As a customer service adviser for a local car wash, I deal with customers on a daily basis. Some are rude, and some are fantastic. Every day at work, I have thoughts in my head about what these customers should continue to do and what these customers should absolutely stop doing. Whether you're a customer service adviser, a server at a restaurant, a clerk in retail, or front desk at a salon, I'm sure you could agree with this list of Dos and Don'ts for customers to follow.
1. Do: Return a greeting.
When we say "Hi, how are you?", please greet us back. It is pretty offensive when you dive right into what you want without acknowledging the existence of the person taking caring of you for that moment in time. A simple "Hello" would suffice.
2. Do: Smile.
A smile can go a long way and it really is refreshing to see. When I see a customer pull up smiling, I can tell they are in a good mood and that our conversation will go over nicely. Smiles truly are contagious and I advise everyone do it, especially when dealing with people in customer service.
3. Do: Tip.
If you are in a situation where it is appropriate to tip, please do so. This is especially something servers want customers to know. If the excuse is that you cannot afford to leave a decent tip, then you probably should not be eating out. Even if your service was not the best and the food was not up to par, a tip should still be left with your server. Of course, there may be special circumstances if your server is the absolute worst human being you've ever been in contact with, but this is not likely. It's how we make money, duh!
4. Do: Have patience.
In a world full of technology, there is bound to be some technical difficulties. If computers shut down or technology is working very slow, please bare with us. It truly is not our fault that this kind of thing happens. Just be patient and let us know it'll be okay. We are probably panicking about it more than you.
5. Do: Show appreciation.
Too many times have I helped a customer and did not get a "thank you" in return. It is as simple as those two words. I am not expecting a novel about how great I was, none of us are, but a little appreciation would be great for our egos.
6. Do Not: Complain about prices to us.
Okay, us in customer service are at the bottom of the totem pole. We did not create the prices of the products or services our company sells. We are just in charge of taking your money. Nine times out of 10, we agree that the prices are outrageous, but please don't yell at us about how ridiculous it is. We had nothing to do with this kind of thing. It's understandable to be upset when something is so expensive, but that's not under our jurisdiction.
7. Do Not: Make us feel stupid.
Here's what I mean. If I tell you the price of something is $16.00, and you decide to give me a $20.00 bill and a $1.00 bill, I understand that I should be giving you a $5.00 bill back. You really don't need to tell me "Here's this and that, so you'll be giving this back to me." I am quite aware, and even if I wasn't, I have technology that tells what change I owe!
8. Do Not: Interrupt us.
Working at a car wash, it is my job to tell you the different packages we have to offer. My speech is pretty short. Please let me finish. The second I get rudely interrupted, I will shut down and probably won't help you figure out what you want to the best of my ability. I'm sure the same goes for servers when they are announcing the specials and a customer interrupts to say they're not interested. It's really not hard to listen to something that won't even last a minute.
9. Do Not: Demand something of us.
A lot of the times if a customer is upset with something, they will want to speak to a manager. This is very understandable. The problem is the demand of one. I would much rather prefer "I'd like to speak to a manager" than "GET ME A MANAGER." They have the same meaning, but it's just better to ask than to demand.
10. Do Not: Under any circumstances, curse or call us names.
Oh, it's happened, believe me. I've been called an idiot and it was one of the worst things of my life. I've witnessed customers freaking out over nothing and swearing in customer service people's faces and it is extremely uncomfortable. Chill man, the world is not ending. It could get so bad that you may not be welcome at the place anymore, so just be aware.
There are many more ways in which customers can make experiences better when dealing with people in customer service, but these are just a few. It's our job, working in this industry, to help the customers and advise them in whatever they need, so please make this process a little easier and follow these do's and don'ts, for everyone's sake!
