I lost my temper with a customer today

[fastfredracing]

I had a cluster **** of a day, got bugged all day, and was behind schedule. Was trying to get a customers boxster done. I was getting sick of being pestered, so I locked my door at 3:15. Not ten minutes later, someone comes knocking on the door. He could not see me where I was working, so I ignored him, and kept at it. Not knowing he was still there stalking me through the window, I moved across the shop to get tools, and he spotted me through the window in the front door. He starts pounding my door and yelling at me to open up. My temper is boiling, and I really don't want to be bothered, and I am making an honest effort to finish up this car. I yell at him through the door, " can't talk right now, come back in one hour" . He bangs at my door really hard, punches it, then goes out in the lot and is yelling profanity's at me, and making a scene.
I instantly came unglued, fired out the front door and just blew up on the guy. He was bigger than me, but I was so fuchin' pissed, and screaming that I actually backed the guy up to his car. I held back nothing, He found my game on button.
We engaged in a heated argument for about a minute, and there was a brief period where I was ready to let it loose. Good on me, I cooled off, and diffused the situation. We both apologized and went our seperate ways.
Almost 20 years in the biz, and this is the second time this has happened. I am a little ashamed of my actions, but damn, I think the locked door,and me asking him to come back was more than enough of a hint that I did not want to be pestered.

[Neilk]

Did he have a legit reason to knock on the door, like his car in the shop?

Just wondering.

[futuresoptions]

Damn Mormons...

[andrew15]

A couple of problems for you are:
a) It's not up to your customer to know you were having a bad day
b) You have regular hours of operation and locked the door anyway
c) You then ignored said customer even though he could see you
d) When you realized he saw you, you tried to brush him off and when that failed went ballistic on him

The good news is that your work load will be easier going forward as he's probably no longer your customer.

[Rick Lee]

I don't view knocks on the door or ringing phones as calls to action. I speak to others at my convenience. Though I don't take this attitude when at work.

[motion]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

I had a cluster **** of a day, got bugged all day, and was behind schedule. Was trying to get a customers boxster done. I was getting sick of being pestered, so I locked my door at 3:15. Not ten minutes later, someone comes knocking on the door. He could not see me where I was working, so I ignored him, and kept at it. Not knowing he was still there stalking me through the window, I moved across the shop to get tools, and he spotted me through the window in the front door. He starts pounding my door and yelling at me to open up. My temper is boiling, and I really don't want to be bothered, and I am making an honest effort to finish up this car. I yell at him through the door, " can't talk right now, come back in one hour" . He bangs at my door really hard, punches it, then goes out in the lot and is yelling profanity's at me, and making a scene.
I instantly came unglued, fired out the front door and just blew up on the guy. He was bigger than me, but I was so fuchin' pissed, and screaming that I actually backed the guy up to his car. I held back nothing, He found my game on button.
We engaged in a heated argument for about a minute, and there was a brief period where I was ready to let it loose. Good on me, I cooled off, and diffused the situation. We both apologized and went our seperate ways.
Almost 20 years in the biz, and this is the second time this has happened. I am a little ashamed of my actions, but damn, I think the locked door,and me asking him to come back was more than enough of a hint that I did not want to be pestered.

Based on your actions, you should probably deserve to not be in business for yourself. You might want to look inward about what happened today. Maybe the guy's pregnant wife was stranded in his car down the road and he needed help. Are you not in the customer service business?

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I don't view knocks on the door or ringing phones as calls to action. I speak to others at my convenience. Though I don't take this attitude when at work.

It lies somewhere in between. Customers come to expect that they have access to a business during normal business hours unless otherwise stated on the door. And with no notice on the door, the guy doesn't know anything except he drove over there purposely to see about something.

Now, does he bang and yell profanities when the door is locked and he knows someone is inside? At that point I would have done as Fred did and good riddance to a pest. Even bill collectors behave better than that.

To Motion: Point taken, but when the guy outside went off first, Fred had the option. He took it.

[fastfredracing]

I am a one man operation, and get hammered all day, phones, and walk ins, there comes a make it or break it point for me every day, and at some point I have to turn the phone off, lock the door and get down to business and do the actual work. This guy is not what I would call a good customer. In my past dealings with him, I would have spent 30 minutes answering questions. and pricing stuff that he needed done, which I am willing to do , it was just not the right time. I was under the gun to finish another job. Like I said, I am not proud of my actions, and if I could go back I would have acted differently. .

