The customer from hell...*RANT*

[wolf_Q]

I really need to rant and complain right now, if you don't want to read it, then don't...

This happened earlier today and I'm still upset right now. I was at work (get there at 8:00) and around 11:00 I get a call from some woman from a used car place. She says "there's some guy here who wants to know if he can get his dog groomed today...he's from out of town.." I found it rather odd that she was calling and not the man, but I said ok if he could get here soon. I had about 5 dogs to do when she called and I figured I would have time.

The guy shows up at least an hour later...it's right before Christmas, and the phone was ringing off the hook. I now had 9 dogs to do myself. He's in a wheel chair, older (maybe 60?)...the dog was a *huge* really hairy golden retriever. The first thing he says is "I'm from Mexico, and it's cold outside (it snowed last night) so I need her really dry."

I said, "Ok, but we're really busy and it's going to take a while." I had him fill out the card with the info (all he did was scribble his name basically) and I filled out the ticket for him. I go to get the dog and I said, "It's going to be at least 2-3 hours to get her fully dried." He then starts throwing a fit at me "I'm out of town and win a wheel chair what the hell am I going to do for 2-3 hours?" I said, "Well, there's a Smith's, Shopko, Roberts, a Dollar Store and a few other places, maybe you could go shopping (we're in a mini mall kind of thing, they are right next door)." So then he has another fit "I didn't come over here to go to a damn grocery store!" I said, "Well Sir, I'll try my best to get her done in 1 1/2 hours but she may still be a little damp. We're pretty busy today." Oh, and he also said that the place that called told him that she would be done in an hour (they never even ASKED me for a time). I also wasn't aware that his disability made him the single most important person in the universe...most people call several days in advance or at least early in the morning to get an appointment.

He said (rudely), "Well I guess I'll have to just sit here and watch then." I said, that's fine, but maybe you could move out into the store so other customers can get by (it's a small area at the desk) and you can't go back here." So I took his dog back to the bathing area and started to give her a bath. I had several other dogs to do that were here way before him, but I dropped everything to do his dog.

Apparently while I was back there he began to yell at the other groomer that was working... LOUD and in front of several customers mind you. It was something about how I just "whisked away his dog and didn't tell him why he couldn't go back there..blah blah blah..." Then he went and got a manager. So then the manager came back while I was bathing the dog...She was already annoyed by him too, and said, "This guy says I have to come back here to make sure it's not *too cold* and that you're not abusing his dog." :rolleyes: I was bathing his dog, I would never abuse a dog!! She asked me to tell her a time so she could tell him when to come back. I told her to tell him 1 1/2 hours, like I told him before.

After I bathed her I sat there for over 30 minutes straight just blow drying the dog. Then I went to clip around her feet/trim the nails and the dog went nuts trying to bite me..just an extra fun bonus for me. I dried her some more (she was at least 90% dry), then put her in a kennel dryer.

I had another dog out on the table when he came back and pounded on the window. I motioned him to come in, wondering what he wanted now. He demanded to see his dog. It had been less than an hour since he dropped her off. I went and got the dog...he put one hand on her, then just threw his arms up in the air SCREAMING "She's not dry! Take her back! Take her back!" (There was a customer who just walked in during all of this too). I told him, calmly that I had dried her really well and if he wanted her more dry I would put her back in the kennel to dry. He continues to YELL at me at the top of his lungs..something about how he's gonna go get the managers and then go tell everyone what these "stupid girls at Petco" are doing. So the other groomer said, "Ok, just wait one minute, let me go and get the manager." He then rips the leash out of my hand and storms out. (he wasn't in his wheelchair either, he was walking)

From what I heard, he then went and YELLED at the managers in front of all the customers, saying they were liars (??), he was in a wheelchair, from out of town, etc....

I guess maybe I missed some lesson, but I wasn't aware that the fact that you are in a wheelchair, elderly, or out of town gives you the right to be an A$$HOLE! :mad: Since he was from Mexico, I really wanted to tell him that there's another really warm place down below he should go...;) Honestly though, I don't care one bit if he gets his money back or who he complains to, as long as I NEVER have to see him again.

Then to make my day more fun, I think I have the flu, one of the other dogs I did was the most matted sheltie I've ever seen and it took me 3 hours just to brush him out before the bath, I ended up getting home 2 hours late, and I have finals tomorrow. :( Yay!

[carole]

Poor you , I really feel sorry you had to put up with this jerk, some people try and use their disability to their advantage, and others just accept it, guess we know which one he was.

Don't worry tomorrow's another day, hopefully brighter and more positive than todays.

Go home and take a nice long relaxing soak in the bath and try to rid yourself of those stresses, do the candle bit and all, and some nice soft music might help too.

HEY AND GOOD LUCK with your finals.

