I personally don't think the customer *is* always right and in fact they are frequently 1.) a little wrong, 2.) misinformed, 3.) completely wrong, or 4.) insane.  HOWEVER, I will always treat a customer with respect.  If it's something minor, I just roll with the punches.  If they are dead wrong, I try to explain and be courteous through the process while continuing to respect their needs.  If they are rude and obnoxious, I get through the transaction to meet the ethical and legal requirements and I try to hold on to my self respect.

I really really don't like having to remain nice to rude people. However – and this goes against the advice of fellow agents – I NEVER add the hateful people to my mailing list.  They don't get the goodies I send throughout the year (free donuts!).  Frankly, I don't want to work with them ever again so I don't give them a reason to call me.  If they do manage to find me (like one blacklisted person did last year), I refer them to another agent.

I had another closing last year where the client was so out-of-control – literally screaming and yelling on the day of closing for absolutely no reason (I heard they went off on their lender too) – that I kept the closing gift. Come to think of it, I had a couple of people in 2008 whose behaviour was shameful.  I think sometimes that I have an ad somewhere that says, "Crazy people call Kathy!"

Yet, there are other clients who were absolutely delightful to work with.  Sometimes they may be wrong, too, but they are sane enough to listen to reason and why the person on the other side of a transaction has requsted this or that.

My resolution this year?  To work with reasonable people. To not work with the toadily insane.