Policies For LAN Shop Customers :: Are They Always Right?

The golden rule in every business is “the customer is always right”, but of course this is not true in every situation. Maybe we can give utmost priority and respect, but not to the extent that your business or other customers will be the one to suffer.

So what you can do is make some house rules and then post them in an area where the customers can see it. A good place is at the entrance.

These rules should be composed formally and politely, because the main goal of your business is to pull in customers and not to drive them away.

In making house rules, you have to keep in mind that you are not just protecting your shop but also the other customers.

And while some policies are standard in other businesses, there are also some that are unique to LAN shops.

Here are some things to consider when making your house rules:

Smoking: A lot of customers are smokers, but not all of them. If your area is not air conditioned then you might be tempted to allow smoking inside your shop. If you are going to allow this then you have to be prepared for the following: cigarette burns on table, ashes and cigarette butts everywhere, plus the foul odor.

Drinking Liquor: Drinking (or being drunk) while using the computers is a big no-no. Customers under the influence of alcohol can become rowdy, or worse, they might throw up inside your shop.

Proper Decorum: Majority of customers here are teenagers who get too engrossed in the game that they shout or cuss at one another. Others engage in horseplay, while some kids place their feet on top of the computer tables. All these things can distract other customers, especially the older ones.

Clothing: If your shop is not located within a mall or a similar establishment, you have limited control of the people coming in your shops. People with no shirts is very common. They are not just an eyesore for your shop, but also offensive to some customers.

Equipment Handling: Customers should take care of your equipment the same way you take care of it, meaning they should prevent damaging it physically. For viruses, some customers do not even know if they can infect your PC, but include a policy about direct sabotage like deleting files.

Credit: For regular customers, you may want to open a credit line for them, but this is not advisable because if they can not pay you, they will go to the nearest competitor. no credit is always good.

For some owners, setting up a store policy is very tricky because this may stain the relationship with the customers, but in the end owners cannot be everything to everybody, so it will just be a matter of choosing between customers that you really want to keep and the ones that don’t respect you, your shop or your policies.

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