Let's face it-many customers speak "entitled" don't they? It doesn't matter what industry you're in, either. When I managed a retail store years ago I had many people try and return handbags that were clearly over 10 years old. You see we had a limited satisfaction guarantee, so people figured, "Well, this bag is so old, I'm not satisfied anymore, so I'm bringing it back!" That was fun. 

Ugh. 

When I worked in mortgages I had a few customers yell at me because I couldn't offer them a mortgage. I remember trying to explain to one gentleman that he owed more than his home was currently worth, which didn't leave me any room to do a simple re-finance much less a "cash-out" refinance. No matter what I said, it didn't matter. He felt entitled to a mortgage loan, even if he had no equity. 

Ugh. 

I was on an airplane on my way home from a speaking engagement a few weeks ago when the person on the other side of the aisle from me took off his socks and put his (presumably sweaty) feet on the bulkhead for all of us to see. Why?? Why??

Ugh. 

I had a resident yell at me years ago because USPS put a note on her door that stated, "Signature required for delivery." She read me the riot act and said this was MY FAULT because we told her that we'd accept packages at the leasing office! I tried explaining that the person who sent her the package specifically chose for a signature to be required upon delivery. Didn't work. It was still my fault and she was determined to be unhappy with me. 

Ugh. 

Do you know why customers act entitled?

Because that is what they do! Customers have been drilled that they are "always right!" and they will act like it. Whether you like it or not, they will. The fact that customers pay money to you changes all of the dynamics and expectations and makes things complicated. 

What can you do?

You can try these things:

• Keep waiting for customers to change
• Forcing customers to realize the "error of their ways" and change
• Keep getting frustrated waiting for customers to change
• Shaming your customers into changing
• Get all worked up venting to your co-workers how your customers are still acting entitled and not changing
• Passively-aggressively send signals to your customers that you're not happy with them
• Straight up aggressively send signals to your customers that you're not happy with them

Which will ultimately make things worse for you. 

OR, you can try this...

ACCEPT IT. And move forward. 

Once I embraced this concept, my work life was so much easier! I stopped trying to change what I couldn't change. I stopped making "offense" my default when dealing with an entitled customer. I chose to do something different. I told myself that the customer was just "speaking" customer. 

DISCLAIMER: Does this mean that I didn't have boundaries with customers? No! Does this mean that I just said "yes" to whatever a customer was asking for? No! Does this mean I never got frustrated? No! I definitely felt angry, frustrated and ticked off! The thing is I didn't act on those emotions. When I enforced a boundary it was with grace and not spite. 

I stopped worrying about whether I was being taken advantage of and just did what I could do to help. When I couldn't help I let people down easy and still tried to find ways to help the other person feel like I cared. Ultimately I chose to make the situations I faced BETTER and not WORSE; whether I actually wanted to or not! 

It made all the difference in my career! Trust. Me.