[Rick Lee]

Weren't you talking about hiring an hourly front office person a while back? Until you do so, you should work by appt. only and not let people know you're in your shop unless you're expecting people. If you're that busy, you can afford to fire time vampire customers once in a while.

[Gogar]

This is like your second or third hint that you need to hire someone to answer the phone and the door.

If you want to have a non-advertised, word of mouth, appointment-type shop, then do that. If you're going to advertise and have a sign out front and a door, then you are going to have to figure something out.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

I am a one man operation, and get hammered all day, phones, and walk ins, there comes a make it or break it point for me every day, and at some point I have to turn the phone off, lock the door and get down to business and do the actual work. This guy is not what I would call a good customer. In my past dealings with him, I would have spent 30 minutes answering questions. and pricing stuff that he needed done, which I am willing to do , it was just not the right time. I was under the gun to finish another job. Like I said, I am not proud of my actions, and if I could go back I would have acted differently. .

Well, you answered your own question. You brought it to us for redemption of your behavior. You didn't really have to. Good you didn't bust his mouth.

[bell]

thats exactly what i was about to say jeremy......
at least for a few hours a day, that'll let you hammer on some cars uninterupted (to a point).
minimal wage to sit on ass and answer phone/take notes, should be an easy position to fill, that 20-30 bux a day will be easily made up by your time being freed up to work.....

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by futuresoptions

Damn Mormons...

THAT is ****** funny!

[fastfredracing]

Maybe I am messed up, but if I attempted to go into any business, be it MDonalds, the local auto parts store, or whatever, and the door was locked. I would not stay there and bang on the door.
I AM in the customer service business, and was trying my ass off to provide good service to the customers car I was working at that time. Attempting to finish the work by the time that I promised.

[RWebb]

you need a sign explaining "one man shop" on the door -- add some of the stuff in Rick's post #9

you can even include a little box for people to vote -

___ keep things as they are

___ pay more so Fred can hire a receptionist

[DonDavis]

Hey Fred, are you still smoke-less? If no, then maybe your "game on" button was already halfway pressed? How are you otherwise? I hope all is well.

[billybek]

You need to put a sign on the front door that explains your scheduling and for them to phone and leave a message and you will return the call at the top of the hour. It would be like an apology in advance for not having time to talk.

Edit: RWebb had me by two minuites!

[TRE Cup]

Not going to rehash, BUT if you want to go forward, keep your clients and reputation, some friendly advice
If you are that busy that you need to focus solely on the repairs, you need to communicate that to your clientele in some effective manner. A friendly voice message on the answering machine, a note posted on the door will take care of most of the uninvited interruptions < this helps with the walk in traveling sales people too.

Your message (and note) should include how important the incoming call is to you, but you are busy with taking extra care of a current job and will get back to them as soon as possible. If its an emergency and you need a tow, please call XXXXX and they will get your car to me as soon as I am available. << we have agreements with several trusted tow companies to keep a car overnight in case of after hours emergencies.

Then you need to take a break every hour and get back to the messages. Either you are in business for yourself, or not. Every client is important and yes, you can politely have the time wasters or "can't you just" ones steered away, but keep the good ones in the culling process

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by Gogar

If you're going to advertise and have a sign out front and a door, then you are going to have to figure something out.

This right here. If you are open 8-5 you have to be able to handle wearing "all the hats" during that time frame.

If things get backed up, your work schedule gets pushed to 7-6 or earlier and longer. I myself like to come in earlier if I'm slammed, helps to ease into the day. You really need help (not in a mental/agro way, more of a hire an employee way).

I would bet that your whole work demeanor would change, I'm sure you spend a good percentage of your day dealing with petty stuff, let somene else take care of your light work.

[fastfredracing]

Still smokeless, and that is probably half the problem.
My weekend plan is to put up blinds on the windows , and make up a sign, and even leave a place for people to leave notes.
I am not hiring a gate keeper. I am keeping my operation small. An answering machine can do the same thing, and the way my bldg is laid out, everybody would still try to enter through the shop, and my poor secretary would be sitting up in the office doing her nails.
I am happy to spend time with people, answer their questions, and give them advice, but as I stated, there also has to be uninterrupted work time for me. I shoot for 4-5 hours straight work every day, and then will field customer requests, phone calls etc, for the rest of the day while muddling through little jobs . I am not always able to jump just because you are at my door, or ringing my phone.
I have no sign, do not advertise, and work by appointment only .
I appreciate your advice guys, even the ones who will flame me. I am a mere human