something is on my mind and i need your opinion

P.A.L · Black Belt

recently I received a email at my business from a person who i have never done a business with. I found part of the email insulting and i replied back as i thought fit.
I want you to read these two emails and let me if I was overboard in my reply. the man is dragging the matter.

here is the original email i received :
Subject: Dip not Deep
To whom it may concern,
And it should concern someone.
In your overall description on the cost of chrome-plating you state;
The customer thinks all you need to do is deep the piece. It's Dip,
I point this out only cause it demonstrates and shows a complete lack of attention to detail.
Signed;
A Lost Customer.

my reply :
Mr xxxxx,
thank you for your input , I forwarded the email to the party responsible.
Also, I can't find any reference to your name in our emails or logs. if you are our customer and for any reason unhappy, please let us know , We would gladly address your concerns.
if you just landed on our website from a search engine trying to learn something and never used our service, please don't sign as "A Lost Customer".I point this out only cause it demonstrates and shows a complete lack of attention to detail.
Regards,
Alex

what do you think, was my answer out of proportion by repeating his own words?

Focused Mind · White Belt

I think you are right. I am a Director of a family business and I would have responded in a similar manner.
People have no respect and unfortunately these people will them label you as ignorant; they will forget to mention that they was demeaning to begin with.
I would mark the e-mail address as spam now - you have replied and should stop any further communication with that person.
Don't let it get you down P.A.L, some people have nothing better to do.

Patrick · KF Administrator

Hey P.A.L,

I can understand his point, but he wasn't terribly polite about it, that's for sure.

As a small business owner (assuming you are the owner), there are different ways to respond to these types of things. You can certainly give it back to them a little bit. Or you can respond in a way that, if your email is seen by the world, you will be proud and win business.

For example, the last line of your email about landing from search engines, what do you gain from that? Do you think that the person who sent the email is more likely to be a customer or less? What about anyone who is forwarded the email? Did they deserve it? Maybe. Did it feel good to send? Maybe. But does it serve your ends? I don't know.

Just a thought! Rude customers aren't fun.

Patrick
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Bulltahr · Brown Belt

That guy has some chip on his shoulder with the world in general probably, better off not having to do business with a guy like that, likely you would never be able to please him....
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sensei8 · KF Sensei

This is me, but I wouldn't have replied in like, at all. I would've addressed him in a total professional manner, and that would've including me apologizing for my spelling error, and assuring the customer that I'd strive to earn his business.

Why?

If that customer wasn't really going to take their business elsewhere, and they were just venting, as that's a customers right to do so, no matter how harsh that customer is in their complaint, that once that customer reads your email, that customer will be much more inclined to follow through with the threat of taking their business elsewhere.

We've only one chance to make that impression, and once that first impression has expired, a bad impression serves the company of no value, and any attempt to reconcile, will be for naught.

Yes, you matched wit for wit, but in the long run, the battle of wits has the business losing, while the customer wins. It's all about Customer Service, and when Customer Service isn't provided, the business is drastically affected.

Sending a negative email right back to the customer has two things:

1. Time stamp and date
2. Proof of your email [that might be sent to your supervisor, if you've one]

A customer might perceive your email as negative because the customers complaint wasn't solved, yet your email might only exasperate the entire situation, a situation that might cause you more harm than good.

Two wrongs never make a right!!

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**Proof is on the floor!!!

Spartacus Maximus · Black Belt

Unless there has been a sudden surge of similar messages, an e-mail such as the one mentioned here is hardly worth a passing glance, nor is it worth wasting time replying to it. Immediately delete and move on to more pressing and meaningful orders of business.

P.A.L · Black Belt

thanks for the inputs, i shouldn't have replied at all.
two days later i had two fire Marshals at my door , they had received anonymous complain that our company doesn't have a contingency plan on file. after i gave them a copy they apologized and left. some people really have mental issues.

Nidan Melbourne · KF Sempai

wow if it was the same person who sent you that original email; clearly they were in a vindictive mood???

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