Seriously can't take it much longer.

[slappy]

WTFH?! Now i got customers passing me at my parents house, backing up down the road and pulling into the driveway to ask me about things that they should be talking to me at work! So I'm talking to him with pizza, pop, chips, cups, plates and napkins in hand cause i just got there.... All i wanted to do was enjoy a nice night out by the pond fishing with a fire and fireworks! I was so pissed! My pizza was cold too btw and sucked. I freaking hate people anymore... like at lowes... i do not wanna talk to you about anything work related when i'm looking at lights or plants! Nor do i want to ballpark a price on something at the mall cause i just happened to pass you leaving macy's.. Leave me alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry... i had to vent! Can't take it! Anyone else get this kinda crap????

Mine is more retail shop cause of other stuff we sale, but seriously.
Then you all wonder why i don't wanna give them my last name! Lol. I got them turning around and pulling into my parents! I give them my name they will be calling me at home and stalking me when we are closed......

 

[SignosaurusRex]

I'm sorry, I'm right in the middle of something very important at the moment. How about you give me your home phone number and I'll call you around dinner time tonight!

I feel your pain ...or at least used to. Customers soon realized that I valued my time away from them as much as I valued my time with them. Those that did not like it are no longer customers and I'm just fine with that.

 

[GAC05]

Get a pair of these and they'll never know its you.
You can even eat pizza without taking them off...

wayne k
guam usa

 

[kanini]

I've enjoyed business since I like talking to different people etc. but last Friday I had a customer standing on my front porch when I got home later than usual from work, exhausted and just been food shopping with two large bags of food. The guy just started taking about this clothes he wanted pressed (he lives nearby, we do a lot of work for his sports store) and I just had a hard time keeping calm and not start yelling at him. I grabbed the bag with the clothes, threw it in the trunk and said "talk to you on Monday" and got inside...


The problem I think is for the customers it's only once in a while they meet with you, but you have the customers going all day. That can make you want to keep your private life separated from work.

 

[visual800]

Having been doin this for 23 years now I have learned the ones that aggravate you on your off times never order s***!!!!!!!!!

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Having been doin this for 23 years now I have learned the ones that aggravate you on your off times never order s***!!!!!!!!!

You are absolutely correct, but you guys are lucky you aren't in the tattoo industry. When I was a tattooer. people would not leave me alone in public....ever. If I went to the local pub for a few beers with friends, most of my night was spent dealing with tire kickers that love to talk about getting tattoos but never do. At least this was the result 98% of the time. I don't get it nearly as much now that I'm in the sign business, thank god. I guess signs just aren't as cool to talk about.

As far as being irritated, I can totally relate to that. As nice as I try to be to potential customers, on rare occasions their stupidity has pushed me over the edge. I'm almost as fed up with having my cell phone number on my business card. I'm realizing now what a giant mistake that was. I get people calling me all hours of the day and on weekends. Calls on Sunday are just ridiculous, but I get them all the time and tell them the same thing, "Call me during business hours, please."

 

[skyhigh]

You're a very likeable person Steph.....Its your cross to bear!!!

I have a very similar "supper time", "pizza is ready story" from 2 weeks ago. After being polite and measuring his vehicle, along with pictures.....I come in to find everyone has finished supper, and I got to eat my cold pizza alone.



And I'm NOT a likeable person :Big Laugh

 

[TheSnowman]

I hear ya. That's why I do everything in my power to never give out my cell phone number. I get calls when I'm on vacation or with my family every single time it gets leaked. Whenever I go out to eat with the family, we head about 45 minutes north so we don't have to mess with this. My dad is the same way. Been in business in a town his whole life, and he never gets to eat because everyone needs to tell him their life story about a job he worked on 15 years ago for them.

 

[Gino]

If people/customers have a lack of respect for your OWN time, then I would expect you wouldn't mind losing them..... as customers.

It never fails if I'm at the club, a store or just out somewhere, someone is gonna be asking me about signs or something sign related. I will usually weigh the circumstances and the kind of event I'm at and make a lickity-split decision to either engage or tell them to call me tomorrow after 9:00.

It's quite simple. They wanna talk business, then you have to act business and tell them to call you during business hours. No need to be upset with them or rude, just smile and tell them you are out of your comfort zone and you don't wanna waste their time or your own. It shouldn't take more than two minutes to calm someone down and turn the whole thing around in your favor.
Should you wanna engage, I've made some really good deals when I'm on my own time. It's not like you have to sit down and figure out a quote or measure up something on the spot. You just eagerly tell them how really grateful you are they stopped you, collect their information and that you'll get their numbers and quotes to them pronto.

Ya just never wanna p!ss a potential or good customer off, just because they don't understand the boundaries. You need to educate them by being the businessperson in the relationship. Eventually, if they are at all business they'll understand and you'll have cultivated a good customer. Otherwise, if they never quite grasp what's wrong, then fire their dumb stoopid a$$ and have a nice rest of the evening.

 

[Ragin Cajun]

WTFH?! Now i got customers passing me at my parents house, backing up down the road and pulling into the driveway to ask me about things that they should be talking to me at work! So I'm talking to him with pizza, pop, chips, cups, plates and napkins in hand cause i just got there.... All i wanted to do was enjoy a nice night out by the pond fishing with a fire and fireworks! I was so pissed! My pizza was cold too btw and sucked. I freaking hate people anymore... like at lowes... i do not wanna talk to you about anything work related when i'm looking at lights or plants! Nor do i want to ballpark a price on something at the mall cause i just happened to pass you leaving macy's.. Leave me alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry... i had to vent! Can't take it! Anyone else get this kinda crap????

