Customer raises his voice, So I raise mine!

[Joe Marconi]

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[stowintegrity]

As a part of our official training, our staff is exposed to my somewhat unorthodox method of introducing pop-culture references into my dialogue as a means of making my point stick. You bring to mind a common one, Joe!

 

If any of us have seen the move "Roadhouse" with Patrick Swayze, (a MUST for any man, I think) you may remember the scene where he's talking to the staff of the tavern, telling them his three simple rules. The third rule is simply to "Be nice".

 

My staff has been trained that their job is to be nice. To remember that they're doing a job, and that when a customer is upset for any reason, that it's nothing personal. The policy is that they're to be nice always, until it's time NOT to be nice. When they ask how they're supposed to know when that is, I tell them they won't...but I will.

 

"You are the bouncers and I am the cooler."

 

My staff has been trained to know that I expect them to be professional at all times, even when a customer's voice is raised, but they also know that I will step in (Much like you did, Joe) and use my own God-given gift to make it clear to our customers that while we value their business that neither my staff nor I will ever use language thatis uprofessional, nor will we be in any other way disrespectful, and we won't tolerate it in return from anyone.

 

Somehow, and someway, this process or rank & file has allowed us to take some very upset customers from the brink of apparent meltdown to an apologetic surrender by convincing them of one simple fact: We are the only people in the room sincerely interested in helping them with whatever their concerns are. Yelling at us will no sooner get them the result they hope for as it will address the mechanical nature of their problem.

 

I have had to ask an angry customer over the years if they'd like the opportunity to scream & yell at someone before we get down to the actual business of addressing their problem. If they want someone to yell at - I make sure everyone knows that I'm the only one who can satisfy that goal. My staff, I tell them, is paid generously to care for the needs of those we hope to serve, not be a whipping post for someone having a bad day.

 

I guess I don't expect all of you to believe it's easy, but I can tell you that I've earned a real sense of deep respect from my staff because over the years they know that I'm not one to run away from a difficult situation. I check my head, make sure my heart is in the right place, and do everything I can to try to be of service.

 

However, in the words of the late, great 80's rap group, "Whodini",: "Don't think I'm soft, just because I'm humble" To my customers who's brains are sometimes mis-firing...there's generally no need to try to kill a butterfly with a hand-grenade.