How to deal with crazy customers

[Abbyboo92]

Hi,

as some of you may know I own a takeaway. In the 6 weeks I’ve been open, I’ve had 3 complaints. 2 were justified, it was a very busy period, I was under stocked and rushed the orders. This was quickly dealt with, refunds sent, also sent them freebies. The first complainer was very unhappy and took to social media, but deleted it soon after we messaged them back. This customer has now reordered 7 times since then.

now today I have had a customer who was unbelievably angry, and extremely exaggerated the issue at hand (if there even was one)
As an example, they said a cake was undercooked. However when I looked at the other slices from the same cake it wasn’t the case at all. They even destroyed their cake and took pics of it, when I asked if that’s how it was delivered they said no and showed me a pic of how it originally was. Also the pic shows it wasn’t undercooked. I think they may have a mental illness or something because I couldn’t see the issue, and neither could my members of staff. Regardless I was professional throughout and was resolved by refund - I had offered to send a replacement but the offer did not go down well and I was threatened. But I’m happy with how I handled it. But honestly what do you do when that happens? I apologised to her over an over, tried to put myself in her shoes. She threatened to destroy my business, burn it down over a £2 cake.

 

[Mr D]

You do not need every customer. Blacklist the ones that are not worth dealing with and simply refuse to supply them.

In any business you can find a few customers costing you considerably in time and money if you let them.
So do not keep them as customers.

Move on to other customers who are less hassle. Unfortunate you have come across one this early in the business.

 

[Abbyboo92]

You do not need every customer. Blacklist the ones that are not worth dealing with and simply refuse to supply them.

In any business you can find a few customers costing you considerably in time and money if you let them.
So do not keep them as customers.

Move on to other customers who are less hassle. Unfortunate you have come across one this early in the business.

Of course I will never sell to this women again after the threats I got. But what about if they threaten to write a bad review/ social media?
My first complaint ended up being one of my best customers

 

[MOIC]

Ask her to send the cake back for analysis, so her claims can be checked and proven.

Has she fallen ill? Did she report it to any doctor or health authority?

What is she expecting, if she's rejected your offers to date? A large sum of money?

Sounds a bit dodgy, if her claim cannot be verified.

 

[prophet01]

"I was threatened"
"She threatened to destroy my business, burn it down..."
You didn't consider that worthy of reporting to the police, if only to set the matter on record?

"But what about if they threaten to write a bad review/ social media?"
What about if they threaten to write a bad review?

If by "a bad review" you mean a negative, business damaging review you simply respond to the review according to its content.

 

[Bob Morgan]

Seen them, met them, and have (unfortunately) dealt with them. But I do know a rather ‘Nice Gentleman’ in Fulham who deals with such eventualities! - I really do, and he lives in Fulham!
(Youtube search for "JOHN CLEESE MOTHER A LITTLE MAN IN FULHAM")

 

[mattk]

Unfortunately, crazy customers are all part and parcel of doing business with the public - which is why I avoid it.

Bad reviews are inevitable, but they are usually poorly written and grammatically incorrect rants. Simply reply to the review, stating that a refund/replacement was offered and leave it at that.

DO NOT get drawn into a debate about whether an item was suitable/cooked properly/as described etc. I've seen it happen and it never ends well.

As you say, you've got many satisfied customers, a couple of unsatisfied customers who you've successfully turned around and one bad egg. Don't focus your thoughts, time or attention on the exception.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...ant-may-have-burned-purpose-firefighters-say/

I would take this very seriously I would also ask they could confirm that they are going to burn the place down in writing . If they are dumb enough to do that then well
I would report it to the police anyway

The Cornish liberation army were seen as some sort of a joke maybe even a comic sketch and then the papers allege that they did the arson attack on Rick Steins

Nearly every business has some bad online feedback it is just running a business in the modern world

 

[Mr D]

Of course I will never sell to this women again after the threats I got. But what about if they threaten to write a bad review/ social media?
My first complaint ended up being one of my best customers

Then they threaten to write a bad review. Maybe they even take the time to write one.
You cannot focus your time on those who might do something and anyone who does write a bad review will do so. You cannot stop them if they want to.

