So it seems that everyone in my business course has had experiences dealing with angry, abrasive customers, and many of us have offered opinions and ways to deal with it all in business. The first rule is to never return angry word for angry word. It's not only counterproductive and unprofessional, it's bad for business, and it could drive other customers away; the thought would be, "Well, gee, what if I came in with a complaint? Could the same thing happen to me?" And thus they would consider taking their business elsewhere. We also learned how to be the bearers of bad news should we have to deny a customer's request for credit or adjustment/refund of their claim, but in a positive way that will keep that customer a customer for life. We just can't say, "I'm sorry, but that's company policy; we can't do anything about that." I work with someone who does that, and it's like, "Do you realize you're scaring off potential business with that type of attitude?" So to anyone going into any type of field dealing with customers (and no matter what, you will have to deal with customers), learn how to deal with them professionally, pleasantly, and efficiently.

Speaking of business, our sociology group The Dynamic Sirens has come up with some ideas for our business, The Unique Boutique, as far as location, venture capitalist involvement, and discounts from local businesses/vendors. I must say, we did really well in not only choosing capable leaders, but also adding significant input. As the old saying goes, "There's no "I" in "we" and no "me" in "team". It is definitely a group effort. I'm so anxious to see how it all comes together. Same with my PowerPoint project, which is to be submitted by next Saturday.