Story Sharing

[framergirl]

Just had to share a "bad customer" experience with you all so again I can feel like I'm not the only one.

Had this customer come in and order a Kinkade LE. When the lithograph came in, he arrived and put in an order for $600 to frame it. Gave me the story of how special it was and it had to look extremely beautiful since it was to be the center piece of his home and it had a lot of sentimental value (memory of a girl he had met in SF, she eventually passed due to cancer). The next day he comes in and says he spent too much framing it because he was excited. Then began bragging about another frame shop (which uses paper mats, low end moulding, does not care about artwork, etc. and was bashing us) told him they would frame it under $400 so he wanted his print.

I asked if I could get it under that price, would he let us frame it. He said "Let's see what you can do." I then proceeded for AN HOUR 1/2, to find a design and EXPLAIN OR JUSTIFY, why our prices are more, how to care for his print, what glass to use to protect it, how this wasn't just a frame job and that we actually care about his art. I finally got it down to 400 and some cents w/tax without sacrificing the print, design, etc. He seemed happy.

We received all materials except the mat. I had to be gone on Saturday and my employee called him to tell him that the mat was backordered, standard practice when we can't find the mat. He stormed in on Monday upset. I began to explain, he did not want to hear it and wanted his print back. I explained we still had 2 days before the due date to get it done, he didn't care, he wanted it back because it had to be done on Wednesday for his birthday party. He said he had a frame shop that could get it done TODAY (Monday)!!

I retrieved his print, but the packaging had already been disposed since we had put it in a sleeve. Again, he got more angry. I indicated I could put it in some foamcore. He didn't want that, he wanted the original package. I could not do anything else. He took his print as is to his truck. We still owed a refund which he told me to mail him a check, he did not have time to wait.

I have a customer that used to work at the OTHER frame shop, and who now works PT at Micheals. I was talking to her about this customer the other day and explained how I didn't understand him. She called today to tell me that customer went to Micheals, had a quote from Aaron Bro. for $600+, her quote was $560+ and it would not be ready until the 19th. He was talking so bad about me and my frame shop and said things like I threw the print at him, had nothing in stock, was so rude, etc. He didn't frame it with them as he didn't have full payment.

OK, Now for my big question. Was this an intentional attack on my business or what. It seems that he had talked with the owner of the other frame shop about us before he came to us. Although, he never went back to him to have it framed???? The rush for completion for his birthday is now gone. He still hasn't gotten it done and has wasted oodles of gas.

Is it just me or the customer nightmare from *****?? Give me your input, I am puzzled.

.................................................
I always say, those who try to impose harm on people who are good, receive that harm sent back to them 3 times as much. True, so true.

 

[D_Derbonne]

He sounds like the customer from **** to me.

When he started bragging about the other frame shop I think the alarm bells should have started clanging!

I tend to be a little be wary of customers that are too impressed with themselves. I had a bad experience with a similar type when I first took over the shop and I hope that I learned my lesson.

Sounds like he just had buyers remorse and you were the lucky person that got to deal with him.

 

[Ron Eggers]

Serenity,

A few more customers like him and you'll have to change your screen name.

I would guess the percentage of customers who I truly wish had never heard of me is about .2%, or 1 out of 500. That means I've had maybe 10 people come in here in 27 years that I was happy to be rid of - enough to cause some personal hair-pulling, but not at all bad compared with nearly any other type of business.

The trick is to know when to cut your losses and move on. You hate to lose someone, especially if that person is going around bad-mouthing you, but try to remember that most people he talks to will think he's a jerk.

If they don't, they're probably jerks, too, and you don't want them coming in and screwing up that .2% figure.

 

[lyoncat]

I feel for you. When we try so hard (I think most of us do )to offer good customer service, and get that type of response, it can be disheartening.

I had a similar client, and after a few days of stewing over what I could have done differently, came to the conclusion that it was not the type of client I wanted to deal with. I can only imagine what they must be like in their daily life, and the people around them.

If you know that his treatment of you was unwarranted, you just have to let go.

 

[Peter Bowe]

A good definition of experience is knowing when not to do something - whether that something is trimming, mounting or trying to match a price for a blowhard. Unfortunately these are lessons learned by making the mistake.

