I got an online “feedback” regarding his experience on difficult customers during his days working in a restaurant.

There are several things that may or may not be the solutions as many people have different views on this “issue” as Singaporeans or tourist alike have their “ways” of getting the desired service standard in Singapore.

Some people smiled and ask for discounts, others make a noisy complain to get the manager to offer some bonus vouchers or other “tidbits” to resolve the “issue”.

Regardless the problems both the customers or service provider face, it’s pure business that all bosses wants and that leaving the “employee” to have no where to turn to and have to swallow their pride to follow the “customer is always king” mantra.

However, things have to change…as the world is changing constantly.

I always believe that to get good service…the customer should be friendly and “considerate” hence getting the best service…but I am wrong many times…

I had personally encountered pushy hard selling and scams everywhere I turn but I just simply ignore them, others may stir a hurricane towards the sales representative.

So here’s some solutions that I can think of for bosses to consider to “encourage” more friendly customers to come.

1. Mystery Seller Program – to reward friendly customers with discounts.

2. Hidden Camera Program – to shame the ridiculously rude customers & reward the sales representative for being friendly “under fire”, place in gems related website “youtube” style.
3. When customer ask for the manager – tell them happily that they are no longer eligible to the “friendly customer discount scheme” and show them with a “free course to get quality service by being friendly to sales staff” pamphlet – remember to smile profusely.
4. Train Sales Staff to be more “crazy” - tell the sale staff to think of these difficult customers as a funny icon, a Mr. Bean reincarnate, a funny joke waiting to erupt into volcano, another great conversation piece for lunch break and entertainment. The sales stuff should be happy to serve difficult customer with a “crazy grin” and handle them happily so to get the next funny “complain” by customers to share with the rest…haha.
5. Sell your products online – simple.

For the customers…some recommendation

1. There is always ebay – for those introvate and lack of social skills or too lazy to go out.

2. There is always easier way to get attention – you can post your feedback here in my blog.
3. Shop smart – do your homework before going shopping
4. Smile often – you might never know what surprise you get for being friendly to store owners, they might offer you discounts!
5. Learn how to be “patient” – with the sales representative might get you some nice tips & you may get a better shopping experience instead of getting caught in a firestorm of angry exchanges.
6. If Serious Foul Play or Scam – report to CASE with all the proper evidences, if food poisoning report police, if serious….report police.
7. If all else fails – leave the shop and don’t patronize that shop “lah” until you see improvement or sale.

Well, some of the ideas are not meant to be taken literary but sometimes it’s the pent up frustration that both the customers and sales representative got inside them that caused all these unhappiness.

Sometimes it’s unrelated stress such as work related or simply in deep financial problems causing more anger and the sales representative happens to be their “emotional punching bags”.

There must be a way to release those frustration…maybe visiting the “failblog.org” website can release some stress and laugh about everyone’s failures.

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