My Anger Meltdown over Service Dept.

joshuajim wrote:

toedtoes wrote:

joshuajim wrote:
First off, I find a lot of the responses on this post to be condesending. Too many have implied that it’s a simple process and if you don’t know how to do it yourself “you are an idiot”. I don’t know the OP’s age or physical ability so this is a totally wrong premise.

Second, what ever happened to “the customer is always right”, the tenant for good customer relations and increased business. I used to own and operate a transmission shop. We would get customers that were very “angry” about their situation which could be costing them thousands of dollars and that they felt was not their fault. Sometimes it was and sometimes it wasn’t. BUT in any case, it was the service writers REQUIREMENT in my shop to calm the situation, explain to the customer what may have caused the situation, assure them that we would be doing everything possible to remedy the situation and move forward. In most cases just letting the customer vent and not responding until they are done calms the situation. Most people calm down after they have had an uninterrupted vent.

Finally, if one of my service writers hung up on a customer, that service writer would receive a day off without pay and I would cover their job for a day.

I had many repeat customers and referrals.

The customer is NOT always right. Yes, it is best if the company employee can "hold out" while the customer vents and then find a way to appease the customer while protecting the business. But employees are people too. Sometimes the customer is simply too abusive, violent, whatever. Sometimes the employee is too sensitive. But for whatever reason that one interaction doesn't go smoothly. And sometimes the customer has learned that if they b!tch enough and make a scene they are likely to get extra. Abuse is abuse and should not be tolerated. A bad day can be brought down.

I have a co-worker who argues the "customer is always right". Every week she has a tale of how a business tried to rip her off and she had to get in their face to protect herself. But, if you let her keep talking, you will find out that she knew they weren't "ripping her off" - she just purposely misread the signage/agreement in order to get a better price. She has no concern about the person at the other end of her tirade - she just goes off on them "because when she worked retail, people did that to her all the time". She's even had her boyfriend come and argue with her for a buck. This is someone who has learned that customers must be bullies.

Yes, the customer is always right. That does not mean that the customer always gets what they want, but you have to listen, analyze and determine the best compromise in order to both satisfy that customer and retain them as a customer. Sometimes as a last resort you just have to say, I'm sorry but we can't do that.

Transmission business is probably one of the worst businesses for unhappy customers. Very few customers leave the shop "happy" about their purchase as they would in an appliance store. They car is a necessity and being without it is a hardship.

Apparently you have never owned a customer service business.

I have owned a successful customer service business for almost 40 years. I doubt at the end of the day, you and I would have much disagreement, as to customer relations. And I would guess you would agree, there comes a point where it is just best to fire the customer.

A certain percent of the human race, is just wack job crazy and mean. We draw the line at someone being verbally abusive, using foul language, calling our people names. We are going to fire them.

Folks seem to be under the mistaken impression, that any business is so desperate for customers, they can say and do what they want and abuse us. What they miss is this, not only do we not want you as a customer we would pay you not to come back.

I have no idea, what the OP said or did not say, or how the dealership talked to her. But like I said, if people get abusive, we will hang up on them as well. Happens maybe once every two or three years.