QotW: Attitude being everything; how do you deal with customers that cross a line of sorts, and have you ever denied service to someone?

[Pres]

@Mark C. in a recent Qotw mentioned attitude being everything, but then went on: attitude is everything unless the customer crosses the line (been there as well) Refusing service always is a last resort but I have done it more than once-this may be another topic? Good topic I would think as people get into doing more shows(if Covid allows).  

Attitude is everything when dealing with customers, and I have had some interesting interplays with customers as I am sure if you do shows you have also. I can always relate to the folks that could never find the right colors with my pots to match their decors, or those that wanted me to pull out all of my stored pots so that they could find the perfect piece and yet leave with nothing. I have also had those that seemed to want to get out of the sun and just stand in my booth. . . making me request that they move along. Then there have been the young people that got into an argument that was about some non festival related topic that I feared would get violent, so I asked them to take their problem elsewhere.

I do remember one very particular person that came down the Penn State Festival booths with a bucket of water and a ladle. He stopped at every potter and wanted to test their teapots for pourability!  Some potters turned him down as it was a very busy day, sometimes crowds 4-5 deep at my booth. He had not bought a thing, and had tested out some pots up from me maybe 4 booths before he got to me. He had a daughter with him in her 20's he appeared to be in his early 50's. He introduced himself and asked if he could test out my teapots. Big crowd, do you turn him down? I didn't. He poured water into a teapot, and put the lid back on, noticing the rim notch. then he poured form the pot a few times with quick and slow angle stops. He repeated this for 6 teapots (all I had out), setting all aside and not saying a word. When finished he and his daughter looked at each talking about aesthetics and color etc. In the end he bought 3 teapots from me, and he proclaimed to the crowd that all were excellent!  I was relieved, but better yet by the end of the day I had sole 4-5 more. Attitude is everything, whether on the part of the customer or the vendor.

QotW: Attitude being everything; how do you deal with customers that cross a line of sorts, and have you ever denied service to someone?

 

best,

Pres

[Callie Beller Diesel]

In my former life, I used to be middle management in a health food/grocery store in an area with a pretty diverse cross section of humanity. Specifically, I was a Cashier Supervisor, and I have management training.  In working the customer service desk there, I couldn’t even make up the things that happened! I have witnessed someone drop $1200 in vitamins and bulk items on the same day we had to remove someone tripping balls on crack from the store who was trying to shoplift very, very poorly. I have kept a straight face while witnessing someone checking the “energy signature” on a day-old muffin by holding it to her forehead (she bought it), and while someone was shopping with a pyramid on his head without a trace of irony. The guy returning 7 organic cabbages that had spent a week in his car in August did manage to bust my poker face though. It wasn’t hot by southern US standards, but 30*C was involved.

So my threshold for weird is probably a bit broken!

Serving demanding customers can pay off when they’re in earnest, but it’s helpful to ask a few screening questions to see what they’re after and to establish if you’re able to help them now, in the future, or not at all. To do this, you have to have your boundaries and service offerings defined for yourself.

If someone is in earnest, I would have no issue with them wanting to check teapot pour, and would probably aid and abet this with my own water bottle. If someone is looking for a specific pot, I’ll ask a few clarifying questions and produce the best available options for them to choose from. It helps them pick faster if the choices are limited. If I know I don’t have the options, I’ll say so. I’ll either offer to put them on a list for when the right thing is back in stock, or send them to another potter who might have something that suits better. My philosophy is to help people find what they want as efficiently as possible, and to be of service to customers in my booth. People seeking things like discounts or to not pay tax are met with a professional responses (“I only offer price breaks on wholesale quantities” or “I do some nice things for repeat customers and my email list subscribers,”  or “The price for cash sale is the same.”). Being of service does not mean undervaluing yourself.

I do not tolerate abuse or cruelty though. 

I have only asked 2 people to leave my booth. One person made an exceptionally crude sexual comment that he then tried to say was “just a joke.” I replied “Jokes are supposed to be funny,” and gave him Mom Look Number 32b (Arched Eyebrow Variant). He backed away in embarrassment. The second lady I think didn’t have any idea what a fine craft market entailed, and had a very loud sticker shock response to a $35 mug. Like..REALLY loud. And rude. And angry. And personal. She used the words “Who the $%^& do you think you are!?” I walked up to her and said in a calm quiet voice pitched for her and no one else “This item is possibly not for you, but there is nneed to make a spectacle of yourself over it. You should leave my booth now.” Anyone being rude or mean to me does not mean I have to stoop to their level.

 

[Mark C.]

Usually  my return customers are my best sales force. I have had a few bad eggs and refused service to about 3 folks over the last 45 years. One was two women from New York with really bad mouths and attitudes  and very loud. I usually just let nature take it course and they leave but these two where not going so I had to say your money is not good in this booth-soon they got it and left .

I also did that  about 25 years ago to a aggressive man who told me after putting 4 mugs down on my sales table what I was going to charge him. I picked up the 4 mugs quietly and returned them to the shelve and told him politely his money was no good in my booth and he left.You get to refuse service as its your right

Another was a man who had no clue about reality.

I have had a few drunks as well over the past 45 years who required removal before displayed got hurt.Dogs peeing on racks-0dog fight in booth-food being dumped etc

My usual way to say no is your money is no good in this booth-that usually gets them wondering  why this may be soo and soon they drift away.I do not confront folks most times. Keep smiling and say what I mean. Sometime the customer is not always right