Mine is more retail shop cause of other stuff we sale, but seriously.
Then you all wonder why i don't wanna give them my last name! Lol. I got them turning around and pulling into my parents! I give them my name they will be calling me at home and stalking me when we are closed......

You could quit your business and go work as a Greeter at your local Walmart.
heheheheeh

I know it can be frustrating sometimes but Be lucky you have work and people admire you.

Sometimes they just ask you questions about work because they want to talk with you without much to say.

I am a photographer....sometimes they ask me about their camera...lol

Be thankful they like you and want to talk to you.

Some people are bored and have no customers and no friends.

t

 

[Baz]

If people/customers have a lack of respect for your OWN time, then I would expect you wouldn't mind losing them..... as customers.

It never fails if I'm at the club, a store or just out somewhere, someone is gonna be asking me about signs or something sign related. I will usually weigh the circumstances and the kind of event I'm at and make a lickity-split decision to either engage or tell them to call me tomorrow after 9:00.

It's quite simple. They wanna talk business, then you have to act business and tell them to call you during business hours. No need to be upset with them or rude, just smile and tell them you are out of your comfort zone and you don't wanna waste their time or your own. It shouldn't take more than two minutes to calm someone down and turn the whole thing around in your favor.
Should you wanna engage, I've made some really good deals when I'm on my own time. It's not like you have to sit down and figure out a quote or measure up something on the spot. You just eagerly tell them how really grateful you are they stopped you, collect their information and that you'll get their numbers and quotes to them pronto.

Ya just never wanna p!ss a potential or good customer off, just because they don't understand the boundaries. You need to educate them by being the businessperson in the relationship. Eventually, if they are at all business they'll understand and you'll have cultivated a good customer. Otherwise, if they never quite grasp what's wrong, then fire their dumb stoopid a$$ and have a nice rest of the evening.

THIS!

You don't have to be rude about it but there is nothing wrong in saying ... "Call me tomorow so we can talk about it" or "Stop by the shop tomorow" ... If i am out and people start talking about a job and start giving actual information, i stop them right there and tell them to send an email or fax something because right afdter we are done talking i am going to forget about all these things.

Stand your ground ... Be nice not rude and most people who are serious will deal with you on your business hours.

 

[fmg]

"Sit down, would you like a beer and a slice "? I have been in this situation in the past and invited the customer to join me.Guess what He ended up spending another $$$$$$$$$ with me.
Sometimes its just nice to be nice and offer a slice.

 

[Techman]

Its good to see you.
I prefer not to talk shop after hours.

Know of any good fishing spots?


That way you set the boundary and 99% of the people understand that right off.
Now we have not angered any one.

 

[HulkSmash]

so, what's the issue here?

 

[fmg]

so, what's the issue here?

Probably the lack of nicotine.

 

[ThinkRight]

so, what's the issue here?

She hates customers and money I guess....
/ kidding
She like some of us like to turn off work at 5:00 .
It is good for your mental health to be able to separate work from everyday life ,it keeps you from hating your job and life.
And I guess she is just venting.

 

[ThinkRight]

Probably the lack of nicotine.

This also. :ROFLMAO:

 

[slappy]

not a lack of nicotine, i'm not going back to that... btw my 100 day mark was on the 4/16!

I'm just really starting not to like people.

Like just now. I had a lady get mad at me and stormed out because she brought in a damaged motor home piece and was trying to match up the pinstripe color to the old crusty one, and could not hold the small piece of metal and small pinstripe guide together close enough to figure out which was the closest color, yet the counter was right in front of her for her to lay it down on and if she had asked she could have taken it outside to look in the sun.

Lack of common sense anymore i suppose.

Not to mention she sounded extremely disappointed that i did not stock all the colors in a 3/4" pinstripe.

 

[Marlene]

just tell them to call you at work. you were at your parent's house clearly not at a job site or anything job related. people don't think and some times you have to do it for them.

 

[Gino]

Okay Slappy........ take a deep breath and m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m...................................

I understand your frustration on the first complaint beings you were on your time, but this last one was in the store, doing store things and the lady had a simple request.... let's go outside and look at it in true lighting conditions. I do this all the time, in fact, I usually suggest taking things outside to get a real feel for it.

You were in the proper environment and in this case, I see the customer as being in the right.

I'm not going to suggest the most obvious things, but maybe you need some time off and go re-charge your batteries. Having a little one, Tony, running a sign shop, truck accessory place and having to deal with people both at work and home..... maybe you're just running on fumes and need a break. A COMPLETE BREAK.

I've always said, if it wasn't for people, I'd absolutely love this business. That's true in any business.

You're not firing on all cylinders, so take a long deserved break....... and I'm not talking a long week-end...... but 7 or 10 days. Your Dad will just have to suck it up and you must post your up-coming vacation, so people can make adjustments in their schedules and then go and forget about work. The work will wait til you get back, or they'll go somewhere else. This is a good chance to find out just how loyal your customer base really is. You might worry about what if this or what if that, but everyone needs a break in their life from time to time. Yours is long overdue.