(February 21, 2018 at 8:59 pm)energizer bunny Wrote:(February 20, 2018 at 1:07 am)Kernel Sohcahtoa Wrote: CIJS,
A few weeks ago, I encountered a challenging customer: he had worn a jacket for about a year and parts of the lining were worn out, and as a result, he said that since the jacket was about $1,000 (he had no receipt and no price tag for the item, so that we could verify the purchase; the item was our house brand, which has always been on some kind of a sale) that he should either have the jacket repaired for free or that we return the jacket for the $1,000; I told him that the latter option was against our policy as it was used merchandise and we had no item information. In the interest of finding some kind of a solution, I called the tailor out to see if she would be able to repair it for free. She informed me that she would need to order a completely new lining for the jacket and that the repair would cost $100. I then informed the gentleman of the repair cost and that the cost could not be reduced (the tailor clearly stated this) nor would it be free. As a result, he made a negative comment, grabbed the jacket, and walked off as if he was leaving the store; however, he went to another register and asked to speak to another manager.
When the other manager arrived, she tried to get information for the item but was unsuccessful. In the interests of appeasing him (she assessed him as the type that would not go quietly), she took his name and number and stated that she did not have the authority to have our organization pay for the repair and that she would talk to the store manager and call the gentleman when she received an answer. This approach ultimately appeased the gentleman and he was appreciative of her efforts.
With that said, the gentleman was in our store today and complained about me; the tailor actually overheard him speaking negatively about me and informed me as a result. In addition, the tailor also informed me that the organization is paying for the gentleman's repair. Upon examination of my encounter with the gentleman, I definitely could have handled the situation better: from the beginning of my encounter with the gentleman, I got the sense that he was challenging and had an attitude of entitlement; given his conduct, a direct no was ineffective, as it only increased his sense of entitlement and made the matter more challenging to resolve. Hence, the approach used by the other manager was correct (I was wrong), and I will remember this approach when dealing with people who have similar attitudes and who conduct themselves in a similar manner.
I agree, you could've handled this so much better. As soon as he asked for a return, you could've grabbed his jacket, threw it at his face and said "over my dead body, your not getting anything from me." Or you could've just laughed at him. Mocking him. Saying "what makes you think your getting anything from me" while laughing. Then encouraged your other employees to laugh at him as well. "Hey look everyone, this guy is asking for a return without a receipt."
I'm kidding of course.
Don't forget you could have called him a "banana-faced blue bottle fly loving gibbon from distant skies" and farted in his Soufflé. That's how I'd treat my customers and I highly recommend it.
