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Do Customer Service Employees in America Really Have to Tolerate Any Abuse?

Question by Quizzical Quinn: Do customer service employees in america really have to tolerate any abuse?
I’m not from the U.S. so I’m a bit surprised at what I’ve been reading on sites like notalwaysright, detailing some horror stories about how people working as cashiers, service agents, servers and the like get treated like crap by abusive, entitled, socially and emotionally retarded individuals who believe it’s their right to act like spoiled kinder-gardeners just because they’re customers.

Do the employees really have to take all that abuse? Isn’t there a certain point by which they can firmly though civilly inform those customers that they’re not welcome at the store and they have to go, or something of the sort?

I know there’s the whole customer’s always right policy where you have to make your customers happy, as they’re your source of income, but shouldn’t there be some sort of equity system, if by generally agreed policy if not by law, where the customer is obliged to show some common courtesy if they want to be serviced?

Best answer:

Answer by Dexter Arnold
Nobody has to.

In fact your employer can only require you to be professional.

A professional doesn’t sit and take abuse.

Customer isn’t always right. Often, buyers are liars. I’ve seen angry customers abuse me, talk to my supervisor and pretend they did nothing wrong and I somehow cheated them.

I have never had a problem saying in a loud, clear and steady voice that something is or is not true.

To quote Condi Rice:
“we can have this discussion any way you want but I’ll thank you not to impugn my integrity”

Answer by Murzy
when things get “hot”, it’s time to call your supervisor and turn it over to them

Add your own answer in the comments!

 

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