 

[Guy Incognito]

Unfortunately it's part of doing business. Most customers are great, rational and understanding, but you'll get a few who have various issues.
My "favourite" was a woman who ordered something from us and then changed her mind (so we refunded her). Cue a 1 star review and all sorts of stuff on social media. Googling her turned up a litany of 1 star reviews about various businesses and clearly a mental illness. She tries to destroy businesses seemingly as a hobby. She tried to order again and we refused.
Currently dealing with a person who is complaining that an item arrived with the box getting rained on in transit - despite the product being in pristine condition. He wants a discount because of this and I've told him to Foxtrot Oscar.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

You will always have disgruntled customers when you open a shop or start trading

As MattK states virtually all places who publish complaints have a option to make your side of the argument, dont bullshite just respond with what you did to solve the problem

Funny enough most people like to see a few bad reviews ans it confirms they are not all fake

 

[MBE2017]

Personally I think you have done most things right, but one thing wrong.

In your position I would have offered a replacement, or refund. Then you need to stop worrying and concentrate on replacing this customer. Keep the photos etc, but most importantly forget and move forward.

 

[Abbyboo92]

Personally I think you have done most things right, but one thing wrong.

In your position I would have offered a replacement, or refund. Then you need to stop worrying and concentrate on replacing this customer. Keep the photos etc, but most importantly forget and move forward.

I offered to send a replacement out, and she responded very badly to this, this is when I offered a refund. Hopefully she doesn’t leave a bad review. If she does I will be able to respond saying
“I am really sorry you have experienced this. We investigated this matter and found it was an isolated incident, and offered to send a replacement cake and a refund, in which you accepted. I hope this matter is now resolved, thank you.
Does this sound ok? Or slightly too much?

 

[MBE2017]

I would respond, on receiving your complaint we offered a replacement or full refund, you chose a refund which we credited to you on ....

 

[momon121]

As most of the then highlighted you have done the right thing and move on. Sometimes we can get too attached to this issued and we should learn to let it ASAP once it’s been dealt accordingly.

Good luck with your venture

 

[prophet01]

@Abbyboo92

"I was threatened"
"She threatened to destroy my business, burn it down..."
You didn't consider that worthy of reporting to the police, if only to set the matter on record?...

Although it's not mandatory a response to my question would have been polite.

So your proposed response to a negative review from a customer, who you say threatened you and threatened to burn down your business, is to apologise.
Simply mind boggling!

 

[saton]

Unfortunately, in business it is hard to avoid this. Customers are used to being right. Especially hard when you prepare something for the holiday. Someone's mood spoiled and everyone will be to blame.

 

[simon field]

Get yourself off social media for a start.
It’s a breeding ground for nutters, attention-seeking narcissists, and pouting dickheads whose shallow lives are lived only to crave responses.

 

[alan1302]

@Abbyboo92


Although it's not mandatory a response to my question would have been polite.

So your proposed response to a negative review from a customer, who you say threatened you and threatened to burn down your business, is to apologise.
Simply mind boggling!

Easiest way - no pint in making what she buyer did public - you need to look like you are being sympathetic to the customer and have done all you can to resolver their problems.

 

[alan1302]

Get yourself off social media for a start.
It’s a breeding ground for nutters, attention-seeking narcissists, and pouting ****heads whose shallow lives are lived only to crave responses.

Yes, that is where their customers come from so they can't come off. The Internet as a whole has a lot of issues as well - and a business would not want to leave the whole Internet either.

 

[Klementir]

Easiest way - no pint in making what she buyer did public - you need to look like you are being sympathetic to the customer and have done all you can to resolver their problems.

You are right. Customers love to be given special attention

 

[MBE2017]

Only the OP can decide the appropriate response since it is his business. Personally after the customers attitude I wouldn’t apologise, it will probably only encourage them to respond more. That’s the reason I worded my reply above in the way I did, just reply with facts, don’t ask or expect a reply, don’t look for one. Try to kill this dead. And move on.

 

[prophet01]

@alan1302

@Abbyboo92


Although it's not mandatory a response to my question would have been polite.

