CUSTOMER SERVICE DIALOGBy: Jerry Rand

Types of customers Augmentative Insulting Complaining Irritable/moody Impatient Leave-Me-Alone Suspicious Dishonest Domineering or superior Slow methodical

How to handle these customers

Augmentative: Asking simple, polite questions with options keeps most

situations under smooth control. Insulting: Go neutral. Serve customers promptly, and non-emotionally. You’ll feel an energizing power. And power, properly used, is a good thing. Complaining: Understand and respect what the customers are thinking. Irritable/moody: Stay in their view Impatient: Agreeing first on common points goes a long way

in handling situations with difficult customers.

How to handle these customers continued.

Leave-Me-Alone: Patience works wonders. Never press customers for

sales or decisions. Suspicious: Explain and demonstrate good service as many times as you need to. Some customers just “get it” more slowly than others. Dishonest: Don’t jump to quick conclusions. If you say

no and your assistant manager says to accept the return. Domineering or superior: Accept their options and let

them have their say. Slow methodical: Be patient with customers who need it

help them along by not overwhelming them.

The scene I was at a Texas Roadhouse this weekend

with my family where this older lady came in to have a steak and a salad.

Every thing went well until she got the steak. She ordered it medium rare more to the medium side.

Her salad came and she ate the whole thing then patiently waited for her steak to come.

When the steak came, she ate the outside corners then the waitress came to check in.

Dialog Waitress: “How is every thing tasting ma’am?” Lady: “Every thing is fine except for the steak.” Waitress: “What’s wrong with the steak?” Lady: “It wasn’t done enough it was really rare.” Waitress: “Oh… Sorry ma’am would you like me to get

you a new steak” Lady: “No that’s okay, I don’t want another one, but

could I get a discount?” Waitress: “Yes you may, normally our cook gets the order

just right, you just may have got the unlucky steak.” Lady: “ Thank you.” The waitress left with the meal then came back about

five minutes later with the bill.

Dialog continued… The waitress put the bill on the table and

said, “ I will be back in a couple of minutes for the bill.”

The lady said, “Okay” She came back collected the bill and said,

“Have a nice night, sorry for the bad meal.”

Lady said, “It’s okay he has he tough moments.”

Conclusion I think this lady was a dishonest customer

because of she asked for the discount and she tried to hide it with her other words.

I think that the waitress handled it right by the words she said and how calm she was.

Citations Making Mad Glad www.texasemploymentlawblog.com (for

picture) www.foodlve.com (for picture)