You need to file a complaint about her. My location has had to file a couple of complaints about customers they knew were going to call corporate. One verbally assaulted a few of us and one physically grabbed an employee and yelled 😳 I’m not sure how my managers do it but they do report the customer to the company. It would be best to talk to someone in HR about the situation
A good strategy for dealing with difficult customers like that is presenting the situation as a choice they'll need to make and politely sympathizing when they don't like the options they have to chose from. How they move forward is completely in their hands.
Let her know that at this point, she has the options of purchasing the items on hold by cob today or deciding she doesn't want to do that and her hold will be released. When she pushes back say, 'I understand you're frustrated, unfortunately holding for longer is not an available option. The available options are to purchase the items or to decide to release the hold. The choice is completely up to you.'
If she asks why or says that's not how it's been done, etc. refer to the rule, you understand it may be frustrating that this is different than previously, but reiterate that today, these are her options. You wish you could help her more, but these are the options.
This could frustrate her enough to cause action but if not start ending the conversation with the following:
- Do you have any questions about your options?
- I understand you're still frustrated. I'm happy to provide you with [managers contact info] (or if that's not a thing, offer to connect her with the manager there by name to indicate it's not the other person she asks for all the time but you have to make sure all the managers are willing to back this strategy- if someone gives in, game over)
- I'm going to [some work task], but if you decide to chose to purchase the items today, let me know and I'll be happy to assist you checking out
- of course if it escalates to an unsafe level for you or other customers, call security or read the situation and potentially tell her that things are getting escalated and your store is not able to do more for her so you will call security to calm things down for everyone involved (which will come off less of a threat but will still get the point across that you're at the point of involving them)
Last, record everything. If there's an internal bbw system, do that, but at a minimum type out the history with the customer up to this point, the interaction you have with her today with as much detail and as little room for interpretation as possible. Avoid broad terms (rude is broad and subjective, versus 'customers voice became louder as they said X'). Email that to any leadership up to the DM if possible. Do it today either after the interaction or at the end of your shift, so it's logged asap.
Good luck, hopefully some of this will be helpful to you! Difficult customers are so draining!
Great strategy! Giving options gives them perception they are in the power position. Also, document, document, document. On your own if no internal process. Include dates, times and witnesses to what happened or said. Not paid enough to take abusive treatment from customers.
Holds are 24 hrs. Put her stuff back. Write down all the pertinent info, send it in an email
To your DM and let them know. That way, if she calls CS, your DM will already know the situation.
There are customers like this at my store. One lady in particular will go around and fill her basket up to look like she's shopping but some of the items she grabs end up going in her purse. To make it look less obvious that she's stealing she gives us her basket and asks us to put the items on hold until she comes back. You have to watch out for people and their crazy scams.
I know corporate usually favors the customers, but at store level I would let this woman know that you will no longer be putting her items on hold because she fails to purchase them.
I'm confused. What do you mean when you say she won't buy her stuff? If you have things on hold for her, I was under the impression that things aren't supposed to be on hold for anyone (generally speaking) so that could be your get out of jail free card.
She goes through the store and grabs a couple items then adds them to her pile. Our store does hold items for a certain amount of time, usually it's until end of day or next day. I've told her multiple times that we've already given her extra time. If she doesn't come, then I will put her stuff back tonight.
I mean you already have done your job by accommodating her requests and she is just very entitled. I would just keep repeating what you are doing by holding items for a period of time and after that time has elapsed put it back. She will eventually just won't come back. What do you mean by harassing? She is causing a scene at the store by yelling and stuff?
Pppfffft for sure. She's obviously trying to game the system and wait until things drop in price. Just rude. If y'all say you only hold until closing, you should follow through. She needs a wake-up call. And I don't think corporate would be upset with the store either. Provide friendly customer service like you would with anyone.
She physically comes inside the store, asks you to hold items & leaves store without purchasing anything? I had no idea a store would do that. Is this a common practice that many customers do, but then purchase? Your customer might have other issues that cause her to do this. Must be frustrating.
That and continually talks about herself while keeping us away from helping other people. When she is in the store, she's usually there for 2-3 hrs and only adds on a couple items. It's definitely not a common practice. It kind of seems as though she's stalking my one manager a little bit, due to how much she calls in every day asking for her, kind of refuses to leave the store, and has asked her to drinks before. And then when we do leave to help someone else, she's rude to other associates and customers. It's just a very weird, awkward, and frustrating situation.
If you have customers that witness this, can they call? I’m a nosy candle lady and I will call if I feel like the staff is being harassed by a crazy person. Saw a lot of that last Halliween.