So your proposed response to a negative review from a customer, who you say threatened you and threatened to burn down your business, is to apologise.
Simply mind boggling!

Easiest way - no pint in making what she buyer did public - you need to look like you are being sympathetic to the customer and have done all you can to resolver their problems.

Alan, sometimes the easiest way is not the way. Sometimes you simply have to make a stand and confront/face-out the wholly unacceptable behaviour of an aggressor.

There is a point in making what the buyer did public. That point being to demonstrate to the public that, not only was the customer treated sympathetically and all was done to resolve the matter, it was done despite the wholly unacceptable (and illegal) threatening behaviour of the customer.

 

[Deleted member 59730]

The Cornish liberation army were seen as some sort of a joke maybe even a comic sketch and then the papers allege that they did the arson attack on Rick Steins

It still is a joke played by local fishermen on the press who will believe anything.

At the time Stein's restaurant was rated 22 out of 22 on tripadvisor.

 

[alan1302]

@alan1302


Alan, sometimes the easiest way is not the way. Sometimes you simply have to make a stand and confront/face-out the wholly unacceptable behaviour of an aggressor.

There is a point in making what the buyer did public. That point being to demonstrate to the public that, not only was the customer treated sympathetically and all was done to resolve the matter, it was done despite the wholly unacceptable (and illegal) threatening behaviour of the customer.

I disagree, bringing that into a public discussion makes people wonder what else went on and what are you hiding - I can see no reason to make that all public.

 

[prophet01]

@alan1302
"I disagree..."
As you're fully entitled to.

"...bringing that into a public discussion makes people wonder what else went on and what are you hiding"
In my view, no they won't.

"I can see no reason to make that all public."
I explained the reason in my last post - I repeat, to demonstrate to the public that, not only was the customer treated sympathetically and all was done to resolve the matter, it was done despite the wholly unacceptable (and illegal) threatening behaviour of the customer.

 

[obscure]

I repeat, to demonstrate to the public that, not only was the customer treated sympathetically and all was done to resolve the matter, it was done despite the wholly unacceptable (and illegal) threatening behaviour of the customer.

Agreed. When someone rants or makes inaccurate claims you should reply to those with calm clear professional statement of what happened and what you did to remedy it.

 

[jurassicaffirm]

To be honest, there's no one universal right way on how you can deal with angry customers. Every case is different with a different issue and a different person. One angry client can calm down simply after you apologize and offer a substitute product, and another one can range on forever (like the one you have mentioned in your story). I feel like the best way is to try to stay calm and fix the issue if the customer is still unsatisfied there's not much you can really do if you have already tried your best to fix the problem that they encountered.

 

[Bluejen84]

The comment "you don't need every customer" is perfect and a hard lesson to learn. You desperately cling to please everyone but you can't. Some customers are just bad for business.

The customer complained but you were satisfied your product was as it should be. Sometimes it's okay to stand by your service, I wouldn't have refunded but maybe a discount on a future order.

 

[Alison Moore]

Unfortunately people are more likely to leave a review if they aren't happy - that's just the way of things. The only way to counteract the negatives, is to get lots of positive reviews and reply, very politely to their negative review so that other customers can see that the issue is with them and not you. Some people will just kick off a fuss about everything the buy, as they get lots of freebies that way. Some people will never be pleased. In my last line of work you wouldn't believe how many times I was called appalling names (think of the worse name imaginable, and yes that's what I was called). It's just a fact of life when dealing with customers - ban any that are problematic, as you have the right to refuse to supply to people, and just concentrate on the good ones.

 

[antropy]

I have learned that if people are having a bad day and you contact them or they contact you then whatever you say they are going to rant. Just let them vent and they will calm down but sometimes you cannot reason with them (like in this instance). Hope it all gets resolved but as highlighted by other people, 1 person cannot ruin a business through a bad review. Alex

 

[Ian J]

Unfortunately, crazy customers are all part and parcel of doing business with the public - which is why I avoid it.

