really pissed off a guy..

[Ken Snow]

So the guy is mad that you emailed him an invite to FB friend, which is waaaaay more intense than a simple reminder 6-12 months after cleaning or a thank you mail and then you email him a somewhat defensive appology. Pick up the damn phone and truly appologise to him (hopefully via voicemail) and assure him you will not email him again.

If I got that appology and I had his internet email issues your reply would have sent me into another anger fit. Please call him Mike. If you want to save him, just say you are sorry and realize that YOU should have asked his permission to email him before doing so. Own your error rather than imply that he's an idiot for being so bothered (even if he is he).

Ken

 

[Brian R]

Ken, I didn't think of the pissing him off with yet another email. lol. That makes sense.
I would call the guy just to see how pissed he really is/was. You never can tell on emails and carpet cleaning forums the anger level of the guy typing.

I generally type with a smile on my face but have been noticed by some to pissed off at times depending.

 

[Brian R]

Service reminders. It could be a site with your regularly scheduled service appointments like heat and air, cc, oil changes, septic tank, propane fill, you get the idea.

That's a good idea. It would take huge time and effort to make it happen and it would have to be free to members but still a pretty good idea.
Get a ton of people on it and then sell to the sponsors.

 

[Hoody]

If I got that appology and I had his internet email issues your reply would have sent me into another anger fit.

Thats what I thought.

 

[Ken Snow]

In the service business I have found it best to check my ego at the door and look at things through the "customers eyeglasses".

 

[joey895]

For the record I don't think calling the guy would be wise either. I mean if he finds an email to be "intruding" he's likely to consider a phone call to be down right criminal.

 

[Ken Snow]

The phone call puts a human being behind it, with an empathetic (I hope) voice, especially as the owner. The last thing I would also every say in email or phone call is we. Use the I, it is much harder to be mad at a person than a group or business.

I'm sorry is one of the most beautiful things an upset customer or really anyone can hear, it takes so much of the negative energy out of the situation. Just make sure there are no face saving (ego) qualifiers after it or it is negated, or worse.

 

[The Great Oz]

Good advice Ken.

One thing everyone needs to remember when you have the urge to dump a jerk customer is that you have no idea what's going on in that person's life. As a guy on the street you don't have to care, but as a service provider hoping to sell your service you have to realize that the behavior a customer exhibits may not be about you. You may just remind them of other irritations or misperceptions. People can be wierd, customers won't all be Mr. Spock, and sometimes the person you defuse becomes a great long-term customer.

If your best attempt to correct a situation doesn't work, you can then decide to move on.


PS: A woman at a check-out line was visibly irritated and was being short with customers. When my turn came I said, "Hey, I didn't do anything to you." With a smile.

She apologized and told me about some things she was worried about. I told her to try and have a better rest of the day and her angry spell was over. She just didn't realize that she was projecting her problems onto others.

Not suggesting you try that in a customer's home.

 

[Ken Snow]

Exactly Bryan!

I had a similar experience at a fast food drive thru with a not so nice ordering clerk. When I confronted him about it, he appoligized like your cashier did and it turned out he was the manager. He thanked me for helping him realize how he had let his personal & work issues effect his customer service and wouldn't let me pay for my meal. He turned a real negative into a positive and hopefully got a lot out of it himself.

Ken

 

[rhino1]

Man... all that is so sweet. Unfortunately I have found that a jackass is a jackass... period. You may be able to deal with the current crisis/meltdown, but there will be another and giving an irritable jackass a sympathetic ear just encourages them.

I know this because I am a JackAss... just ask my wife.

Or my kids...

Or my sisters...

The neighbors....

The guy that delivers our pizza...

Pretty much anyone I have to deal with that doesn't have a check for me in their hand.

 

[steve r]

i have the occasional customer ask me to remind them in a year. i tell them heres a magnet call me when your ready.

i like the kiss method.

 

[Brian R]

Everyone customer gets an invoice copy via email at the end of the week.

In the email we ask if they would like to set up "their 6 month cleaning". Been working pretty well.

Service Monster makes it easy with their templates.

 

[Ken Snow]

Chris - do your customer a service and increase your ticket. Ask them when you can contacct them and put it in some kind of system, even if it is folders by month. Doesn't have to be fancy, just do it.

 

[Chris A]

we use the report feature on quickbooks, its not perfect, because you have to manually remove those that repeated before the reminder's due, but it's a lot easier than the alternative, just go into create invoices on qb, click find, then the date range you want to see. We print out 6-12-18-24 month reminders and write out the cards that way.

 

[bob vawter]

Exactly Bryan!

I had a similar experience at a fast food drive thru with a not so nice ordering clerk. When I confronted him about it, he appoligized like your cashier did and it turned out he was the manager. He thanked me for helping him realize how he had let his personal & work issues effect his customer service and wouldn't let me pay for my meal. He turned a real negative into a positive and hopefully got a lot out of it himself.

Ken

Ken...small word of advice.........
unless you enjoy spit in yor food...
NEVER...NEVER....NEVER piss off someone that is handling...

it!

 

[Brian R]

Lol Bob,
That's why to talk to them AFTER you have your food.

 

[bob vawter]

Lol Bob,
That's why to talk to them AFTER you have your food.

ZACKLY!!!!

 

[Steve in Omaha]

facebook is the devils right hand...

 

[Ken Snow]

LOL- I agree in theory Bob but this was at the window and I could see everything, plus thy are always wrapped up.

 

[bob vawter]

LOL- I agree in theory Bob but this was at the window and I could see everything, plus thy are always wrapped up.

http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/ ... effect-wav