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Let me start off by saying there are two kinds of crap in this world; the kind you have to deal with and the kind you don't. This article addresses the latter.
I work for a plumbing wholesaler and we are not open to the public. Our client base is licensed kitchen and bath designers and master plumbers. We have a few builders, but generally we're trade only. However, the manufacturers we carry put down our name and number as a contact for where to buy their products. I spend a good part of my day screening out the internet referrals from homeowners who are clients of our clients. In other words, no one who comes in our showroom is going to write my company a check for our services. We are a free service to our clients, which is a $125 per hour value. Therefore we operate by appointment only.
This gentleman called around 10 AM informing me he is from Breckenridge (at least 1 1/2 hours away) and is leaving his home in fifteen minutes to see our showroom. Only the pretty well-off can afford Breckenridge. I politely explained that we are by appointment only and all our appointment times have been booked for today. I let him know we could see him on Monday afternoon.
The man responded with a derisive laugh and told me he was going to do me a favor. I asked him how this was so. He said that he is going to come to the showroom and spend money and that would prevent my paycheck from bouncing, in a very arrogant tone. I merely said "OK" very slowly as I have never had anyone speak to me that way before. He responded with "Well, I just don't like doing business with companies who act like they are doing me a favor by letting me shop there." I responded with "Well, I don't like doing business with people who are rude and arrogant" and I hung up on him.
Just so you can follow our line of reasoning, we are doing these homeowners and our clients a favor by letting them use our showroom. Again, most showrooms charge $125 per hour for consultations. We are giving this away for free to our clients and the homeowners. I have no idea if this man was an internet referral or a homeowner of our best client with 10 bathrooms. It doesn't matter. There is no excuse for disrespecting a business' rules and being rude and condescending just because you're wealthy. My company has done several Broncos' homes, our Senator's home, homes for the Coors family, etc. All were asked to abide by our policy and no one was treated any different than any other person.
After I did the deed, I felt kind of bad. I went over what I did with my boss, and her attitude is that if people are going to act like that, we don't want them in here anyway. My paycheck and our company's financial health was none of this man's business and very improper for him to try to threaten me with that and use it as leverage to get his way.
The bottom line is, that even though the economy is bad, that doesn't give anyone an excuse to heap abuse upon a company's representatives. That's why this phone call became a pleasure; it felt pretty good to tell someone that despite their perceived wealth and importance, you are not any more special than the people we already have booked for appointments.
This article is for all the hardworking people who take abuse on the phone and in person every day, and for all the wealthy people who think that threatening someone will get them special treatment. Very often, it has the opposite effect and there are people like me out there who don't care how much money you have. If your behavior is appalling, you can just keep on calling. Someone else, that is.
