One was with deposits I made that they did not process for over 3 months. Then I was told it was a mistake and I would have my money credited back to my account, then 3 days later told no it wasn't a mistake and it caused overdraft fees on my account because they waited 4 months to withdraw the money. I was given nothing thought I spent 2 weeks on daily emails to solve the problem. The second was a withdrawal that I was told for a week was being credited to my account, but it never was. Then they said that their processor had told them it was being sent, but it never was. Had to do a completely new withdrawal and was given nothing for my trouble. These are both casinos that I frequented on a weekly basis. One I quit playing at, and suddenly they were offering me all kinds of incentives to come back, but if they had just comped me at the time they would have never lost my business. The other I got daily apologies but not compensation. So yes as part of customer service you should always make sure your customer is satisfied. And by the way I sent no nasty emails, was courteous all the way through, even when they said they would see about making it up to me for my trouble, and never did.

 

[SlotKing]

I agree with you. However I have had 2 accredited casinos screw up in the past 3 monthsand neither of them gave me anything for my trouble.

I'm not saying that every time something happens that you should be given something on top of what you were expecting. That opens up a whole new can of worms on the subject of an entitlement mentality.

What I am saying is that if the business values you as a customer, and they want a way to show it rather than by simply saying "sorry, we screwed up", they could simply say "We sincerely apologize about your mishap. Please accept this small gift as our appreciation for bringing this to our attention."

That would usually be all it takes to have a customer for life. I know my jaw would probably drop to the ground if I had businesses show me that kind of courtesy.

 

[funeral979]

Nicely said.

I've done every office job from reception to management. Dealt with all of it.

When I've had with a rude/impatient/pissed off person on the phone that I've contacted for nonbusiness reasons , I diffuse their attitude with one simple question:

Are you having a bad day?

It catches people off guard and always makes them change their attitude because I've called them on how they are coming across.

I have worked in management for close to 20 years now, and could never bring myself to ask a customer this.

On the other hand, I usually pose this question to the wife at least once a week.

Its never met with good results

 

[all4greed]

I have worked in management for close to 20 years now, and could never bring myself to ask a customer this.

On the other hand, I usually pose this question to the wife at least once a week.

Its never met with good results

Man, did I really not clarify myself on this or what? Oops.

I am the customer! So it's a rep/manager/whatever that I'm dealing with for my own personal issues/business that's taking his/her bad day out on me.

Hope that makes more sense!

 

[vinylweatherman]

"The customer is always right" was never meant to be taken LITERALLY. It was more a guideline to the attitude a business would have towards the customer.

The real problem is that industry always tries to shift the blame for something elsewhere, be this the customer or quite frequently "one of our contractors".

Customers know what they saw, but they may not understand it. Problems often arise when the business rep tells the customer that they could not POSSIBLY have seen what they did see, and that if they continue to say they DID see this, they are lying. Rather than getting to the bottom of what actually happened that manifested itself as the impossible in front of the customers' own eyes, the business just wants to bury the issue because it cannot have happened, and the customer just gets "stonewalled".

Take a specific example from the online casino industry. Many players KNOW that Neteller is INSTANT, so when they are told it takes 5 days for money ALREADY SENT to reflect in their Neteller account they know damn well they are being lied to, because the delay is REALLY down to the "middle man", the casino processor, and what has ACTUALLY happened is that the casino has released the withdrawal for payment, passing the money to the processor with instructions to pay it out to the player. This delay, along with the casinos insistence on NOT explaining what is happening, but shifting the blame to "Neteller systems", which a simple phonecall to Neteller will expose as completely bogus reasoning, causes a more aggressive attitude from the customer, which increases with the length of delay.

Sheer incompetence also creates friction between customer and business. This can happen when different people all give the customer different and conflicting stories. For example:-

Yes, we did receive your documents.
We don't have any documents on file, could you send some.
Yes, we got them, but they are unclear.
No, we can't help any more than to say they have not been verified, so please could you send them again.
We still have no record of you EVER having sent in any documentation.
We have lost your documents, could you please send them again.