The trick is that you need to show them what utter morons they are by what you find.
For example, I have no problems with making a fool of the customer who plays the "it's your machine, not the user" game whenever I view a machine. If I find a problem in a machine, I do not correct it until I show it to the customer if it is operator related. Earlier today I had this opportunity. Some ass suit was swearing up and down at our dispatch girl (who is the sweetest girl you could ever meet) that the machine did not work when trying to print to 11x17, she tried to walk him through a few checks but that was beneath him. After talking with her and taking the call, I went to see what was up.
Stupid customer had configured the tray to 11x17W. Before I looked at the machine, I got the fellow who was rude to the dispatch to stand beside me and look at the machine and wouldn't you know it. My question was, what is wrong with this picture, pointing to the configured tray.
Long story short, I made him look stupid and I had no problem doing that. At the end of the visit I asked him to call our dispatch girl and apologize to her. Instead, he calls my service manager to complain about me making a fool of him. Wrong move. I had already called my boss when I left the call and passed on what I had found. He was already aware of the rude treatment the dispatch girl got.
Stupid customer ended up apologizing to her after the boss had a few words to say. We can stand losing a customer who is belligerent as it is no loss to us in the long run. This customer is still with us, but a bit wiser regarding treatment of us mere 'plebes'.
And yes, the more education they get, the stupider they become. This is a universal statement.
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