[Cataholic]

Good lord. I cannot believe that guy! I don't think, no, I KNOW I wouldn't have handled him like you did. You were about 48 times too nice. Sheesh.

[KYS]

I don't know what to tell you.
Their was no accuse for the way
this man acted and treated you.
Maybe he was having a very bad day,
and maybe he purposely become intimidating to
get his way.
I have no idea what was going
through this man's head.
Take a deep breath and as long as your managers
stuck up for you let it go.
He isn't worth getting upset over.

Hugs Karen (((^..^)))

[Crikit]

Aw Amy I feel for you man, I know what it's like getting customers who just don't seem to realize that we to are people who have feelings and other things to worry about while doing our jobs.

Normally when I get a stupid idiot of a cust I deal with it as best as I can then go in to the back room and hit a box or two....okay and there is the odd throwing of things ;)

Here's what you do though, now that you're at home. Curl up with Nebo, watch some Simpsons :D, have something yummy to eat and or drink...egg nog and cookie if you've got it....mmmmm egg nog, and just chill. I guess while doing that you could study for your finals but you don't want to study to hard because you might forget everything that you've study and that would be a bad thing.

Oh and one more thing.

PET THIS TUMMY!!
http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v11/crikit/tamatummy.jpg

[Cookiebaker]

Amy, what a rotten day! But I'm sure you already knew that. Good thing he was "from out of town" 'cause that way, it's not too likely that he will be back any time soon. I agree with Cataholic. You were way too kind and patient!

I hope you feel better soon with lots of rest and Nebo hugs.

[Cookiebaker]

p.s. Best of Luck on your finals tomorrow. :)

[Cinder & Smoke]

Originally posted by Cataholic
You were about 48 times too nice.
Sheesh.

Poor Amy!! :(
You behaved like a Saint!

IDEA!

NEXT Tyme ~
and yessss, there probably WILL be a "next" tyme...

Tell the idiot that...

1) Sorrie; the hot water's BROKE - NO Baffie yur Dawggie!

2) Sorrie; the Hare DRYER iz BROKE - NO Baffie yur Dawggie!

3) Sorrie; we'z ALL RESERVATIONED UP - NO Baffie yur Dawggie!

4) Sorrie; (fill in the _________) - NO Baffie yur Dawggie!

Tomorrow is SURE to be a Better Day!! :rolleyes:

:D

[robinh]

What a rotten way to start your week. I can't imagine being that rude to someone. You were incredibly polite to him-a lot nicer than I would have been.

Even with it the season it is, I am amazed with the way people treat one another. You just want to say to them "Geez people, remember what time of the year it is - you know peace and good will towards men!"

You've earned another star in heaven. Anyway, good luck on your finals!!

[captain]

Oh Amy!

I can't even begin to tell you what I would have done to him with his "I can walk, but I am lazy" wheelchair! :mad:

Good Luck for your final!

[Miss Meow]

What a day from hell. :(

Why is it that those who ask for the biggest favours turn out to be the biggest pains in the a@@@?

He probably came to your store because everyone in Mexico has banned him for being such a cranky old turd.

Good luck with your finals :)

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by captain
Oh Amy!

I can't even begin to tell you what I would have done to him with his "I can walk, but I am lazy" wheelchair! :mad:

Good Luck for your final!

Not mean in anyway to derive from the main point of the thread, but I believe there are a lot of different things that can inflict a person that allows them to walk some of the time and not others.
I don't think it's fair to assume he was being lazy.

[popcornbird]

Amy, you poor thing! I just can't believe how RUDE some people can be! This guy's behavior was totally unacceptable, and I think *you* were waaaaaaay to nice! Wow! You must have a very high tolerance level! :p

Good luck on your finals!

[trayi52]

Sorry you had such a bad day, but as someone else said, tomorrow will be better and you will do great on your exam.

[Nomilynn]

WOW what a JERK! I can tell ya I wouldn't have been that nice to him!!! I've dealt with mean customers before but I think he takes the cake...

Give Nebo a BIIIIIG huggle and it will all go away ;)

[Kfamr]

Oh Amy.... That guy is *soo* lucky that it wasn't me he was talking to like that. :eek:

[Twisterdog]

That dog would not have been groomed at my shop, period. I would have shown them both to the door. Actually, I would have never let them show up in the first place.

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by Twisterdog
Actually, I would have never let them show up in the first place.

Same with where I work.
Anyone that calls in right now is told the same thing....
we are booking for January 27th right now so they can make an appointment and be placed on the cancellation list, but not to get their hopes up for being called off of the list before January as we are grooming 40+ dogs a day and were finished booking for December back in October.

It so sucks when you get a client like that though.

[IttyBittyKitty]

You poor thing! He sure does sound like a big turd in a small bowl.

