What do you do about difficult customers?

[thepumpguysc]

Your exactly right Lenny.. this guy was a MASTER manipulator.. He could sell ICE to an Eskimo..& charge twice as much & they'd love it..
I've never seen anything like it & never have since..
The guy is going to go to "H. E. double tooth picks" when he dies.. FO' SHO'.. Lol
Some people call it> being a good salesman<
Most of us call it> being a lyin' pri**<

 

[brown40]

Lazarus and Dives All.

Everybody wants a good deal; no one wants to be taken advantage of; people need assurance their treatment is just.

"Time is Money" is the sad mantra most are raised with. Time means money as much as "worth" and "value" do. The only commonality is "change".

You must be able to give quotes that are on target with your labor and costs--inflation of a set % over what you think is the maximum out for you is the best way. Unforeseen things are a reality. If you blow it, you eat it.

If you come under and feel charitable, lower the final cost and get referrals for life.

Also you have to politely disagree with a figure or amount they have indicated formally or in passing ASAP--immediately ideally.

Polite, professional, honest, accurate, and willing to say no if reasonable expectations can't be clearly agreed upon.

Also--contractors who talk with every passerby, and are on & off the machine a lot will make people nervous. Work is work, and when you aren't, you aren't.

They must be confident enough in you to be comfortable they are partners--not meal tickets.

 

[pmsmechanic]

The best quote I ever got for a job was "I'll tell you when the job is done." I don't like asking for exact quotes. You never know what's going to show up that was impossible to quote for. I'll ask for a rough idea on costs thereby acknowledging that there can be surprises.

I also never quote on the work that I do. I can give people a rough estimate based on what I think might need repairs but you never know for sure until you have the job apart.

 

[sixdogs]

After lots of years of this and part of it unscrewing other people's troubles, I feel the lack of communication causes most problems and worsens them along the way. Know your customer, know what they are feeling or thinking and stay in touch, especially when things go wrong.

 

[Oldpath05]

I couldn't disagree more, I don't believe that the "customer is always right" and good customer service are exclusive to each other. Sometimes when the customer is wrong there is no amount of customer service that will repair the relationship. But like others said if you listen closely your potential clients will actually tell you that they are going to be a problem and as a high end vendor you can happily pass on the business knowing full well that no, you did not lose a deal, you escaped a bad deal.

I can see what kinda tractor and car dealer you'd be, I want my tractor with ag tires, no we cant do that, I want my tractor with a cab, no you dont need that, I want a free 50 hr service with my new tractor, no we cant dot that or go 20 miles to get it and we're to busy to go to your place, I want my new tractor with black stripes, no we cant do that and if we did we'd only put on white stripes because we think white would look better on your new tractor that your buying from us, sign here while I get you a free cup of coffee thats four hrs old and a yesterday's donut and here's your 5 year warranty..............

 

[Gary Fowler]

I can see what kinda tractor and car dealer you'd be, I want my tractor with ag tires, no we cant do that, I want my tractor with a cab, no you dont need that, I want a free 50 hr service with my new tractor, no we cant dot that or go 20 miles to get it and we're to busy to go to your place, I want my new tractor with black stripes, no we cant do that and if we did we'd only put on white stripes because we think white would look better on your new tractor that your buying from us, sign here while I get you a free cup of coffee thats four hrs old and a yesterday's donut and here's your 5 year warranty..............

I don't think that is what he meant by the customer is NOT always right. If a customer asks for professional help in doing a job and then starts telling the professional how to do the job, it is time to walk away. IF the customer knew how to do it, he could just rent the equipment and do it himself. If I were to estimate a job, I would do it the way I estimated it, if the customer wanted something different, it is change order time.
This is much different from what you described as what a customer wants and the supplier refusing to grant them. Admittedly, some things a customer wants cant be supplied in all cases. If a customer says I want a VW Beetle but I want a 6.7L diesel engine in it, Do you say OK or NO that isn't possible or if he wants a custom psychedelic paint job but only wants to pay for a standard paint job, do you still say OK. How about if he asks you to sell him a horse but he wants it to look like a cow and give 2 gallons of milk a day. You say "Sure ok I can do that and sell him a cow?

 

[Oldpath05]

I dont care what size engine someone wants in a VW Rabbit, or if he wants horse that looks like cow, IF a customer is paying me and IF it can be done I will do it, I'm not going to tell a PAYING customer no and or go somewhere else, if someone is PAYING me, than he's right. I'm sick and tied of a paying customer getting treated like crap, and people wonder why Amazon and Walmart got so big and Sears went to crap, Sears left a bad taste in my mouth ten years ago with their attitude of (The customer is never right)

 

[fried1765]

I dont care what size engine someone wants in a VW Rabbit, or if he wants horse that looks like cow, IF a customer is paying me and IF it can be done I will do it, I'm not going to tell a PAYING customer no and or go somewhere else, if someone is PAYING me, than he's right. I'm sick and tied of a paying customer getting treated like crap, and people wonder why Amazon and Walmart got so big and Sears went to crap, Sears left a bad taste in my mouth ten years ago with their attitude of (The customer is never right)

You can add E-Bay & PayPal to that list, with Amazon, and Walmart also!

 

[goeduck]

The customer may not always be right, but he is always the customer. Tough to do business without them. That said, some are bad customers and you need to separate from them or they willl grind you down.

 

[Coyote machine]

I dont care what size engine someone wants in a VW Rabbit, or if he wants horse that looks like cow, IF a customer is paying me and IF it can be done I will do it, I'm not going to tell a PAYING customer no and or go somewhere else, if someone is PAYING me, than he's right. I'm sick and tied of a paying customer getting treated like crap, and people wonder why Amazon and Walmart got so big and Sears went to crap, Sears left a bad taste in my mouth ten years ago with their attitude of (The customer is never right)

I hear you on Sears. They built a medium sized store in one of the larger cities in VT in the 80's. I used to use a Sears corporate card to charge my tools for my business. I eventually dropped it, and eventually them because of their ridiculous prices and crap service. They were more interested in talking to themselves at the register than helping customers. At best they'd point a finger at an aisle if I wanted to know where something was?!
There was one guy I could deal with, a real nice guy who'd walk with me to wherever I needed to be. I asked him how he could work for the ****** running the stores now. He said he tried his best to give customer service and forget about the numbnutz working and running the place. I told so many people there they were going down for the count, years ago. Almost all laughed in my face. I told them they'd see if they hung around long enough. They're not laughing now, 'cause they're all gone. I feel bad for the guy who used to treat me with respect. He was one in a million, left over from the World we all used to know.