Disallow Obnoxious Behavior From Your Customers

Published: Apr 26, 2004

Application

Obnoxious people can spoil your day. They can also prevent employees from enjoying their work.

Make a clear policy stating employees are not required to accept bad behavior from customers. Back up your employee and scold your customer when they are rude to your staff. That customer can be the rotten apple that spoils the barrel. A happy workplace will attract better customers.

On the not-so-serious occasions it is possible to get the customer to apologize to the staff person. Mirror the words or actions. Ask the person if that is a nice way to act.

State very clearly that such obnoxious behavior is not permitted in your place of work.

When that is challenged you could explain the policy states that the objective of the owner and the employees is to be happy in their work and that means obnoxious people must not interfere with this objective.

Be ridiculous and suggest that the 'Obnoxious Inspector' may pop in at any moment.

Stories

Stop farting in my office

In the university there was a student annoying most of his professors. After each class he visited the professors' offices for repeats of a lecture and to make other unreasonable demands. He did appear qualified to handle university level.

We sensed the source of the problem. His mother purchased him a taxicab and license so he could park in the taxi-stand at the front entrance. We suspected his mother did the same with one of the silly administrators in getting him admitted to the program.

I sensed my colleagues were expecting me to solve the problem. I tried several techniques to no avail. This was exacerbating because he was beginning to get-to-me, "Mr. Cool."

One day he farted in my office. I told him, "Don't fart in my office!"

He became incensed, waving his arms and shouting that I had no right to say that to a student.

In my louder teacher-shouting-voice, so professors and students in the adjoining offices could hear, "I'll stop telling you to stop farting in my office when you stop farting in my office." He darted down the hall with me following and repeating the phrase. He appeared more embarrassed when we reached the main hall that was crowded with staff and students. As he reached the main door I added, "If you complain to my silly bosses I'll tell your mother!"

He dropped our courses the next day and I picked up the gratitude of my colleagues.

Submitted by: NephewGerry

Go away and take your friends with you

When we dismissed obnoxious people from our retail shop they would stomp out saying they would never return and they would say they were going to tell their friends to do likewise. It seems birds of a feather do flock together. Over time, we had fewer obnoxious people enter the store.

We found we were not very friendly to the nice people who came in just after an obnoxious person left.

With fewer people causing us misery, the nice people received a warmer welcome and people described our shop as a "friendly place to shop."