Descisions Customers Depend on You to Make

[pbmods]

Me: And the size you'd like for that shirt?
Them: Well, what size do you wear?
Me: Ma'am, there is a size chart in the catalog.
Them: Do you even wear the clothes?
Me: What size would you like?

She asked you what size you wear... over the phone?

"Well, you sound like you're my size..." ????

[orcprincess]

She asked you what size you wear... over the phone?

"Well, you sound like you're my size..." ????

haha!!
I get very weird calls. They think that if I can wear the clothes that they can too. They assume, if we answer the phone for that catalog, we can wear those size clothes. However, I take orders for a men's catalog, 6 women's catalogs(3 of them are plus size), and 2 home furnishings catalogs.

[Jester]

This may be one of the reasons my favorite restaurant is my favorite. The waitstaff ALWAYS have personal opinions on the specials for the day, and are very knowledgable about the new brews on tap. Always a great experience there.

Okay, I did rant, but keep in mind, if someone can narrow down what they like for me, I will make suggestions, and more often than not, will nail it. Many times my customers have told me that my suggestion was just what they wanted, even though they didn't know what they wanted!

I have to admit, I do this sometimes. Especially when I'm at a restaurant and I'm ordering breakfast. I can never decide what kind of toast I want. I like all three (white, wheat, rye) so sometimes I ask my server to surprise me. I guess I just like random things. The random button is practically worn out on my CD player

I have tried this as a customer, and most of the times, most servers are too scared to break from the norm for this. I tell them to surprise me, and they still try to get me to narrow it down. Heck, if someone tells me surprise them....I surprise them! Hey, they can't blame ME if they didn't like it, right?

[Lace Neil Singer]

ME: "Hi there! What can I get you to drink?"
SC: "I dunno. What's good?"

Not quite the same, but I have asked bar staff to recommend me a cocktail. I do give information about my preferences tho so I don't think I'm that bad. Every barman I've asked that question too seems to have relished the opportunity to show off their cocktail making skills.

[Imogene]

I'm looking for a movie, i'm not sure what it's called but.... (give vague details)
(leads to between 3-10 people all trying to figure it out for as long as it takes, great fun)

Brazil? Vampire in Brooklyn? The Wiggles? *continue absolutely random guessing until they get tired of it*

[dragonflygrrl]

Me: What kind of features are you looking for in your new phone?
Cust: I dunno. Which phone is the best?
Me: The [fancy-*ss phone] has bluetooth, high-speed internet, mp3 player, expandable memory, video capture, and a 1.3 megapixel camera.
Cust: I don't need all that junk. I just want the best phone.
Me: The [basic phone] is pretty basic, but pulls the best signal and is very sturdy.
Cust: *whining* I don't like that one.
Me: Well, the [mid-tier phone] has speaker phone and camera.
Cust: I don't know...are you sure this is the best phone you sell?
There is no best phone, there is only the best phone for you. Why would you make a purchase that you will use for the next two years and not do a second of research? Why would you trust someone you don't even know, that doesn't even care about what you do when you leave, to decide what the "best phone," is?

Me: We have two chargers, the brand name and the aftermarket. The brand name is going to be stronger, will last longer, and is going to be better for your phone in the long run. The aftermarket will still charge your phone, and it is cheaper.
Cust: Which one would you buy?
Me: Well, if it was me, I'd buy the brandname, since will last longer and is designed by the company that made the phone.
Cust: But it costs more!
Me: Yes, but it is a higher quality charger and will last longer.
Cust: I'll take the aftermarket one.
The whole time I'm thinking, "idiot, you knew you were going to cheap out, why did you waste both our time asking?"

[Jester]

Not quite the same, but I have asked bar staff to recommend me a cocktail. I do give information about my preferences tho so I don't think I'm that bad. Every barman I've asked that question too seems to have relished the opportunity to show off their cocktail making skills.

