Rude Customers: Are They Worth the Aggravation?

Rudeness among customers seems to be a growing trend these days, making customer service jobs more challenging than ever - even for the most hard-working, long-suffering professional. Some people chalk it up as part of the territory and therefore either shy away from customer service jobs or go into them with a specific end date in mind. But this mentality often results in employers missing out on the opportunity to strengthen their operations and services with the help of a dedicated work force. It also limits a person's job search if they have the luxury of holding out until a position that doesn't involve customer service comes along.

It is important to keep in mind that customer service jobs extend beyond the realm of restaurants, retail stores and hotels chains. Most businesses that provide goods or services to customers have employees whose job it is to deal with the public on a daily basis. You will find these individuals in government offices and at airports, hospitals, schools and numerous other establishments. And unfortunately, many of the individuals who work the hardest are often the most underpaid and underappreciated employees. On top of that, they must endure being yelled at, cursed at or exposed to other forms of unruly behavior by customers.

So what is it that triggers these behaviors in people? A lack of home training? The desire for attention? Forgetting to take one's medication? Or just needing a hug? Perhaps all of the above and more, but the reasons don't help the person on the receiving end of profane language and intimidation tactics.

While everyone has the right to expect quality customer service, it is important to see the people who are providing this service as actual human beings. They are not machines, they cannot work miracles and they do have feelings. Also, it is also important to have realistic expectations about customer service before evaluating its quality.

I'll be the first to agree that if a company promises certain things to the public, then it should certainly deliver. For example, a one-hour photo order should not take five hours to process and still have the same price placed on it - even if there were technical difficulties. However, there are ways to deal with these types of discrepancies without raising one's voice, using obscenities or having to be escorted out by security.

Quality customer service does not necessarily mean:

1. Opening 30 minutes early for one or two anxious customers who didn't bother to find out the hours of operation before they left the house.

2. Closing an hour late for the reason noted in #1.

3. Allowing someone to cut in front of others who are in line because they are in a hurry.

4. Going against company policy just because a customer doesn't agree with it.

5. Providing service with a smile. (Although this is certainly a plus, I'd rather have someone who is genuinely helpful and courteous without smiling than someone who smiles at me just because they have to.)

Regardless of negative behaviors exhibited by some customers, most customer service employees are expected to always maintain a level of calm and professionalism because they are representing their company or institution. For the most part, this is a reasonable expectation. But where does one draw the line? And when is enough simply enough?

Not long ago, a student entered the suite where I work early one morning when I was the only staff member present. He confronted me about a printing system being used on campus that he did not particularly care for. I maintained a calm voice and attempted to explain the rationale behind the system to him, but in turn, he raised his voice and proceeded to challenge everything that came out of my mouth.

It quickly became clear that although the student knew there was nothing I could do to change the situation to his liking, he was getting off on trying to intimidate me. However, I did the unthinkable in customer service - I told him I expected to be treated with the same respect that I had shown him and that if he could not find it in himself to speak to me calmly, I was going to have to ask him to leave.

The young man paused for a moment and gave me a confused look. "You must be new," he said to me, "because everybody who works in this office knows how I am and just deals with it." He then proceeded to storm out of the suite, mumbling something about not caring anyway because he was nearing graduation.

So many thoughts came to my mind at that very moment. Would the student complain about me and cause me to lose my job? Would he return with plans to retaliate - possibly even with physical violence?

He did in fact return a few minutes later and said nervously to me, "No one's ever said anything to me like that before. I'm sorry if I offended you." It appeared that during our earlier conversation, he had experienced an epiphany. And that alone made it worth the initial aggravation for me.

Unfortunately, many people who provide customer service are subject to punitive actions or even fired if they react as I did and demand to be treated with respect. I have not always had the privilege of defending myself when the need arises. I have worked jobs where the prevailing view was that the "customer is always right," unless they resorted to actual physical violence or threats of violence, which was the only cutoff point.

It seems reasonable for customers - not just companies and employees - to be held to a higher standard of behavior. While a shouting or wrestling match between a customer and employee is unacceptable, a basic code of conduct for customers may be in order. Not only would this let the public know that businesses value their employees enough to expect that they be treated in a civil manner at all times, but it might also lead to more rewarding work experiences - and possibly even long-term careers in customer service.