Are You A Good Customer?

If you’ve ever bought or bartered for anything during your lifetime, you have been a customer at some point. As customers, we expect a lot from the people we do business with. We expect the best service and we want it in a timely manner and we want to see a smile on that other person’s face, no matter the circumstances of the transaction. I can’t say that these expectations are unfair. After all, that’s what we pay them for.

In order for a business transaction to take place, two parties must be involved. This is where you come in and play the role of the needy customer. You have a need or a want that must be satisfied. You’ve sought out the service of others and you’re willing to pay — and you’re willing to pay good money. And for that, you want to be treated as if you’re that person’s #1 customer and primary concern. The next time you receive service that isn’t quite up to par and leaves a bad taste in your mouth, ask yourself this one question: Are you a good customer?

Surely you’ve heard the expression “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”. Do you keep that in mind when you act as a customer? As I said before, it is the responsibility of a customer service representative (whether the person be a waiter, a retail clerk, or a salesman) to give you the best service imaginable. But you can make it easier for someone to give you the service that you deserve.

There was a time when I was a car salesman. The job was a bad fit for me, and as a result, it lasted about 6 months. The wealth that I accrued in that short stint didn’t come in the way of hefty commissions — it came in the way of life lessons. While working as a salesman, I got beaten and abused (okay, I’m exaggerating; it was nothing personal, just purely business). But I did interact with some customers that I felt could have been a bit easier to deal with. After that experience, I’ve made an effort to be a good customer.

If I go to a restaurant and someone gets my order wrong, I don’t yell and curse and make a scene. These things happen to all of us. I’ve goofed up before, and I know I’ll goof up again. All I can ask is that the waiter make an honest effort to correct the mistake. If I feel that the waiter couldn’t care less, then I get upset. But not before that point.

Sallie Mae has angered my wife and me far too many times. Over the course of a year, they’ve messed up my wife’s payments three times. The first time she made a payment on her student loans, they didn’t disperse the payment evenly amongst her loans and said that she had a late fee. A couple of months ago, they credited her payment to my account, even though the checks had separate account numbers on them. And then last month, they said they hadn’t received her payment even though they had. Oh yes, it’s been a fun ride with Sallie Mae. But when I call customer service, I don’t yell at the representatives. After all, it’s not the fault of the individual I’m talking to. Unfortunately, it’s his job to take the flak and fix the situation.

I don’t want to be the customer that people hate to see coming. I like to think that by being nice to the people I do business with, I make it possible to receive the best service that they have to offer. And believe me, I want the best service that I can get.

So, now I ask you: are you a good customer?

Tagged as: Customer service