so how do you guys deal with customers that are just rude,in bad moods, try to tell you how to dd your jobs and pretty much micro manage every thing you do or are not happy because its your not taking care of the problem over night?? i have ran into some just woundering what ways you guys go about dealing with people like this.

When I was less older, I was very professional. I would do everything possible to solve the problem regardless of how obnoxious the customer. Now I am old and don't give a ship. In fact, is fun now to fling their ship back. I still provide good service to good customers. Over time, you will learn to recognize good from a-hole.

Unfortunately, in a service business like this, the customer can sometimes be the most unpleasant part.

I'm by nature, a very patient person and can put up with a lot from people. But when a customer gets under my skin, I've been known to be just as rude as they are, raise the price of the job or even refuse the job and leave.

It's pretty rare though.

Most times I can tell the attitude on the phone. Thats where they tell me exactly what they have and exactly how to fix it. I usually tell them it looks like they have a handle on things, and hang up.

Rude they get fired. All other quirks that they have you can bet their freinds, coworkers and family know about, so if you can get them to (even grudgingly)say that you did an OK job all of those people know that you did a great job. We all love the easy to please all sunshine and flowers type of customer and they are easy to turn into cheerleaders for your company and their recommendations are great but the hard to please or perpetually grumpy customers recommendation is worth so much more.

I use humour, higher prices, be overly pleasant. I'll do whatever they want me to do in addition to what I believe needs done. When I tell them what the cost is they usually let me figure it out. Sometimes I ask what they would charge to resolve the problem then offer to hire them. They have no ability or motivation to do it or I wouldn't be there.
Sometimes I walk away losing only a small amount of money and my valuable time. We only have so much of it and we all eventually run out. I'm not using it on people who make me feel like I'm wasting it.
Sometimes I make a sacrifice for the poor man or woman that has to live with this individual and will work harder to make myself do the job. If they are a matched pair I definitely walk.
Sometimes I walk in McDonalds and the CEO of the old mans group may have heard of me walking and will have something funny to say. Charles is right that person is usually well known for being difficult and shares his displeasure with his fellow man to the amusement of his aquaintances and maybe a friend or two if he can find them.
Finally try to make a lot of friends they always make you feel better after dealing with an obnoxious humansubstance and make a concious effort not to be like them.

Fortunately in almost 20 years of doing this type of work we have a very short list (7) of "DO NOT WORK FOR" names. We also have a two system pay schedule, one for 99.99% of the folks we do work for and then we have what we call the a-hole charge that, by the way, all the previous seven qualified for! I firmly believe that when people are rude or down talk you it is a conscious act on their part and long ago I made a conscious decision not to take it in either my private life or my professional life. You would be surprised at how many people, when they see they can't bully you in this way change their attitude and actually turn out be pretty good to work for.

Bob

Funny how people bring you out and then tell you no that's not going to work . Or they put there Owen special bait in your trap and when doing it they fire the trap and can't reset it . Sometimes you just need to jump back in there ship . Your there to help them . Your not there to sell them new siding or a roof . Tell them hey I'm here to help you . Sometimes you can turn it around and become the man they tell there friends about . You don't know what there history is they could have been screwed over in the past . Maybe some yuppy trapper was there last time and took there money but did little in return . Some people are just not nice and don't respected anybody . I just tell that type to hire someone else . It's a free country feel free to walk off any job , just hand them there check back and walk off the job . Feels so good sometimes and the look on there face can be priceless .

When all else fails, tell them to call your competitor. Preferably someone you dont get along with.