ANSWERS: 24
  • Personally, if there are no customer complaints and these are just co-workers, I would ignore them.
  • Humor is a wonderful thing...I doubt the customers will ever complain about it. I'll bet those 'stiff" have more problems and/or complaints from customers than the rest of the workers.
  • Laugh at them, of course.
  • Make an example out of one...the others will fall in line.
  • If they are just peers - co workers at your level - then their objections are moot. If the customers like you, if the management likes you, if the quality of your work is high....the whining of a few stiffs means nothing. You don't say what you do, but "professional" means different things in different settings, and things can often have a different tone night shift vs. day shift. From what you describe it doesn't sound as if there's a real problem. I'd simply tell them I disagree and ignore them.
  • Without knowing what your job is it is hard to say. But in general, if any of these are your bosses, listen to them. If they are on the same level as you, it's a matter of opinion. If a superior is not involved, consulting one is a possibility but mucht stir up a hornet's nest.
  • Just tell them that you and the customer both feel better when humor is involved. And, you don't have to be unprofessional to use humor. I always did in my job.
  • Use humor with them too.
  • Tell them that if the customers aren't complaining, that they need to keep out of your business. Customers like people who treat them like people, they don't like people who just talk sales gibberish and have no personality. Tend to hear more complaints about people that aren't personable than I do about people that can joke with the customers and make them feel at home when they're out shopping or out on the town.
  • I know where your coming from and all you really can do is laugh and smile and be polite, but you know you don't have to be as polite to the 4 stiffs, or even better be nicer to them the meaner they are and kill them with kindness...
  • Just think how much fun they're not having.
  • Instead of speaking,sing your conversations with them until they run away.Actually,they're so exhausting to deal with that I don't bother with them unless forced or am in a "mood" to have alittle fun with them.
  • You make the customers happy, they'll come back. Perhaps "the four" are being unprofessional. If that line of logic goes over their heads then I don't know... actually, you can point that out to them too - sales is about buying with your emotions and later on justifying your decision with "logic" - a million sales books will tell you that. "Find out what the customer wants - and give it to them." Are they giving the customer what the customer wants? Ultimately, "the four" are just difficult customers, and you are trying to sell them an idea. Let us know if you make any progress (for better or worse).
  • I ignore them. If they're not your superiors, you don't have to concern yourself with what they find professional and what they do not. If the customers enjoy it, that's all that matter. They're jealous that your approach is more effective than theirs, considering they've brainwashed themselves into thinking being stiff is how professionals are supposed to act. Do your thing and let them fail miserably at doing theirs. It's more satisfying.
  • by remembering the customer is always right. As long as the humour your using isn't crass or likely to offend minority groups, go for it. There will always be those who don't think you're doing things right. Tough to them and they can live with it.
  • yes ma am, no sir treatment. would you like to seek with a supervisor. then its his problem and not mine.
  • You dont let them bring you down - continue to be yourselves like the customers appreciate. If I ever come to your place of employment I will be sure to request you!
  • being professional is the way to be. they will keep their jobs and you will lose yours. you had fun and were funny but you were unprofessional, so you get canned. how funny is that?
  • While not a stiff personally, I do work in an office of professionals and I have a co-worker who has a very casual attitude with some of our customers. It didn't used to bother me, I even thought it was funny, but I can see now that he's become too comfortable, the jokes get more personal and things can easily get out of hand and cross the line. The thing is, those customers aren't complaining now, but if for some reason, the relationship turned or something to do with the business left them dissatisfied, and one or more of the customers didn't want to be friendly anymore, their business can be lost instantly because of the lack of professionalism. Remember too, your co-workers are also your customers. This is just good business sense.
  • Sarcasm.
  • I ran an entertainment complex for 9 years consisting of 7 different themed night clubs and in the basement was a health club and tanning salon. It was built in an old Sears building. I handled most situations with humor because it would defuse a lot of problems. There were some situations that couldn't be handled that way and sometimes it meant that I would have my guys (security) call the police. Some people can be anal, both customers and employees, but so be it. We were rocking every night of the week so I did not worry about it. The few employees that did not like my management skills either got use to it or I told them they did not have to work for me if it caused them problems. I lost some people but we had less of a turn over than the average night clubs so I knew I was doing something very right.
  • Remind them that the coustoers are always right and if they want fun then you give them fun.
  • There are different types of customers, and a large portion of customers want to be treated like family - say, how you wold treat a cousin. Humor works well with them. As a server, this works well with most people. However there are those who want to be left alone with the minimal amount of contact possible (this is how I am, actually), and then there are others like your 4 stiffs, as you put them, who I am just going to take a wild guess and say they're the type who want to be treated like royalty. Realizing that if you can perceive what types of customers you are serving before they sit down/talk is a great thing, because you can treat them accordingly and thus (hopefully) earn a good tip or at least reputation for being a great server/bartender/whatever.
  • every one deals with a situation in there own way,if you deal with your customers the way you see fit and as long as the boss says nothing and the customers are happy,hey carry on.tell the stiffs to take a chill pill,and get another job.

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