Remaining Professional in the Face of Rudeness

Our customers may not always be right...but they are the source of our income.

So, what do you do when your customers make appointments with you and then stand you up, arrive early, or arrive late?  How can you prevent other customers from being inconvenienced when your schedule changes because of the whims of a select few?

Here are a few tips:

• Allow 90 minutes between appointments.
• If someone is late, call him to confirm if he's on his way or if he'd like to reschedule.
• If someone is early and you're free--see him and get ahead of your game.
• If someone is early and you're not free--tell him  you're not free and ask if he'd prefer to wait or reschedule.

In ALL cases where Customer A's tardiness, earliness, or forgetfulness messes with your schedule to the point  it will negatively affect Customer B, be sure to explain to Customer A that:

1. You'd like to accommodate his new time frame but you can't because...
2. Customer B has an appointment with you and it wouldn't be fair to Customer B to infringe upon time that he has scheduled with you but that you...
3. Are happy to reschedule.

Most people, when they are tactfully reminded that they are infringing on the rights and time of other people, tend to either wait or reschedule.  That not only prevents you from harming your relationships your customers it also keeps you sane!

What tips do YOU have to share?

(Photo by Salvatore Vuono)