I used to own a restaurant but fortunately before the days of social media as I don't suffer fools gladly and if anyone gave me a bad review I would probably make it worse

I tend to read reviews on TripAdvisor and get cross about some of the idiots posting restaurant reviews there. You will get some dickhead giving a place a one or two star review stating that he had been there loads of times and the food was always good but this time it wasn't. Needless to say there were no positive reviews done when he enjoyed his visit.

30 odd years ago I used to work with a chap that deliberately complained about meals whether he enjoyed it or not in an attempt to blackmail the restaurant into giving him a free meal. Horrible man

 

[Mitch3473]

The comment "you don't need every customer" is perfect and a hard lesson to learn. You desperately cling to please everyone but you can't. Some customers are just bad for business.

The customer complained but you were satisfied your product was as it should be. Sometimes it's okay to stand by your service, I wouldn't have refunded but maybe a discount on a future order.

Agreed. We had a new client and received 3 complaints within the first 3 weeks, bearing mind we had had a total of just 3 complaints prior to that in 6 years, I knew something was wrong and it wasn't us. Phoned the client up, apologised and told her that since we couldn't perform to her high standards we felt is was in both parties interest that we would be withdrawing our service with immediate affect. She was horrified and obviously in the sh!t. It felt good......Take the high ground.

 

[antropy]

Phoned the client up, apologised and told her that since we couldn't perform to her high standards we felt is was in both parties interest that we would be withdrawing our service with immediate affect. She was horrified and obviously in the sh!t. It felt good......Take the high ground.

This is like something out of the book 'How to Win Friends and Influence People'. Very good way to smooth over trouble clients. Alex

 

[STDFR33]

Agreed. We had a new client and received 3 complaints within the first 3 weeks, bearing mind we had had a total of just 3 complaints prior to that in 6 years, I knew something was wrong and it wasn't us. Phoned the client up, apologised and told her that since we couldn't perform to her high standards we felt is was in both parties interest that we would be withdrawing our service with immediate affect. She was horrified and obviously in the sh!t. It felt good......Take the high ground.

In business, this is called ‘the 5 year olds approach’.

 

[Andrew Bolton]

When confronted with an angry reaction from a customer, whether justified or not ( given that,..in their own minds..the customer is always right) it is obviously important to keep the professional and moral high ground at all times. If it involves written exchanges, always bear in mind, given the size of the purchase, that it could potentially lead to a court case, and every communication will be important, and taken into account
My tactic generally when confronted with an angry and often irrational customer is to try to disarm them by going absolutely over the top, and appearing even more upset and fraught than they are, almost exaggerating their concerns..who recalls the Monty Python sketch with the dirty cutlery, the reaction of the waiter and thereafter, the customer ?
Sometimes, if the customer really believes you are more upset than they are, they tend to back off..

 

[Mitch3473]

In business, this is called ‘the 5 year olds approach’.

Glad to hear it but I'm not wasting my time on one client who cant or wont be satisfied, fortunately I'm in a position whereby I don't have to deal with this kind of client. What's that 80/20 rule....?

 

[ecommerce84]

I always have a lot respect for the owners on tripadvisor that ‘bite back’ at the people leaving the reviews - anyone that’s worked in customer service will have wanted to tell a customer how they really feel at some stage so it’s always a nice read.

That said, it may not be overly effective at encouraging people through the doors and into your establishment!

 

[Scalloway]

What's that 80/20 rule....?

Also known as the Pareto Principle after the person who discovred it. For many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle

 

[UKsouthwest]

I have had my own business for many years now and it still hurts me personally when you get difficult situations.
I sell domestic appliances online by the way.
Now when it happens I just try and shut it down straight away. A couple of years ago a lady complained that a tumble dryer that I had sold her was dangerous and started really going off on one. I drove half way across the UK, picked the item up and refunded her that day.
She then wrote crappy horrible, lying reviews and used the fact that I had dealt with it so quickly to justify her anger. In her mind I had dealt with it so quickly as I knew that it was "dangerous".
My son had just bought his own flat and three years later that tumble dryer is still drying his clothes without any fault or danger in my sons place.
You can doing nothing really apart from try not to take these things too hard. I wish though I could take my own advice.