Meanwhile, check out the following site to get a laugh:

http://www.customerssuck.com
:)

[shais_mom]

WOW~~~
What a jerk!!
Yes, take a nice hot bath, hug a Husky ( preferably in red) and after your finals providing you are able and not bedridden with the flu sleep as much as you can!!! Drink plenty of fluids.
Remember we are only a post/PM/email away.
{{Amy}}

[dukedogsmom]

I feel really bad for you and the dog! Imagine having to live with that jerk all the time. Let's hope he never comes back. I'm afraid I would have gotten fired if I had been there. I surely would have told him where he could go.

[wolf_Q]

Originally posted by Shelteez2
Same with where I work.
Anyone that calls in right now is told the same thing....
we are booking for January 27th right now so they can make an appointment and be placed on the cancellation list, but not to get their hopes up for being called off of the list before January as we are grooming 40+ dogs a day and were finished booking for December back in October.

It so sucks when you get a client like that though.

Wow, 40 + dogs per day? We're not even booked up the week right before Christmas lol...There's *lots* of grooming shops in this area, so we get quite a bit of competition. We normally only have 2 people working at a time, and for me 10 dogs (per person) is a large amount. We take walk-ins and call-ins all the time. Many of them are stupid too...I don't know how many times I've seen people walk in at 4:00 and expect their dog to be done that very second! How many groomers do you have at your shop? Right now we're down to 2 groomers and 3 bathers. It's going to be really fun because one of the groomers and one of the bathers is going to be gone the entire week of Christmas. And the hired the groomer BECAUSE another groomer was leaving (having a baby) and we need more than one groomer all the time, but especially at Christmas. :rolleyes:

Yes, I'm sure I'm too nice...I just don't do well at getting yelled at, and I'm a quiet person by nature so it would be very unlike me to yell back. Of course, what I was *thinking* at the time wasn't so nice. ;)

I highly doubt he will come back. If he comes back this week or something I'll just tell him he can go talk to the managers and ask for his money back, but I'm not touching his dog.

And I hope noboby thought I meant something by saying he was in a wheelchair...I only said that because he kept throwing that in my face like it was his excuse to act like that and he was more important than everyone else.

[Pam]

Wow what a jerk! I agree with everyone that you behaved in a very professional manner and were much more polite than I probably would have been. Yesterday must have been a day for the *meanies* to come out. I work for an eye doctor and one of our patients came in at 12:30. Her appointment was for 1:00. All she did for 1/2 hr. was complain in the waiting room to all of the other patients about how "slow" we were. You should have heard the fuss she made when she was taken back at 1:00, complaining that she had been waiting for 1/2 hr. :rolleyes: Sometimes working with the public can be very stressful. So much for it being the season of peace on earth. :rolleyes: By the way, the groomer who does Bella would have not helped this guy either. She is booked about 2 weeks in advance. I hope your exams go well and today will be a better day. :)

[moosmom]

Amy,

Welcome to the wonderful world of retail at Christmas time!!! I'm sorry you had to listen to his $hit. Sounds like he had an issue WAY before he even got there. Like Phred said, you were 48 times too nice. I know how difficult it can be when an unruly (and I use the term lightly as this is a family website) customer just can't be satisfied, no matter what you do. It also sounds like he uses being in a wheelchair as an excuse to abuse people. You do not have to put up with it and I'm glad you got the managers involved. I'm sure they understood.

Just take a deep breath, let it out and keep saying to yourself..."Only 10 days till Christmas is OVER!!!!" It might help. :(

Hang in there. Good luck on your finals!

[G.P.girl]

Originally posted by Kfamr
Oh Amy.... That guy is *soo* lucky that it wasn't me he was talking to like that. :eek:
hehe...yeah i wouldn't have been able to be nice to him i would have said a few "choice words" than slammed the door in his face.
ofcourse after i give the poor doggie a hug and tell her(?) that i'm sorry she has such a bad owner...:)

[captain]

Amy,

Just because he was in a wheelchair did not give him the right to treat you that way. No-one has the right to treat someone so badly.

BUT you did mention when he came back and grabbed the leash he was WALKING ..............OMG, is that a Christmas miracle????:D

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by wolf_Q
Wow, 40 + dogs per day? We're not even booked up the week right before Christmas lol...There's *lots* of grooming shops in this area, so we get quite a bit of competition. We normally only have 2 people working at a time, and for me 10 dogs (per person) is a large amount. We take walk-ins and call-ins all the time. Many of them are stupid too...I don't know how many times I've seen people walk in at 4:00 and expect their dog to be done that very second! How many groomers do you have at your shop? Right now we're down to 2 groomers and 3 bathers. It's going to be really fun because one of the groomers and one of the bathers is going to be gone the entire week of Christmas.


There are tons of grooming shops here too. Both private ones and the ones in pet stores such as Petcetera and Petsmart.

