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How to be a better customer

Posted at 2:10 PM, Sep 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-19 16:34:09-04

Etiquette Expert Ellen Reddick shares tips on how to be a good customer.

Ellen explains customer service is inherently a two-way street, and when you talk about customer service long enough you eventually run into a simple fact: Customers have some responsibilities in the company/customer relationship.

Yes, the customer is paying you, and they rightly have expectations that come with the economic value they provide you. They expect service, and/or they expect a product. But service to the customer does not mean servitude, and selling someone a product does not mean selling one`s dignity.

16 ways to be a better customer:

  1. Remember The Golden Rule - Treat others as you would want to be treated yourself. It is pretty simple. How would you feel if you were on the receiving end of what you are dishing out? Wouldn't like it? Then don't do it!
  2. Separate The Person from the Policy - This is one of the most difficult challenges, even for the usually fair-minded. Some company policies can be personally frustrating; don`t shoot the messenger. Chances are they did not create the policy and do not have a choice but to enforce it.
  3. Separate The Person from the Performance - People screw up. There is a big difference between an accident and negligence, between a mistake and malice. Many times the person in front of you is trying to do a good job —  cut them a little slack.
  4. Don`t Be a Bully - Pushing around the sales clerk who is half your age by raising your voice, making unreasonable demands, and showing utter contempt for their very being does not make you powerful, it just makes you a bully. Don`t push people around just because you think you can.
  5. Don`t Make Threats  - The go-to move for bullies but also a favorite of the exasperated. If you are making threats not because you have a serious grievance but because you just want what you want, stop! Threatening to report someone to the Better Business Bureau, your thirty Twitter followers, or the International Criminal Court is not productive and almost always unwarranted. Don`t draw that gun unless you really mean to use it.
  6. Adjust Your Expectations - Expecting great service is your prerogative; expecting great service to mean that the company does whatever you want, whenever you want, and for as little as you are willing to pay is not. Adjust your expectations to the realities of the business you are dealing with. If you are complaining to the manager at McDonald`s that your Big Mac came wrapped in paper instead of being served on fine China, you need to get a grip.
  7. Respect The Rules- Hey, the coupon expired last week. If you want to ask whether the company will honor it, feel free. However, do not get mad if the company says no. It had an expiration date for a reason.
  8. Give The Company An Opportunity to Solve The Problem - Are you really concerned with the problem or does it just feel good to complain? Give the company a chance to fix the problem before taking away your business or sending that angry tweet.
  9. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood - It is amazing how much better everything in the world would be if people took the time to follow Mr. Covey's Fifth Habit. I know it is fun to hear yourself talk, but maybe try listening and even understanding before declaring war.
  10. Attempt To Put It Back Where You Found It - And if you don`t want to do that, at least don`t hide it on a shelf where no one will find it for a month. Stores make money by selling inventory, not by hiding it. If you won`t put it back, then take it to the register so the store can do so for you.
  11. Pay Attention to Signs -  I just screwed this one up recently. I was buying a 'treat' lunch for my employees, was having a meat grinder of a day, and got in the express lane with like 25 items. I didn`t even notice. The cashier checked me out and then politely pointed out that if I had more than ten items I should use one of the regular lanes next time.
  12. Say Please and Thank You - Your mother already told you this; you should listen to her.
  13.  Understand Tipping Protocols - It`s important to understand the tipping expectations, if any, of the business you are patronizing. Learn how much to tip and follow the rules.
  14. Ask For The Manager -  Yes, do... then say something nice about the employee that served you.
  15. Herd Your Cattle... I Mean Kids.  Here`s the deal. You chose to bring your children to the restaurant. If you can`t control them, they get to ruin your meal not everyone else`s. Take them outside; too bad if the waitress just brought your food. That`s on you.
  16. Put Down Your Cell Phone - I get it... trust me. But most calls really can wait. If you can`t dump the call, at least, lower the phone, smile at the person helping you and apologize for being rude. Most service providers do not care if you talk to them; they just care that you don`t treat them like they do not exist.