The years were rolling by. Before I knew it, years had passed at a most alarming rate. The lessons I had learned as a bartender had served me well, (sure, I’ll take credit for the pun here). I had added to those lessons, with dozens more throughout the years.
Some had been added through work experiences, but the majority had been added through going back to church and honestly seeking out a true relationship with God. Avenues, I would never have seen, opened up and the learning went on. One of the more informative ones (besides reading and understanding the Bible and God’s lessons), was a book named simply “How To Raise Your Self Esteem”. I term reading that book as an avenue that opened up for me, because the book taught me how to be honest with myself, and treat myself with the same respect I gave others.
Applying what I learned, to my customer service I found out more about myself and who the real me was. I was a compassionate person, who was a problem solver and teacher. Wrap that up in a customer service package and it is almost impossible to not have a satisfied customer every time.
However, there is always that one customer who comes along, and no matter how much honesty and respect you give them, they just aren’t receiving.
At this one particular incident, I had been working at a plumbing and hardware store for a few years. I had been hired to work in the plumbing showroom, but also helped in the paint dept along with the hardware, plus helping at the counter ringing people out.
I had become pretty knowledgeable about plumbing fixtures, like showers, tubs, faucets, and toilets. I had a somewhat understanding of how the piping and valves behind the scenes also functioned.
One afternoon, one of the guys who had been there many more years than I and was an expert in the hardware part of the store, asked if I could help him with this customer at the counter. He explained that she wanted to buy this shower valve and have it installed in a dog grooming truck. She was just getting started in this line of business and the final thing she needed was water that was piped into the truck. I came up to the counter and saw the valve she wanted. I had not addressed her yet but did tell the guy helping her, that I did not advise that she use that valve. Now that we were standing in front of the customer and her boyfriend, the woman interrupted and said she had to have that valve.
The guy who asked me to help did not answer her, but he stayed because he wanted to hear why I had said not this valve. So, I turned to the customer and asked if the truck was insulated inside. Her answer was no was not surprising to me. I explained that since we lived in New England, there was a very positive chance her pipes in the truck would freeze. I explained that this particular valve had plastic parts inside and would crack if frozen. She said she understood but still wanted to purchase the valve. This was the least expensive valve we had ($125.00), and she did not have much money left.
I told her I had been asked to advise her, and that I could not stress enough that this was a wrong choice for her. She was borderline rude, as she smiled and said she understood and was buying it anyway.
The next day was my day off. Upon returning the following day, I received a call from this woman who sounded upset. She told me I had sold her a defective valve. It leaked and she wanted her money back. I explained that I could not return her money, and knowing this particular company who manufactured this valve, I also knew there was nothing wrong with it. Normally that would be the end of the conversation. Her attitude changed and she pleaded with me to please try to help her. Knowing the owner of the store would never approve of returning it, I thought I would try going to the manufacturer and see if they would help in any way. I told her that I would try to help her and to bring the valve back in….no promises. The woman said she understood and thanked me very much for at least trying.
What the woman failed to tell me though, was that she had called the day before and spoke with the owner. He told her under no circumstances would he take the valve back. About an hour after this woman called me, the owner was walking by. He stopped and said, “Oh, I took a call yesterday from a woman you helped the day before. She said you sold her a leaky valve. I told her that she could not bring it back and under no circumstances are YOU to return it for her. If you do, you are fired!”
Well! That certainly changed things. I did not have her number, to call her back. She showed up about 5 minutes before the store closed. The owner was gone for the day, and the only employees left were me, the same guy who asked me to help her in the first place, and the store manager. We all knew that I was not to take that valve back.
The guy, who had asked me to help, felt responsible for this and went up to the counter with me. The store manager was already up there helping the only other customer in the store.
I noticed that she was alone this time. She was all smiles until I explained to her that she never mentioned that she had talked to the store owner yesterday. She said “Well you weren’t here. What was I supposed to do? You sold me a leaky valve.” I said to her, that what I meant by not telling me was that the owner approached after she called, and told me if I returned that valve, I was fired. Had I known going into the earlier phone conversation, I would never have wasted her time. I was sorry but there was nothing I could do. She started to get angry and belligerent, demanding that I honor what I told her on the phone. I apologized to her, saying again if I had the whole story, I would never have offered to try to help her. My final words were “I am sorry, you tied my hands by not telling me, there is nothing I can do”. I started to turn away when she said that I left her no choice but to write a letter to the state commissioner.
The guy who had been standing right next to me saw the “polite smile for the difficult customer” look on my face and said, “uh oh, I know that look, I’m outta here!” As he walked (ran) away, I quietly and very politely said, “then please let me help you compose that letter…being the salesperson, I think it’s only fair that he gets the whole story.
Let’s start with how you were adamantly advised to not buy that valve. Then let’s make sure we explain to him that you were planning to use it for an application for which it was not made. Now as we are explaining all of this, we must also tell him that it was installed by an unlicensed plumber….where is your boyfriend by the way? And finally, we must explain that this unlicensed plumber attached the valve to copper piping and then soldered the pipe right next to it. That by the way is how your valve is now leaking. Plastic and heated pipes do not belong anywhere near each other. Once we have all of that included in the letter, I will gladly put postage on it and mail it for you!.
I am sorry, that you would not take my original advice, I am sorry that you did not hire a licensed plumber. I am sorry that I cannot help you.” By this time she was crying, one last time, she said, I don’t have any money left to buy a new one…please help me. I told her once more I was sorry that I couldn’t. She finally left.
The manager simply said that I had handled the problem excellently. I’m not quite sure that I did. I know I was sorry and not proud that I made her cry, but I was not sorry that I defended myself and the company. The customer is not always right.