Friday, April 24, 2009

When the upset people come back for more

A story from one of our friends at Picture Me Portrait Studio:

This morning a lady who has been to my studio...oh about 2 times. She came once at Christmas and once about 3 weeks ago to get her son's graduation pictures done.

While taking her son's graduation photos, she was displeased because I couldn't give her the same special prices that she got at Christmas time: She said I wasn't being fair with her because of it and that prices in Kentucky were way better in the Walmart there than here in [redacted]. I explained to her kindly that these were the prices and there was nothing I could do about those prices. Needless to say she gave me a bad survey all because of prices. [Even though her problem was mostly with the company and not with you, I'm sure the negative survey got you in trouble]

This lady thought she would come back again today to get more photos. I politely explained to her that I would gladly take her photos but if questioning my prices or my fairness was called into play then the session would be over. She proceed to call me an ASSHOLE right in front of all of Walmart and told me that I was an indecent human being.

I said "Ma'am, there is no call for obscenity but if you want to continue it further the police department could be here in 2 minutes for a free ride to jail." She proceeded to say it again this time with more severe words...and then the race card was thrown out. Loss Prevention for Walmart was listening to her whole commotion and advised her to leave because the police were on their way.

A big thank you to Loss Prevention of Walmart. I don't make enough to be talked to like that by any customer. We go out of our way to appease the customers at all costs and then get rated poorly on our customer service for the very things that we try to accommodate. This is why when a new job comes along I will be taking it as well...because no one deserves to be treated like that by anyone and the sheer fact the customer service refuses to think for one second heaven forbid that a studio manager might be not be at fault.

CPI is going downhill and I will praise God when a new job comes along...because it is turning me into a person I don't want to be...because that is not who I am nor who do I ever want to become which is a person with no class.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think so many customers think they can just complain and complain and then get free stuff.

And I've heard so many times, "I'm never coming back here..." only to see them in the next few months. PLEASE---just stay away!

Anonymous said...

Thats because thats exactly what happens........ They complain and gets TONS of free crap (sheets).

Anonymous said...

yup they just know they're gonna keep getting free stuff...and then customer service calls our store and tells the manager and then we end up getting in trouble for "letting it get this far"...and what i hate the most is when people complain about our service and yet they still keep coming back! Like HELLO if u didn't like us why do you come back?

Anonymous said...

everyone has pet peeves i have a lot of strange ones. i thought id vent here so blah. its a shame all my pet peeves stem at work....and whats worse these arent even the company peeves just the custoemr ones....dont get me started on corporate

1)gum chewing...its like nails on a freaking blackboard cause NO ONE can seem to chew with their mouth closed. its pretty bad that while conducting business you look like a cow chewing cud and allow your children to do the same right in a professionals ear.

2) people who walk in a public bathroom and say "ew it stinks in here" or "this bathroom is disgusting" i beg to differ the people who USE the bathroom are disgusting. the people who take an explosive crap that ends up on the walls (HOW?!?!?!) those who throw toilet paper all over the floor, those who stick used feminine products to the walls, the WOMEN that pee on the floor or spray the seat......those are the disgusting people. Ps....you walk into a bathroom to do 1 of 2 things....#1 or # 2 chances are...its gonna stink. (and its a sahme that this pertains to work cause its the only bathroom we who are stuck 8 to 12 hours a day can use)


3) people who dont follow directions. how hard is it when i tell a mother stay next to your child before he/she falls...to actually....STAY NEXT TO YOUR CHILD....and dont give me a damn dirty look when your kid does just what i said he/she would. it may be your kid but ive done this for years its the same damn thing over and over again.

4)people that deliberatly dont listen to me when explaining something important. i give a whole speech that covers everything they could ask while getting a blank look then the people proceed to ask the questions i just answered. my jaw hurst at the end of the day from talking so much and clenching a smile.

5)parents who let their children be control freaks and expect ME to change them. why am i giving directions to an 8 year old and they are doing the exact opposite of what i say and the parents shrug helplessly? then get angry at me when the pics are no good. like i had any more control over your child then you do.

