When A Sale Is Not A Sale And Never Will Be A Sale

I think everyone who has read my blog knows by now how much I love my customers.  However, those who know me also know I have developed very good boundaries in my life as well.  I think it is very important to establish those boundaries with everyone who enters our lives. It is way too easy to get walked on today just because we budge a little too easily.  I remember several years ago when my now adult son was 4 years old.  I am very big on not spoiling children.  He had been spending a little too much time with his Grandmother (who loved to spoil) and it was very obvious when we went to the store that evening.  He wanted to look at the toys.  I said, "OK, but I'm not buying anything".  We walked back and he saw this "amazing" toy and he just HAD to have it.  I responded with a very calm, "No".  Much to my chagrin, he started throwing a fit.

Now, I do not believe in spanking but I do believe in setting boundaries for children through discipline.  So, what did I do next? I looked into his eyes and said, "You will sit on the floor and not cry for five minutes.  If anyone asks why you are here, tell them it is because you threw a fit".  His cute little bottom lip quivered and he nodded his head in agreement.  As he sat on the floor I watched from the end of the aisle (it was a short aisle). After that, he never threw a fit again.  He always knew my "No" was a "No".  The boundaries were established and that made raising him even easier.  And now, he is learning about making and keeping them as well.

So, what happens when you have a potential new customer walking through the door and they disrespect those boundaries (which should already be in place, if not, see: Boundaries)?   I remember about 4 months into my job two men walked through the front door.  I greeted them with my usual friendliness and began telling them about our facility and our specials.  Sadly, I knew from the moment they walked in the door that "something wasn't quite right".  They acted anxious and couldn't stand still.  They were on the defensive and responding with sarcasm to everything I said. I assumed they might be on drugs although wasn't positive about that. They both tried to pick a fight with me over our rates and move in costs.  I refused to fight back.  That made them angrier.  For some reason they just seemed to want to start something with someone for some reason but I wasn't taking the bait.  When one of them leaned over the counter and stretched his arm towards my face and pointed his finger towards me and demanded a better deal, I looked at him and said, "Sir, I do not have to rent to you, please leave my business now".  The arm fell, their mouths dropped open, they backed up and walked out the door.

As I watched them walk across the parking lot I realized they hadn't driven here.  I had this "gut" feeling that I wasn't the first business to be picked on by these two.  They were on foot and on a mission.  Our location isn't in an area where our customers arrive by foot.  I was glad I handled it like I did.  On occasion, I have had other situations arise where the boundaries have been crossed and I have had to risk losing a potential customer.  Most of the time, making the boundaries very clear has actually made the situation better and all has worked out.  On a rare occasion, I've watched a potential customer walk out the door and go elsewhere.  And there have also been times when they have gone to other facilities only to take a bite of humble pie and come back to rent from us (if I would have them back after a sincere apology).

So, what circumstances would determine whether or not to refuse a customer?

In her article "The Right To Refuse Service Or Discrimination", Stephanie Tallman Smith states:

"As a general rule, your right to refuse service can be based on one of the following five reasons:

-Partons who are unruly
-Patrons who would place your business overcapacity in violation of local fire laws
-Patrons who wish to be served after hours or just before closing, necessitating the expenditure of overtime for your employees
-Patrons who bring non-paying customers with them that require more space than one person would be reasonably be allocated.  IN other words, if a paying customer brings three non-paying customers, he or she can be refused service because it requires the use of more than the one booth allocated to the paying customer.
-Patrons who exhibit such poor hygiene that results in numerous customers leaving."

See the entire article at:

Right To Refuse Service 

Of course we always must be mindful to not refuse someone based upon our own beliefs.  This is where we can cross a fine line that is not only illegal but can also be very hurtful to the other person. 

We need to always remember that refusing someone based upon: age, race, sex (or sexual orientation), gender or religion, is a federal crime.  That's an easy one for me.  The more difficult ones are the ones listed earlier, the "gray areas" or rather, the ones that make you scratch your head and go, "Hmmmm".  Those are the ones we need to be wary of so we don't become targets ourselves.  If you read this and are still uncertain, sometimes it's a good idea to consult an attorney just to make certain we are within our legal limits to make that decision.  However, I think most circumstances are very obvious and I am a firm believer in following intuition.  It's usually right on the money.  In the meantime, here's to hoping you never have to use the information in this blog; may many happy customers come to greet you throughout your life.  

Michelle Armstrong

Manager

Star Storage

816-765-7300