
Hi friends, hope weâre all keeping well.
So, for those who might not know, Iâve worked in a takeaway shop, which is also a restaurant, for quite some time now. I also picked up a bar job during my summer break, which was a nice experience.
Thus, I think it would be fair to say Iâve accumulated a decent amount of experience working in the service industry. And while it certainly has its ups, like meeting genuinely interesting people and being able to improve your interpersonal skills, there are certainly many downs to the industry-such as having to deal with rude customers from time to time.
I would definitely say I meet one rude customer for roughly every 50 regular customers I serve, so theyâre definitely not a tremendous problem I experience often.
That said, theyâre still a problem.
Like, PSA announcement here guys, please donât blame the person at the counter for any troubles you have with your shopping experience. 9 times out of 10 itâs a problem thatâs outside of their control, and canât do anything about. Of course, itâs definitely recommended to tell them about the problem you have and let them know, but please do not berate them for it or expect them to remedy the problem immediately.
The person working at the counter is a human too, please treat them like oneđ¤Śđťââď¸
Over the years, I think Iâve found some ways to deal with these ârude customersâ too. So, for those of you working in any sort of hospitality industry, allow me to share some tips and insights on how I frequently handle rude and angry customers, from a few years of working in a takeaway shop and restaurant.
đ¤˛đťSympathise and Empathiseđ¤˛đť
Most of the time, a customer isnât even trying to be rude, and itâs important to remember that. Think of the third story, avoid the fundamental attribution error, and deploy the most respectful interpretation.
Many times theyâre just a bit frustrated, but it has been amplified because of their hunger. Once they get a full stomach, the bulk of their anger usually quickly subsides.
So, when theyâre complaining with you always give your best effort to actually listen to their problem and reassure them that you understand. A bit of understanding can go a long way.
đRepeat what the Customer Saidđ
This is another way to let the customer know you fully understand their problem. Donât just say:
âAh yes, I understand I understand. But I assure you thatâŚâ
You can rehearse that line for any and every complaint. Instead, make sure you let them know you understand their problem by repeating it back to them.
âOkay, I see. What youâre saying isâŚdid I understand that right?â
Then you follow that up with an explanation of the problem, and of course apologise that theyâre experiencing this problem.
đApologise and Accept Full Responsibilityđ
The easiest and quickest way to quell a customerâs anger and rudeness, is to instantly open up with an apology, and a full acceptance of responsibility of the problem theyâre having; whether it be a wrong order, slow delivery, or just a bad experience.
At the end of the day, the person on the other side did give your place a shot, so itâs important to treat them with respect. I usually try think of every ârude customerâ interaction as the possible last time they ever order from here, and try make sure I can retain them.
(That said, sometimes youâre also going to come across people who are just rude for the sake of being rude. Donât ever take anything they say to heart. People who are rude for the sake of wasting your time and making you have a bad day truly donât have anything else to do in their life. Feel sorry for them that this is what they do with their one life, hope they can be better, then move on. đđź)
Hopefully I can help some of you out in dealing with rude customers with this post. Theyâre a sad inevitability in the grand scheme of life, so I believe itâs better to get used to them early on rather than later down the line, so you eventually grow your own thick skin.
Thanks for reading if you made it this far, stay safe đđź
those customer service jobs are a great way to learn about human nature… seemslike you’ve learned some valuable lessons…
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I suppose so!
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Great advice for employees and customers.
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