6)indecisivness....it may take a village to raise a child....but why does it take one to pick some photos. "oh wait while i call my husband, mother-in law, second cousin twice removed, the cashier at the grocery store and my manicurist and describe the picture over the phone for their opinion, oh and while im at it ill waste your time and ask my 2 year old to scream at their favorite one and go with the picture that you suggested 45 minutes ago" "oh are there 5 other screaming 2 year olds waiting for their appointments? sorry folks ill just be another half an hour here"

7) people who walk into my boiling hot studio take a look at me dripping sweat and trying not to keel over as they ask" is it me or is it hot in here?" " gosh how can you stand this heat?"
i wonder if ill get fired if i vomit on them, i can blame the heat.

8)the 12 people that all show up at the same time....1 hour before closing...and i have to stay late and care for them all even though i spent the last 7 hours twiddling my thumbs. havent you people heard of this new thing called the morning? how about courtesy call to see if the 11 other people are there so you cant complain when you have to wait? did you know we accept APPOINMENTS.....FIGURE IT OUT!!!why do you have a newborn out at 8 pm in a snowstorm anyway?

9)the mother that asks me to do things i cant do. "how about you balance my 2 month old on the rocking horse? oh it will be so cute" when i explain the word SAFETY i get a dirty look "well i can sign a release or something" ok so youd rather i risk your baby getting injured for the sake of the picture. by the way these are the same parents that sue when their older children run around like maniacs and fall and hurt themselves. (after we asked the parents to tell their children not to run in the studio)

10) the double take idiots. the people who see a picture on a screen sigh over how beautiful it is and then see the same picture later and say i dont like it.then ask me "wheres the one i loved before?" your looking at it lady!!! these same people order something and bring it back later to say they dont like it or...."it didnt look like that on the screen." excuse me your right i ordered the wrong pic on purpose...funny how thats the same number you asked for. were we looking at the same screen? did a new kid magically appear for you when i blinked? when i say why did you order it then. "oh i thought i had to?" can i use this same tactic if i work in a grocery store? require you to purchase hot dog buns when you purchase hot dogs? if you dont like it dont order it and save me some busted sales.



i should write a novel. a how to take your kids for portraits....for all my customers...oh i mean for dummies

Anonymous said...

Forgot about the temperature issues. That may be a good post topic.

Anonymous said...

Funny how the heat topic is never adressed, we even took pictures of a thermometer showing what we dealt with... we did eventually get a bigger duct to our studio. I just thought it was a down south problem...

Anonymous said...

my child nightmare story...

There was a child named Damion...no I am not making that up.. he was born on 6-6-06 and his mother named him Damion...and he lived up to the name. He was two when he came in.. climbed up on top of the chairs in the lobby and started jumping off..I tell the mother he can't do that.. she just looks at me helplessly and said "What can I do?" We go in to take his pictures and (of course) he is all over the place. He is running and yelling and won't listen to a thing I say. We go out to view the "portraits", I say this in quotes because .. well it wasn't my best work but you do what you can with what you have to work with. The two year old is again jumping off the chairs..The mother finally has enough and swats the little brat one time on his butt...NOT HARD..and puts him in a chair..he then jumps up and stomps his foot at her and tells her..and I am quoting here word for word... "What did I tell you about spanking me.. Don't do that again!" He then starts doing exactly what he got swatted for .. and the mother just sits down and sighs.. I couldn't keep my mouth shut.. I tried .. I swear but it just popped out.. I asked her if she had checked his head for sixes.. I will tell you this... That is one write up I signed with a smile on my face!

Anonymous said...

to the weather poster...we are in jersey and in the middle of winter it is a literal 85 degrees in our store. i have had 5 fainters and countless vomiters (myself included) ive lost over 30 regulars simply because of the heat in the studio (the kids faces are bright red!) ive seen SEARS customers walk in the door and simply turn around and walk out again in the summertime. they lost a TON of profit last year bc ppl who wanted to buy clothing didnt want to try it on in the store took it home and when it didnt fit simply returned it and washed their hands of the store. we are smack in the middle of the upper level with no ventilation and only one bathroom on the lower level on the other side of the store. its a literal ten minute walk to the restroom.