How do you deal with grumpy customers?

I am a farmer with my own store to sell my produce. Mostly my customers are very happy and friendly, but occasionally someone will come in who is having a bad day. This is very easy to detect, and my method of handling this is very simple. Be friendly! Be optimistic, limit your responses to happy topics, and don't give the unhappy customer an opportunity to complain. If he argues just shrug your shoulders and send him to your nearest competition. Life is to short to have your day spoiled by such a customer.

When I worked as a cashier/salesperson, I was just really polite and smiled all the way through (even if in an ideal world, I would have punched them in the face... there are so many rude customers), and after they left, we would talk it all over with the girls working in the counters surrounding mine.

Why are you going to shear our views, so that you can place them back together like a puzzle? (shear vs share, you meant share but said shear, just teasing you!) In any case I work as a cashier in a grocery store, I've had to deal with customers in different aspects and sometimes it's just no fun when you have the ones who are rude. I've also been a waitress and have had to deal with those rude ones. I usually try to pacify the situation and get a higher up in the store. Now seeing as I work for the public, I know some of the ins and outs so when I have a complaint I try to be as courteous about it as possible without getting ill tempered.

I worked in customer service for nearly thirty years. I have worked for telephone companies, computer companies, department stores, basically all types of customer service. I can work with happy customers all week but the grumpy ones are the ones I really enjoyed because they were the tough ones. I would keep a smile on my face and try to go the extra mile for them. Staying positive in all my responses. Very rarely have I not been able to turn them around.

Hi Resy! My works entails client interfacing. So, this would mean that i communicate with grumpy customers like you do. It is a lot easier actually if you are just on the phone talking to them because all you have to do is listen to them while they rant (eeewwwrr); dont even attempt to answer back because all the more will they grunt at you. Just listen to them, keep your maximum tolerance cool mode. When your customer realizes that he has been talking and talking, sense will creep into him as you keep your silence. You just have to reassure him that you are going to address his concern. If you could not give an outright solution, make sure that you revert to him within 24hours. It is a lot harder when you are facing a client upfront. Just imagine, he would keep on ranting and ranting while you fall in your seats. In times like these, there is nothing left to do but be humble and make sure commitments to address their concern.