Running a sideline business can be quite interesting. How do you handle customer insults? The general rule of thumb is "ignore them." It's a no-win proposition to get into debates with customers. If you're doing a good job of running your business, you can be assured that the mean emails will be few and far between. If a customer has a legitimate complaint that can be remedied by an action (refund, gift certificate, apology), then by all means respond and rectify.
If, on the other hand, the customer is just venting and spewing unkind words, then ignore it.
Now, having said that, and after following that rule since being in business (1992), let me tell you how I broke it, just yesterday.
Back in October 2006, a customer visited my site and placed two orders for two relatives. The books were to be sent to two separate addresses. Her emails at that time were a bit venomous and chastised us for not having the option of a different "ship to" address on the order form. (I had just started using the Cubecart shopping cart and hadn't activated that feature). So, after some back and forth during which I completely ignored the venom and responded as kindly and helpfully as I could, we had the order resolved and shipped off successfully. I even had further dialogue with the customer and felt that
Within the last day, upon returning to our site, it seems, she attempted to place another order as a new customer, but was not allowed to enter her email address (as it was already in our system from her original order back in October). If she had clicked to log in as a "returning customer" the shopping cart software would have recognized her information, and allowed her to proceed. Apparently being frustrated with her attempt to order, she wrote (after explaining that the customer name in our files attached to her email address was her relative for whom she ordered a book in October):

"...PLEASE CORRECT YOUR RECORDS.
I do not know how your firm remains in business when you cannot even keep correct records of your customers."


Now, normally, I would have ignored that line, and just responded as if it had never been written. Today, however, something prompted me to respond. Perhaps I needed something to write about for this blog (as there might be a lesson in here somewhere). Perhaps after 14 years of ignoring such emails (albeit they've been very, very rare), I decided to respond. Perhaps living here on Saipan has made me less tolerant of needless hostility. Whatever the reason, I decided to respond:

<<
I received your email, [__________.] And while I would normally ignore such statements,
I feel compelled, given the nature of your original comments, my personal efforts
to have your orders filled expeditiously to both _________ and ____, and the apparently
supportive and congratulatory nature of your last comments to me in October (see below) why you
would revert to such a combative and venomous tone.

Are you aware, [ ], that comments like this, in addition to
being simply uncalled for, are extremely
negative, damaging, condescending, insulting, and tear others down needlessly?


In any event, to respond to the concern you raised:

We stay in business because since 1992, we've been providing
a valuable service and quality products to our customers.

We stay in business because people tell their friends and even tell strangers
about us because they are satisfied with what we promise.

We stay in business because Entrepreneur Magazine, Black Enterprise,
Essence, Source, Wall Street Journal, dozens of websites, as well as
industry leaders like Chuck D., think highly enough of, and respect
what we do enough to let us use their names and trademarks free of charge to
promote our business.

We stay in business because despite the ups and downs of
doing business, we never lose sight of the fact that we are
helping people achieve their dreams, and that we are
living to the standards of a higher calling.

We stay in business because we work tirelessly to keep producing
good products and by focusing on the content of these products
so that they help people achieve their goals.

We stay in business, because "we" are one individual whose passion
to inform and inspire others supersedes the occasional negativity
that some people choose to languish in.

We stay in business because for every ONE such person who complains
about an email address that SHE HERSELF entered into our system,
and who chooses to insult our business acumen, we have FIVE THOUSAND
who can find something positive to say about doing business with us.

We stay in business because in the reality WE choose to live,
good intentions are rewarded in kind by a supportive universe
which sees to it that we never want, and that our venture
perpetuates itself.

That, my dear friend, [ ], is how we stay in business.

I sincerely hope you take the content of my response
in the spirit of conciliation in which it is offered,
and that you might, as perhaps a new year's resolution,
be sensitive to the fact that there are human beings on the
receiving end of such verbal attacks.

Words are not without consequence, my friend, and do in fact
impact on the well-being of others.

Or, perhaps you were just having a bad day....

Walt F.J. Goodridge,
Founder, the Passion Profit Company


Ok, so it was bit long-winded, I admit (but I am a writer, after all).
A friend of mine agreed (that it was a bit long), and reminded me
of the oft-advised strategy of WRITING such a letter (as a way of letting
off steam), but NOT SENDING it.

In any case, I sent it off.


A few hours later, I received a response:

Thanks, Walt, for the long diatribe.
However, the fact remains that I apparently do not EXIST in your records.
I cannot log into my account.
I am being told that my OWN E MAIL ADDRESS is already being used.

Well, DUH, I should hope it is being used SINCE I USED IT

You may be considered a SUCCESS, but that does not mean your BUSINESS leaves a HELL OF A LOT TO BE DESIRED IN EFFICIENCY AND SIMPLE ACCOUNTANCY.

Hmmmm...

So I guess the moral of the story, and the lesson learned is:

Rule Number 1: Do not get into verbal altercations with customers.

Rule Number 2: If tempted to enage a customer, Refer to Rule Number 1:

No good can come of it.

Labels: Sideline Business Tips

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