Comments on: How to Handle Customer Threats https://customersthatstick.com/blog/how-to-handle-customer-threats/ You can have the best customer experience in your industry Mon, 28 Aug 2023 17:01:33 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 By: Adam Toporek https://customersthatstick.com/blog/how-to-handle-customer-threats/#comment-241925 Wed, 02 Sep 2020 10:09:18 +0000 http://customersthatstick.com/?p=5415#comment-241925 In reply to Carolyn.

Hi Carolyn, I hope that this situation has been resolved. Other than the basic principles above, I couldn’t possibly advise on specifically how to handle the customer side of this in a blog comment. As mentioned, once a customer threat is leveled, the conversation is over. But I realize you may still have to deliver to that house, so I would speak to whomever you need to in a supervisory role at your company so that you can do your job in a way that feels safe. Wishing you the best with this situation.

]]> By: Gabriella Jacobs https://customersthatstick.com/blog/how-to-handle-customer-threats/#comment-239929 Thu, 25 Jun 2020 17:12:18 +0000 http://customersthatstick.com/?p=5415#comment-239929 My husband and I are right now dealing with a customer who will owe us $10.5k when job is completed since our workers Are there this owner told our employee to do more than what was in the contract he didn’t know so he did it without telling us when my husband told he’ll have to pay for it the customer laughed in my husband’s face got in his car and left my husband emailed 3x he went there this morning and the customers wife said you have to paint this huge long intricate wine wrack and if we don’t they’re not paying us help

]]> By: Carolyn https://customersthatstick.com/blog/how-to-handle-customer-threats/#comment-239415 Mon, 01 Jun 2020 06:54:27 +0000 http://customersthatstick.com/?p=5415#comment-239415 Hi Adam

I work in the media, home delivery of newspapers. Lately we have had issues with these deliveries and we have had subscribers threaten to slit our throats if the matter is not resolved. How would you handle this? as I am somewhat perplexed my some of my colleagues indifference to this threat
Thanks

]]> By: Adam Toporek https://customersthatstick.com/blog/how-to-handle-customer-threats/#comment-237240 Fri, 20 Mar 2020 17:43:45 +0000 http://customersthatstick.com/?p=5415#comment-237240 In reply to Neyoh Rule.

Hi Neyoh, All customer service is context sensitive, so the answer would completely depend on the details of the situation. You can use the tips in this post and our 3S Service Process as a great starting point. Best of luck!

]]> By: Neyoh Rule https://customersthatstick.com/blog/how-to-handle-customer-threats/#comment-237193 Thu, 19 Mar 2020 00:41:45 +0000 http://customersthatstick.com/?p=5415#comment-237193 A customer has come to speak to a member of staff to make a complaint. They are threatening to get you to shut down. Your objective is to resolve the issue with minimum reputation and financial damage to the company. What do you do?

]]> By: Steve Cecil https://customersthatstick.com/blog/how-to-handle-customer-threats/#comment-195217 Mon, 04 Jun 2018 22:06:34 +0000 http://customersthatstick.com/?p=5415#comment-195217 I owned a small construction company that mainly did metal roofing and siding remodel jobs for homeowners. I did a job for a lady that consisted of 2 months in removing her shingles and installed a metal roof and also installed new board & batten vinyl siding. Payment was set up in three draws as different steps of the work was accomplished. The customer even tipped the sub contractors a $100 each the day we finished and said she was happy. A short time later she called and said didn’t like the gutters. I fixed the gutter drip and she called a week later and said she hated the entire job and demanded $50,000 or said she would file suite . I never got sued but for the last 1 1/2 years I’ve been threatened that she would put me in prison some how. She also filed a criminal report to our states attorney generals office. Then she wrote a nasty letter to my wife’s place of employment. Now she’s filed a report with my counties prosecutor for home improvement fraud. Then she had my state income tax refund froze because she works for dept of revenue. She’s ruined me on Facebook and social media. My buisness went under very fast. She also contacted numerous past customers of mine asking if they would join her in humiliating me. It’s truly ruined my life. I can’t take no more

]]> By: Adam Toporek https://customersthatstick.com/blog/how-to-handle-customer-threats/#comment-194775 Tue, 08 May 2018 11:55:47 +0000 http://customersthatstick.com/?p=5415#comment-194775 In reply to James.

Hi James,

Thank you for sharing your story here. I understand how frustrating your situation must be. It sounds like you’ve been trying to make the situation right. I would love to advise you on what to do next, but that part of the article stops where it does because that’s where our expertise also ends. Once the legal threats start (assuming they’re legitimate and the customer doesn’t walk back from them), then I recommend you consult an attorney. Of course, it is always preferable to resolve situations without “going there,” however, if the customer is leaving you no option, then please do seek the advice of counsel.

Best of luck with your situation James! I do hope you can resolve it quickly.

]]> By: James https://customersthatstick.com/blog/how-to-handle-customer-threats/#comment-194708 Wed, 02 May 2018 00:16:30 +0000 http://customersthatstick.com/?p=5415#comment-194708 I own a highly reputable roofing company with over 600 glowing reviews online. I’ve never had a bad one until now and this lady has threatened to go everywhere she can find me and bash me online. She had a leak in her dinning room and we replaced the copper flashing over a bay window which was clearly in disrepair. It was right in the area where the leak was. We completed the repair and I believe we did a great job on it. We have pictures of the repair. During the repair, we noted that the 2nd story wood window above had separation. We were not contracted to do any work on the window however we sealed it best we could as a courtesy and notified the customer that she should have a window company look at it. It leaked again now 10 months later and she called us back out. She was highly confrontational with my tech and then me after I got involved. Ive has tough customers before and I’ve always been able to resolve their issues whether they were right or wrong to satisfy the situation. In this case we never specified that we would “stop the leak” specifically in our contract and we property performed the work we did quote. We found evidence that the window leak is coming from the upper window. To give her the benefit of the doubt and because she was so mad and unreasonable, I offered to credit her the money back for the flashing which did need to be replaced and when she implied that would go online and trash us I even offered to help with the interior repairs. She has been extremely nasty and took to online to bash my company. She has now sent me messages saying that our flashing work is also faulty and that 3 other contractors have confirmed that. She will not however send me pictures or more information. We have been 100% professional thus far. She has now threatened me legally so as the article says, I’m terminating conversation with her. My question is, can I sue this lady for damaging my reputation If she slanders me on multiple platforms? We performed the work per our contract 100%. If she tries to sue me, can I sure her for my legal fees? This customer has me really frustrated.

]]> By: Adam Toporek https://customersthatstick.com/blog/how-to-handle-customer-threats/#comment-183607 Wed, 16 Aug 2017 11:12:54 +0000 http://customersthatstick.com/?p=5415#comment-183607 In reply to Mark s.

Sorry to hear that happened to you Mark. Those really bad moments happen so rarely, that it is easy to forget that they DO happen and things can get very scary out there. Hope everyone was okay.

]]> By: Mark s https://customersthatstick.com/blog/how-to-handle-customer-threats/#comment-183571 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 18:28:31 +0000 http://customersthatstick.com/?p=5415#comment-183571 What do you do about A crazy person wandering in and breaking down the door to get at You? Never been so scared in my life

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