How to Be a Good Customer: 16 Ways to Not Be a Jerk

How to Be a Good
Customer:
16 Ways to Not Be a
Jerk

By Adam Toporek
April 15, 2013

©Copyright 2013. CTS Service Solutions. All Rights Reserved.

In June 2012, we released the blog post
How to Be a Good Customer: 16 Ways to
Not Be a Jerk. The post explored the
other side of customer service – how we
can all be better customers.

Customer service is not a one-way street,
and there are ways that we can improve
our own experience.

Read on for 16 ways to not be a jerk…

customersthatstick.com

How To Be A Good
Customer:
The Big Picture


#1 Remember The Golden Rule
Treat others as you would want to be
treated yourself.

How would you feel if you were on
the receiving end of what your are
dishing out?

Wouldn’t like it? Then don’t do it!


#2 Separate The Person from the
Policy
This is one of the most difficult
challenges, even for the usually fair-
minded.

Some company policies can be personally
frustrating; don’t shoot the messenger.

Chances are they did not create the policy
and do not have a choice but to enforce
it.


#3 Separate The Person from the Performance

People screw up.
But there is a big
difference between an
accident and
negligence, between a
mistake and malice.
Many times the person in front of you is trying to
do a good job – if so, then cut them a little slack.


#4 Don’t Be a Bully

Pushing around the sales clerk who
is half your age by raising your
voice, making unreasonable
demands, and showing utter
contempt for their very being does
not make you powerful, it makes
you a bully.

Don’t push people around just because you think
you can.

#5 Don’t Make Threats
If you are making threats not
because you have a serious
grievance but because you just want
what you want, stop!

Threatening to report someone to
the Better Business Bureau, your
thirty Twitter followers, or the
International Criminal Court is not
productive and almost always
unwarranted.

#6 Adjust Your Expectations
Expecting great service is your prerogative;
expecting great service to mean that the
company does whatever you want, whenever
you want, and for as little as you are willing to
pay is not.

Adjust your expectations to the realities of the
business you are dealing with


#7 Respect The Rules

Hey, the coupon expired
last week. If you want to
ask whether the company
will honor it, feel free.
However, don’t get mad if
the company says no. It
had an expiration date for
a reason.


#8 Give The Company An Opportunity
to Solve The Problem
Are your really concerned with
the problem or does it just feel
good to complain?

Give the company a chance to
fix the problem before taking
away your business or sending
that angry tweet.


#9 Seek First to Understand, Then to
Be Understood

It is amazing how much
better everything in the
world would be if people
took the time to follow
Mr. Coveys Fifth Habit.
I know it’s fun to hear yourself talk, but maybe try
listening and even understanding before declaring
war.

To Be A Good
Customer You
Should…


#10 Attempt To Put It Back Where You
Found It
And if you don’t want
to do that, at least
don’t hide it on a
shelf where no one
will find it for a
month.
Stores make money by selling inventory, not by
hiding it. If you won’t put it back, then take it to
the register so the store can do so for you.

#11 Pay Attention to Signs
I just screwed this one up
recently. I was buying a
“treat” lunch for my
employees, was having a
meat grinder of a day, and
got in the express lane with
like 25 items.

I didn’t even notice. The cashier checked me out and then
politely pointed out that if I had more than ten items I
should use one of the regular lanes next time.


#12 Say Please and Thank You

Your mother already told you this; you should
listen to her!


#13 Understand Tipping Protocols
It’s important to understand
the tipping expectations, if
any, of the business you are
patronizing.

Not sure what to tip? Smart
phones are magical things.


#14 Ask For The Manager

Yes, do… then say
something nice about the
employee that served you.


#15 Herd Your Cattle… I Mean Kids
Here’s the deal. You chose to
bring your children to the
restaurant. If you can’t control
them, they get to ruin your
meal not everyone else’s.

Take them outside; too bad if
the waitress just brought your
food. That’s on you.


#16 Put Down Your Cell Phone
I get it… trust me. But most calls
really can wait. If you can’t dump
the call, at least, lower the phone,
smile at the person helping you and
apologize for being rude.

Most service providers do not care if
you talk to them; they just care that
you don’t treat them like they do not
exist.


A Good Starting Point…
Of course, this list of 16 Ways
Not to Be a Jerk is in no way
comprehensive, but it is a
good starting point on how
to be a good customer.

Just remember that when a
company does not live up to
your expectations to take a
deep breath before reacting.


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4. Tape Measure (credit) 20. Man on Cell Phone (credit)
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How to Be a Good Customer: 16 Ways to Not Be a Jerk

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