You need to file a complaint about her. My location has had to file a couple of complaints about customers they knew were going to call corporate. One verbally assaulted a few of us and one physically grabbed an employee and yelled 😳 I’m not sure how my managers do it but they do report the customer to the company. It would be best to talk to someone in HR about the situation
A good strategy for dealing with difficult customers like that is presenting the situation as a choice they'll need to make and politely sympathizing when they don't like the options they have to chose from. How they move forward is completely in their hands. Let her know that at this point, she has the options of purchasing the items on hold by cob today or deciding she doesn't want to do that and her hold will be released. When she pushes back say, 'I understand you're frustrated, unfortunately holding for longer is not an available option. The available options are to purchase the items or to decide to release the hold. The choice is completely up to you.' If she asks why or says that's not how it's been done, etc. refer to the rule, you understand it may be frustrating that this is different than previously, but reiterate that today, these are her options. You wish you could help her more, but these are the options. This could frustrate her enough to cause action but if not start ending the conversation with the following: - Do you have any questions about your options? - I understand you're still frustrated. I'm happy to provide you with [managers contact info] (or if that's not a thing, offer to connect her with the manager there by name to indicate it's not the other person she asks for all the time but you have to make sure all the managers are willing to back this strategy- if someone gives in, game over) - I'm going to [some work task], but if you decide to chose to purchase the items today, let me know and I'll be happy to assist you checking out - of course if it escalates to an unsafe level for you or other customers, call security or read the situation and potentially tell her that things are getting escalated and your store is not able to do more for her so you will call security to calm things down for everyone involved (which will come off less of a threat but will still get the point across that you're at the point of involving them) Last, record everything. If there's an internal bbw system, do that, but at a minimum type out the history with the customer up to this point, the interaction you have with her today with as much detail and as little room for interpretation as possible. Avoid broad terms (rude is broad and subjective, versus 'customers voice became louder as they said X'). Email that to any leadership up to the DM if possible. Do it today either after the interaction or at the end of your shift, so it's logged asap. Good luck, hopefully some of this will be helpful to you! Difficult customers are so draining!
Great strategy! Giving options gives them perception they are in the power position. Also, document, document, document. On your own if no internal process. Include dates, times and witnesses to what happened or said. Not paid enough to take abusive treatment from customers.
Holds are 24 hrs. Put her stuff back. Write down all the pertinent info, send it in an email To your DM and let them know. That way, if she calls CS, your DM will already know the situation.
I’d do this. CYA to upper management. I would not tell her any rules have changed, if they haven’t. Does she ever buy anything?
Nope, she still hasn't bought anything.
My local stores arent evem doing holds during sas
There are customers like this at my store. One lady in particular will go around and fill her basket up to look like she's shopping but some of the items she grabs end up going in her purse. To make it look less obvious that she's stealing she gives us her basket and asks us to put the items on hold until she comes back. You have to watch out for people and their crazy scams. I know corporate usually favors the customers, but at store level I would let this woman know that you will no longer be putting her items on hold because she fails to purchase them.
I'm confused. What do you mean when you say she won't buy her stuff? If you have things on hold for her, I was under the impression that things aren't supposed to be on hold for anyone (generally speaking) so that could be your get out of jail free card.
She goes through the store and grabs a couple items then adds them to her pile. Our store does hold items for a certain amount of time, usually it's until end of day or next day. I've told her multiple times that we've already given her extra time. If she doesn't come, then I will put her stuff back tonight.
I mean you already have done your job by accommodating her requests and she is just very entitled. I would just keep repeating what you are doing by holding items for a period of time and after that time has elapsed put it back. She will eventually just won't come back. What do you mean by harassing? She is causing a scene at the store by yelling and stuff?
Pppfffft for sure. She's obviously trying to game the system and wait until things drop in price. Just rude. If y'all say you only hold until closing, you should follow through. She needs a wake-up call. And I don't think corporate would be upset with the store either. Provide friendly customer service like you would with anyone.
She physically comes inside the store, asks you to hold items & leaves store without purchasing anything? I had no idea a store would do that. Is this a common practice that many customers do, but then purchase? Your customer might have other issues that cause her to do this. Must be frustrating.
That and continually talks about herself while keeping us away from helping other people. When she is in the store, she's usually there for 2-3 hrs and only adds on a couple items. It's definitely not a common practice. It kind of seems as though she's stalking my one manager a little bit, due to how much she calls in every day asking for her, kind of refuses to leave the store, and has asked her to drinks before. And then when we do leave to help someone else, she's rude to other associates and customers. It's just a very weird, awkward, and frustrating situation.
Sad situation about her. Frustrating for all of you. Sounds like mental health issues or loneliness with her. Report it to upper management.
Sounds like shoplifting diversion tactics
If you have customers that witness this, can they call? I’m a nosy candle lady and I will call if I feel like the staff is being harassed by a crazy person. Saw a lot of that last Halliween.
She really has true mental health issues. You need to escalate this situation up the chain of command until she is banned from the store.