I think that my ratio of really unpleasant customers is similar to Ron's but that .2% can really ruin your day when the do come around. I've had about 5 real losers over the last 15 years but they were all memorable.

A traditional holiday greeting among my friends is Merry Christmas ***hole! in memory of the sweet woman who yelled that one december 20th as she was leaving my crowded store after I told her we couldn't cut a 10 opening mat for her dime store ready made until the next day.

My only comforting words are that it could have gone so so much worse. A temper tantrum at the counter and a little bad mouthing at your competitor is way better than having to do the low margin job and have an ongoing struggle after the fact.

Peter Bowe

 

[Barb Pelton]

Is that guy still going around to frameshops?!
I swear he was in mine 2 years ago.
My version was a youth pastor! Boy did he throw one hellacious fit--screaming and yelling and calling us all every name in the book and then peeled out of the parking lot.
I'd tell the whole story but you wouldn't believe it and would vow that he was absolutely insane.

We've ALL had that guy in our shops: The Jerk.
Some people are like that and everyone gets one sooner or later and it's just a fact. Thank goodness they are very very rare.

Now for a little exercise. Close your eyes and picture him in your store at the very worst moment. Freeze that frame. Imagine that it is a memory that's printed onto paper. Now feed it through the shredder. Ha! Gone!
I don't know why, but that sure works for me.

 

[JRB]

OK, two lessons here. Stop automatically calling customers when something is back ordered. Only call when all possible substitution options have been exhausted.

Second one, NEVER toss packaging, old frames, old mats, etc., until the customer picks up his work and SAYS it's OK to do so. We always make a point of asking about those things when a customer leaves his order. We note it on the work order and get the customers signature.

Your customer is rare, we all get them from time to time. He has mental problems, probably very unhappy in his home life and not doing to well at his job.

You on the other hand, own your own business, you look like your doing well, you have your health, every thing that is the exact opposite of his life.

He is lashing out at you out of frustration. His life should be as good as yours or better, but it's not.

He is bad mouthing you and dumping on you in a futile attempt to bring you down to his level. The best way to handle these types is just ignore them and their pathetic behavior.

John

 

[Bill Henry-]

Just had to share a "bad customer" experience with you all so again I can feel like I'm not the only one.
Had this customer come in and order a Kinkade LE

A Kinkade, you say, … that explains it!

 

[framerak]

Definitely a customer from h#!!. Be relieved you weren't able to finish the piece for him. No matter how well done it was, he would have continued to complain and whine to everyone about how much he paid, what a hassle it was, blah, blah, blah. At least now somebody else gets to deal with him (he'll probably never get the piece framed anyway).

Luckily there are plenty of pleasant people in the world to make up for jerks like him.

Angela

 

[wpfay]

Lesson #3: When a customer starts comparing you to another shop, ask outright if they would prefer having the other shop do the work. It will help resolve their intent. Either they will take the print to the other shop (you didn't want to do shoddy framing, and they aren't the kind of customer you want), or you will have effectively called their bluff and you can get on with the job at hand.

Life's too short to get emotionally involved with jerks.

 

[framergirl]

Thanks again for your support. JRB thanks for those important facts.

Yes, it's behind me know. Came to the conclusion that he was a customer I didn't want and yes, probably would have found something wrong with it or something else. I also feel he is a miserable person and hung up on the past and cannot get past it. Oh well, odds are good so far. Out of a customer database of 700+, he is only the 2nd customer that has been put on my list. All of the customers that are happy about our work and service all make up for those complainers.

Thanks everyone!!

 

[Jim Miller]

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Retail Framing.

Statistically speaking, some small percentage of humans are sociopathic. if it's 1 person out of 100, then sooner or later that 1 is bound to find us.

 

[Ron Eggers]

Whenever I start imagining that I have difficult customers, I think about my wife - the nurse.

Every day she's working with people who don't want to be there. It doesn't matter whether it's a clinic, a hospital or a nursing home. 99% of her "customers" would rather be somewhere else doing something else.

And, at the end of the day, she's usually pretty cheerful.

Teachers and prison guards are in the same boat.

 

[Susan May]

I almost hate to say it, but the first thing I did (while reading this thread) was check to see where you are... I was praying that I was not going to be the next shop he went to!

I know that we have all had customers like this... smile and know that they would do this anywhere. It does not reflect on you, or your shop.