We have 2 groomers, 1 bather/dryer/groomer (she's learning how to groom so she gets to groom a few dogs after she's done drying), 1 bather/dryer (but she can trim feet so she can finish goldens and shelties etc) and 1 me, LOL I'm basically a bather/dryer. I could learn to groom if I wanted too, but I'm not really sure it appeals to me all that much. I can groom if they need me in a pinch, I know what to do it's just a matter of experience doing it.
We never ever take walk-ins unless it's something like a pug or boxer LOL We normally book about 3 weeks ahead and do 30 dogs a day. Christmas time gets crazy though.

[wolf_Q]

Originally posted by captain
Amy,

Just because he was in a wheelchair did not give him the right to treat you that way. No-one has the right to treat someone so badly.

BUT you did mention when he came back and grabbed the leash he was WALKING ..............OMG, is that a Christmas miracle????:D

Yeah, I think he could walk some but still use the wheel chair...I think he was really disabled.


We have 2 groomers, 1 bather/dryer/groomer (she's learning how to groom so she gets to groom a few dogs after she's done drying), 1 bather/dryer (but she can trim feet so she can finish goldens and shelties etc) and 1 me, LOL I'm basically a bather/dryer. I could learn to groom if I wanted too, but I'm not really sure it appeals to me all that much. I can groom if they need me in a pinch, I know what to do it's just a matter of experience doing it.

I'm a bather, but I occasionally groom dogs too if needed. I don't know how to do poodles or anything like that...I've done a few schnauzer cuts, Teddy bear cuts, but I think I'm best at shave downs lol. ;) I prefer to do the bath and brush dogs anyway. I know how to trim feet/feathers/sanitary.

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by wolf_Q
I'm a bather, but I occasionally groom dogs too if needed. I don't know how to do poodles or anything like that...I've done a few schnauzer cuts, Teddy bear cuts, but I think I'm best at shave downs lol. ;) I prefer to do the bath and brush dogs anyway. I know how to trim feet/feathers/sanitary.

Other than the bath and brush dogs I'm best at shave downs too, LOL Go figure :rolleyes:
If I'm helping a groomer out I'll grab a dog and shave it, trim it's feet and tail etc, and then let the groomer finish it's head usually.

[K9karen]

Hey Ames..did you get the corkscrew and big bottle of zinny I airdropped over your house??? ;)

Tsk, tsk, some people try to use their disability as an advantage. I had clients like that too. Like the airline was going to give them extra special attention. They probably would if they asked and behaved decently. I sometimes have to use my handicapped sticker, as much as I hate to....Ok, I milk it at the grocery store so the cute little boys can load my car (but I give them big tips so now they race to get me!)

:D

Like my daddy always said.."you can catch more flies with sugar...." Cody wasn't half that hairy and he was never ever fully dried! It'd take all day! Heck! MY hair takes forever!

Hope your finals went OK... Don't let "that other Gemini twin" keep ya festering now......What goes around, comes around...{HUG}

[tikeyas_mom]

what an a$$!!! omg i look up to you for not freaking out, i would have. ugh..

[aly]

Originally posted by wolf_Q
Since he was from Mexico, I really wanted to tell him that there's another really warm place down below he should go...;)

HAH!!!!

I really can relate to your experience. I have to deal with nasty people a lot at the shelter and it gets really hard to keep being nice to them. I've actually had to call the police a few times :eek:

Just the other day I had to keep a smiling friendly face while trying to explain to some creep why he could not cut off his 4 year old Poodle's tail :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[robinh]

CUT OFF HIS POODLE'S TAIL? Why would he want to do that? :confused:

Geez, people never cease to surprise (and sometimes anger) me. :mad:

[catland]

Back in my grocery checker days I perfected what I called the "dumb checker" look. When a customer started being unreasonable, I just looked at them and said nothing, and just pretended that my IQ had dropped by about 50 points.

This would cause them to realize that complaining to me was about as useful as complaining to a brick wall.

When that didn't work, I called the manager. ("customer service, checkstand six please")

Remember, in retail, you are expected to be courteous to customers, but you don't have to take their abuse. That is what the manager is paid to do.

[2kitties]

Did your manager stand up for you? You know you did nothing wrong and this guy's just bitter about something. Too bad he's a first class asshole. His life probably sucks.

[CountryWolf07]

First of all:


:eek: :eek: OMG! That was so horrible! I'm sorry you had to face someone like that - what an idiot! I'm the same way as you - I can't yell back - but WOW - you handled it really well - although I wouldn't have been able to do that if it happened to me.. I think I would've just cried!


Hug that husky! ;)

[moosmom]

IBK,

Thanks for the link!!! I signed up so I can go online and rant to my heart's content!!

I am now a full-fledged member of Customerssuck.com

WOO-HOO!!! Let the ranting begin!!