Is the customer really always right? Ask a few small-business owners whether the cliché is true, and it’ll get refuted by a chorus of “no’s.” Sure, everyone wants to cultivate happy, loyal customers. But the real world includes difficult people, too.
Here are four instances when customers are wrong:
- They cost you money. You won’t stay in business for long if you dismiss everyone who gives you a headache. Sometimes you might need to eat crow — and a bit of cash — to keep a good customer happy, especially if you’ve made a mistake. But if a problematic patron consistently costs you money, you may be better off cutting the cord. Aspirin can fix a headache but not financial loss.
- They’re consistently obnoxious. Any successful small-business owner knows that demanding customers come with the territory. Thick skin and an open mind go a long way to remaining sane. Although customers are allowed to criticize or complain, they do not have carte blanche to become abusive or discriminatory toward you or your employees. It can be a fine line to walk, but common sense will go a long way: There’s an enormous difference between a cranky customer and a sexist one, for example.
- They want you to break the law. The varying degrees of difficulty among difficult customers make for tough decisions. Dealing with them is not an exact science. However, you should never tolerate customers who ask you to do something unethical or illegal. There’s simply no upside in allowing a shady operator to put your entire business at risk. A request doesn’t have to be particularly dramatic to pose an enormous problem, either. The Microsoft Business Hub offers this example: If a client asks you for a receipt for an amount that’s more than they actually paid, there’s only one right answer: no.
- They’re disturbing other, better-behaved customers. Let’s add another cliché to the mix: It takes just one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch. This can be particularly true in retail storefronts. If an unruly customer is causing a scene and making everyone else uncomfortable, you may need to ask them to leave. Check out the Intuit Small Business Blog’s advice on how to eject a bad customer.
Let’s end on a happier note, shall we? Savvy small-business owners know that, despite the bad customers in their midst, they should focus on the good ones — because these are the folks who ultimately keep them in business. Here are five ways to tell those customers you love them.
To Homestead..
I got your message telling that my own account was closed. I don't know why? I was willing to pay the amount I am used to pay. Can the reason for closing the account be?:
1.--- Homestead did send a message that was difficult to understand. You wrote: "We´re in the process of updating how you sign in to your website account.. e.t.c". When I tried the link it came up a new page that tells me that my site was closed. First I tried to email Homestead with BillingHelp@HomesteadSupport.com but failed. Trying another account with the same email address I succeeded but never got an answer. The billing system must be at fault.
I could phone your Customer Support Department. This is very difficult because:
A.-- Long waiting before the customer get into contact with your department.
B.--- Language problems for not English speaking customers.
C.--- Customers in Europe have to call you when it is night in U.S.A.
D.--- How can you identify a customer within short time when you have 12 millions of them?
I have assisted many of my Norwegian business partners to make/design web pages by using Homestead. In addition to me I have learnt that three of my customers using Homestead have got their sites closed when they tried to pay for continuing services. I have read in independent blog that lots of earlier Homestead customers have had the same problem. This must be serious to you???
To improve your services to foreign customers you should:
1.--- Make paying easy.
2.--- Make it possible to contact Homestead by email. I sent you email twice using two of Homesteads email- accounts and got no answers..
3.--- Do it possible for foreign customers to finish the account without being forced to phone you in the U.S. To prove that the right customer is writing to you is the senders e-mail(address). You can control it by asking for password or given identification number.
NB! I do not answer phone calls from outside Norway because they always seem to be somewhat “skummy”.
I hope still to be a customer with Homestead - Intuit. For the time being my sites are not closed, but I can not make changes. I want to remain a Homestead customer but please give me instruction how? The way you do it now does not function.
Regards
Arvid Tunholt
Authorised Accountant
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