48 - But in a job like OP has, EVERY client should be treated like their biggest client.

It seems like the biggest clients always act like the biggest douchcraft carriers- firing weapons of mass douchtruction.

Any irate customer shouldn't be tolerated. If you can't act at least civil to the people who provide you a service you shouldn't have that service. Big client or not.

Well spoken :)

Well sometimes (most of) the time, the "biggest customers" are the worst people. Example A) my sister got a FREAKING STANTON thrown at her by one of her hotel company's "biggest costumers." Did it matter that he was a big shot in the police report? Nope. B) example B doesn't exist, I just really wanted to share that story.

Well spoken, #92. Unfortunately, in real live such clients have to be tolerated. Otherwise your company soon might be out of business. You cannot change all the unfriendly people, so learn how to live with them.

2- For the most part, I agree with you, but when someone wants to lose their shit with me, I don't really care what they think, so I usually find it amusing. After all, it's more of a reflection on themselves if they want to look like foolish, spoilef brats. ;)

Money talks, and therefore the customer is always right. Even when the customer is wrong. It doesn't matter if you knew who they were or not. If you're in any line of work that provides customer service, it's your job to swallow your pride & be polite. A thankless job, but your job nonetheless and you knew that. YDI

That's very right right, #2. People need to realize that if a costumer is angry, and yet you have to deal with them, you need to jot take personally because they don't know shit about you. Plus, they are most likely mad at the situation than the costumer service

2 + 2 = 4 now let the loser piece of crap customer dispute that :O

No. It's never ok to let a customer yell at you. That isn't your job. You politely tell them to call back when they have calmed down or ask them to leave or you will call the cops. Easy. If more companies did this customers wouldn't be so rude and throw temper tantrums to get what they want.

Like I said, be polite. Just don't let people smack you around and just handle the situation accordingly.

I agree with 94. Why should people be spoken down to and shouted at like that. It's degrading, humiliating and embarrassing for all involved. If someone has money it does not mean they can treat other people like shit. The company should have a policy of not allowing verbal or physical abuse to take place against its employees.

Point well made :)

Hot people don't buy drinks...

Respect is earned not given though.

52- Sadly, if you work in customer service that's not always true. To keep your job you have to treat everyone respectfully.

Drinking's bad. I prefer to eat ice cream sandwiches and sulk about the cancellation of futurama.

70 - Cursing people out people in your own time doesn't automatically mean Facebook bitching. I know, it might be hard to be believe for some. But bitching about people has been around longer than Facebook.

Though I agree overall, I'm of the opinion that no matter who the customer may be, if they are harassing you you have a right to ask them to stop, and if they do not, hang up on them, or ask them to leave your store if it happens to be a face to face thing. I've done both before, been reported by customers for doing it, and never once have I gotten more than a "What happened anyway?" for doing it. Don't be rude when doing it, but be assertive about it. If your job fires you for asking a customer to not harass you and then hanging up if the continue, then honestly that's not a company you want to work for anyway. (Granted getting fired sucks no matter how bad a company is.)

And what exactly did op have to do?

13- Eat crow then, vent later, I suspect. :p

OP had to eat a crow and then vent about it later?!

Ok, lesson time on expressions: When you are in the wrong, you eat "crow and humble pie" from an old peasant dish made from baked crow and umble: stringy deer fat as a binder. Somehow "umble" got turned into "humble". This was all some people could afford to eat in medieval times. It means when you are in the wrong or fell off your well to do perch you eat crow and humble pie to show your shame on how you got there.

95- Ah, that makes more sense, my apologies! I thought it simply meant to humble one's self and remain silent. :) *Eats crow on using the saying incorrectly.* ;)

Nah, you are fine. Considering its a medieval expression and not many people eat crow or just deer fat these days....

Yes, purchase for him "some shit".

^ You know well enough what he meant, smart aleck

Haha

OP should never stoop down to the clients level

I know but because he did he should have just made it worth while

oh, for sure he deserved it. but unfortunately for OP, a disrespectful client is still a client, and you've gotta be nice to clients

I shouldn't have said higher-up. But in lack of better words I'll just leave this here.

Maybe the word 'superior' would have helped?

It's not the fact that he's superior or anything. It's just the fact that he spends a lot of money to OP's company and sometimes you have to kiss up and deal with awful people to keep them spending their money at your business. Heck Pizza Hut even has that policy for dirt poor customers that want to complain that their pizza is too hot. You get my point

Also, the money the customer gives to the business would go to OP's income and other employees as well. While I agree it may be right to put an arrogant person in their place, it's not right to put your company and other employees livelihoods at risk by indirectly causing the loss of everyone's income

I have worked in retail and similar and I do not appreciate idiots even if they buy lots of stuff. I am not a person who likes to be sat on, maybe you all do.

Enjoyment has nothing to do with it. It is the way you have to act in customer service. If you be disrespectful to even one person, then you aren't doing your job. Yes, it's wrong of him to get mad and curse, but an employee in customer service is supposed to be respectful at all times. People do calm down sometimes if you keep your own temper and pride from letting you get mad too. People calling customer service are usually mad or upset because there is something wrong with the product or service that they paid for. If you can't handle people cursing and being insulting, then customer service isn't for you. Also take in account that people tend to think customer service won't be able to help them sometimes and find the call really a waste of time. The customers don't expect that they'll be treated with respect in the first place or helped.