Not at all the same, and the kind of customer I LIKE to deal with when behind the bar, to be honest. Not at all like the "what is your best drink?" customer, similar to the above-mentioned "what is your best phone?" customer.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Not at all the same, and the kind of customer I LIKE to deal with when behind the bar, to be honest.

If I'm ever in your neck of the woods, I should look you up in that case.

[Lehk]

ME: "Hi there! What can I get you to drink?"
SC: "I dunno. What's good?"

how about a shot of bitters

[HawaiianShirts]

Screw that. Pitch 'em high, watch 'em buy. Pitch 'em low, watch 'em go. Unless you start off with entry-level, the customer almost never wants what you offer ("No, I don't need that much," or, "That's too expensive."). If you start at the high-end, and they talk you down (which they usually do), you'll invariably sell them on a mid-level product that they probably would not have picked on their own.

I have several customers who do stuff like that. I'm used to it in electronics. One lady took the cake. She came in and told me, "I want the best computer you've got." Okay. I show her the $1200 package with just about everything one can get in a pre-built computer. "No, that's a little more than I want to pay." So I step down a couple of systems to around $900. Then to $700. Then to $500. She finally settles on the $300-Glorified-Typewriter-Special, and complains about how expensive it is as I ring her out.

Other people will point to the two cheapest computers we have (usually a Celeron with 256mb memory and a 40gig hard drive) and ask me, "Which of these laptops would you buy?" They don't like to hear that I wouldn't buy either and would instead spend almost twice as much for a computer that will actually do what I want it to do.

[repsac]

Actually, knowing the different types of drinks and being able to reccomend a good one got me the best tip ever. Yes, story coming (I'm thinking of writing these down for my nanowrimo novel.)

For a short time, I worked as a server at an applebees. Server being a lame ass waiter. Well, one day, a man walks in with some other gentlemen. All were dressed in nice suits and such. A moment later, one of the girls said these guys had sat in my area. Oh fun. Suits are horrid tippers. Walking over I smile "My name is Repsac, I'll be your server. Can I get you gentlemen anything to drink?" Two of the men asked for simple mixed drinks, but the other; a man dressed in a very nice black suit. Silk I'm guessing from the look, said those eternal words. "What do you have in the bar?" Oh boy. The vague ones. He could ask, what's well, or what's top shelf...but no, he wants the bar? "Top shelf, draft, or well?" I ask. "All of it." he states and grins at his friends. You know, I was never good at remembering the drinks, but something came over me. As best I can remember I said:

"Well, on draft we have your usual domestics. Budweiser, Michelob, and Mich Light. There's also Heinekin, though I don't suggest it. The vendor thinks there's oil in the line. Our bottled beers include Zima, Tequiza, Sam Adams, Budweiser, and again Heinekin. Our well drinks are Red and white wines, and zinfindel. We also have Johnny walker black on well, along with Jack Daniels, and Jim Beam. Further, we carry Smirnof vodka, and Gin on well. Top shelf consists of Glinlevit scotch, Johnny walker Red Label, Johnny Walker Blue Label, and Jack Daniels Single Barrel. We also have a nice assortment of wines from local vintners, and a small selection of tequila from Jose Quervo, and Stolichniya vodka. What will you be having sir?"

(Now, the entire staff (manager included) were STARING at me as I rattled that off. The customer never missed a beat.)

"I'm ordering steak, what would you reccomend for me? Also this is a business dinner." he said, like what I did was normal.

"It depends." I said after a moment. "I would suggest Johnny walker Red label. You could get the blue, but no offense sir, there are few that the mix of flavors would be understood by. Red label is twenty one years old, blue is around fifty." The man nodded and asked. "And how much a bottle of each?" "twenty five for the red label, one hundred fifty for the blue." I again rattled off.

The man ended up buying a full bottle of Blue, and then talked with my manager before he left. I thought Oh crap...I'm fired now. Smart arsed mouth...

Nothing was said to me, but when I got to my car, I found an envelope stuck in the front seat. (My windows were cracked) Inside, was my tip. Three crisp 100 dollar bills.