Don’t Discount A Customer’s Inability To Discount
(I work for a catalogue company and I’ve just finished taking an order over the phone. I know that each catalogue comes with a unique discount code that gives substantial savings. The customer hasn’t quoted her discount code. I decide to prompt her, so she doesn’t miss out.)
Me: “I notice that you’re ordering from the spring catalogue. You should have a discount code on the front page.”
Customer: “Yes.”
Me: “Great. Could you give me the number?”
Customer: “The what?”
Me: “The six-digit discount code number?”
Customer: “The ‘discount’ what?”
(She doesn’t seem hard of hearing and we both have the same regional accent, but I speak louder and slower, just in case.)
Me: “Discount NUMBER.”
Customer: “The what-number?”
Me: “The DISCOUNT NUMBER.”
Customer: “Where is it?”
Me: “On the front of the catalogue.”
Customer: “I don’t see it.”
Me: “It’s at the very top of the page.”
Customer: “Where?”
Me: “Along the top of the front page, in a white box.”
Customer: *pause* “15% off.”
Me: *finally getting somewhere* “Great! Now, if you could give me the six-digit code number at the end of that sentence.”
Customer: “It says I get ‘15% off.'”
Me: “Okay, no problem. I just need the six-digit discount code so my computer will make the reduction.”
Customer: “There’s nothing else here.”
Me: “That’s odd. Can you read to me exactly what it says?”
Customer: “To get 15% off” *stops*
Me: “Carry on…”
Customer: “Please quote… oh! It says here ‘DISCOUNT CODE.’ Is that what you wanted?”
Me: “Yes please.”
Customer: “So, have I got my discount?”
Me: “Sure, if you give me the six-digit discount code.”
Customer: “I don’t see it.”
Me: “Could you read the full sentence to me?”
Customer: “15% off.”
Me: “Okay, could you read all of it to me? Including the bits before and after the ‘15% off.””
Customer: *huffy* “To get 15% off please quote discount code 123456.”
Me: *enters in number* “Great, so you’ve got 15% off your order.”
Customer: “Finally! God, you people make these things so difficult!”
Question of the Week
Have you ever served a bad customer who got what they deserved?
