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Customer Goes Psycho…..
About 8 years ago I started working for a global electronics company in the spare parts division. I was a lowly clerk, who processed parts orders, answered the phone and worked the sales counter.
One morning I took a call from a customer who needed to get a replacement power adaptor for a 12” LCD TV (this is one of the real early types that needed a converting adaptor and were about $1500 when they first came out) I looked up the availability and advised the customer of the price.
Customer starts yelling at me that it should be under warranty as he only bought the TV a week ago. After inquiring what was the fault and getting yelled at for about 5 mins, it turns out the customer has cut the plug off the end in order to feed the cord thru a wall and couldn’t rewire it on. I dutifully explain that it is not covered under warranty and if he wants a replacement, he will have to pay for it.
More yelling and verbal abuse ensues, along with threats to come down to the office and “sort me out”. He then hangs up.
My co-worker (who could hear the customer from the other side of the office) gives me a WTF? Look, I shrug and go back to work.
Before I go any further, I’d like to mention that this is about 7.30am and no managers or supervisors are currently in, only my co-worker, myself, a couple of the warehouse boys and some accounts staff on the next floor.
About 20mins later, a customer arrives at our sales counter. I walk up to the counter and immediately realise this is the same guy I just had on the phone. Dreading the worst, I put my best “How can I help you?” smile on my face and approach him.
He was actually really nice and polite – for about 60 seconds. Once he realised he was not getting a free adaptor, he flips. Big time!
He starts yelling at me. Demanding a manager. I explain, he is not in as it is not even 8am and he doesn’t start till 8.30 Customer screams at me if I don’t give him a free one, he’ll come over the counter and get it himself.
This was the point where I wished we had a panic button under the counter. Luckily my co-worker (who the customer could not actually see due to the layout of the office) realised the severity of the situation and makes a hasty retreat out the back to grab a couple of the warehouse boys.
I have to admit, by this time, I was getting really scared. This customer was just freaky. Next thing I know he picks up the TV (yes he had bought that in too) and throws it across the counter at me. As luck (or fate) would have it, his anger made his aim really bad and the TV slammed into the concrete pillar about 10 feet away smashing into pieces. As the remains of his TV crash to the ground, he puts hands on the counter and is about to leap over at me.
*cue cavalry to the rescue music*
As he leaps over, 2 of our warehouse boys appear like magic. They are both very large, muscular Tongan boys who don’t take shit from no-one. They each grab an arm and back over the counter they go. A few moments of scuffling on the floor and they are up, with the customer in a headlock and dragging him, kicking and screaming, out the door
My coworker is standing there shocked, I’m shaking like a leaf and the sound of the TV crashing had attracted about half a dozen people from the next floor to come investigate. The warehouse supervisor comes in, sends everyone away and tells me to go have a smoke in the dock to calm down.
After chain smoking about 5 cigs in about 10mins, the 2 Tongan boys walk up to me and join me for a smoke. They are both flushed and a bit battered. They inquire if I’m ok and tell me not to worry, they took care of him. I ask what they did. All they would tell me was that not to worry, they made sure there were no security cameras around.
I felt at this point it was probably better not to know.
When my manager arrived I related the incident, filled out a report for HR and got back to my job.
I never did find out what happened to that customer, but he never came back…….
And the best part about this story…… the part he needed would have only cost him about $25 dollars, but because of his aggression, he destroyed his $1500 TV
One morning I took a call from a customer who needed to get a replacement power adaptor for a 12” LCD TV (this is one of the real early types that needed a converting adaptor and were about $1500 when they first came out) I looked up the availability and advised the customer of the price.
Customer starts yelling at me that it should be under warranty as he only bought the TV a week ago. After inquiring what was the fault and getting yelled at for about 5 mins, it turns out the customer has cut the plug off the end in order to feed the cord thru a wall and couldn’t rewire it on. I dutifully explain that it is not covered under warranty and if he wants a replacement, he will have to pay for it.
More yelling and verbal abuse ensues, along with threats to come down to the office and “sort me out”. He then hangs up.
My co-worker (who could hear the customer from the other side of the office) gives me a WTF? Look, I shrug and go back to work.
Before I go any further, I’d like to mention that this is about 7.30am and no managers or supervisors are currently in, only my co-worker, myself, a couple of the warehouse boys and some accounts staff on the next floor.
About 20mins later, a customer arrives at our sales counter. I walk up to the counter and immediately realise this is the same guy I just had on the phone. Dreading the worst, I put my best “How can I help you?” smile on my face and approach him.
He was actually really nice and polite – for about 60 seconds. Once he realised he was not getting a free adaptor, he flips. Big time!
He starts yelling at me. Demanding a manager. I explain, he is not in as it is not even 8am and he doesn’t start till 8.30 Customer screams at me if I don’t give him a free one, he’ll come over the counter and get it himself.
This was the point where I wished we had a panic button under the counter. Luckily my co-worker (who the customer could not actually see due to the layout of the office) realised the severity of the situation and makes a hasty retreat out the back to grab a couple of the warehouse boys.
I have to admit, by this time, I was getting really scared. This customer was just freaky. Next thing I know he picks up the TV (yes he had bought that in too) and throws it across the counter at me. As luck (or fate) would have it, his anger made his aim really bad and the TV slammed into the concrete pillar about 10 feet away smashing into pieces. As the remains of his TV crash to the ground, he puts hands on the counter and is about to leap over at me.
*cue cavalry to the rescue music*
As he leaps over, 2 of our warehouse boys appear like magic. They are both very large, muscular Tongan boys who don’t take shit from no-one. They each grab an arm and back over the counter they go. A few moments of scuffling on the floor and they are up, with the customer in a headlock and dragging him, kicking and screaming, out the door
My coworker is standing there shocked, I’m shaking like a leaf and the sound of the TV crashing had attracted about half a dozen people from the next floor to come investigate. The warehouse supervisor comes in, sends everyone away and tells me to go have a smoke in the dock to calm down.
After chain smoking about 5 cigs in about 10mins, the 2 Tongan boys walk up to me and join me for a smoke. They are both flushed and a bit battered. They inquire if I’m ok and tell me not to worry, they took care of him. I ask what they did. All they would tell me was that not to worry, they made sure there were no security cameras around.
I felt at this point it was probably better not to know.
When my manager arrived I related the incident, filled out a report for HR and got back to my job.
I never did find out what happened to that customer, but he never came back…….
And the best part about this story…… the part he needed would have only cost him about $25 dollars, but because of his aggression, he destroyed his $1500 TV
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