Comments on: Curmudgeons

By: Alyson

Alyson — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:23:00 +0000

Yes, and some companies seem to run their business as if all customers were curmudgeons– “outliers” who are either unpleasant or try to game the system. It seems to me that we should keep those curmudgeons close and definitely think of them as “discerning” because them as the canaries in the mine — voices that are harbingers of more widespread (or unexpressed) dissatisfaction. Head off the wrath of these customers, or better still WOW them, and you’ll be amazed at what they bring to the table.

By: Steve Curtin

Steve Curtin — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 05:24:00 +0000

That bad, huh? I was inspired by Seth Godin’s Trolls post. Curmudgeons are the customer service equivalents of trolls. Lately, I’ve read one too many blog comments about how customers are not to be trusted and how they work the system to take advantage of employees and companies. I worked for Marriott for 20 years (7 years on the frontline) and in all that time, I can vividly recall only a handful of customers who crossed the line. I firmly believe the Pygmalion effect is alive and well in customer service and that customers are only difficult if you’ve labeled them that way. Are there exceptions? Of course. But they’re exceptions and not the norm as curmudgeons suggest.

By: Alyson

Alyson — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 04:56:00 +0000

Gosh, Steve. Are you okay?