This video really rubbed me the wrong way. And then I went and saw the field owner was already leaving YouTube comments. Then when I read his replies I really got frustrated.
In particular he said to another field owner, "Can you honestly say you've never sworn to or at a customer?" As if that's just a standard part of customer service. What?! As a business owner and airsofter that is getting beyond frustrated with the unprofessional conduct that seems to run rampant at sites in this industry, I had to type a reply. It's late and it's long so it's not my best work, but for anyone interested here is what I said to him:
I can understand where you are coming from, in that the Marshal Ed didn't mean "Fuck off" in an offensive way. But I think what you're falling short in understanding is that that's really not an appropriate way to talk to customers and in every single situation it would be considered incredibly unprofessional. Period.
One of the top comments in the reddit post that directed me here says "sigh, why do airsoft sites feel like they aren't expected to act like professionals?" And it's true. You asked the other site owner, "Can you honestly say that you have never swore to or at customers?!" Well, I don't own an airsoft site. But I am a business owner and deal with customers all day long. And no, I would never speak in that way to a customer. Ever. Period. I cannot think of any business owner I've ever known or any business/customer service book I've ever read that would disagree or say otherwise.
Like I said, I get it. He really didn't mean any offense by the "Fuck off." It's just the way he talks. OK. I tell my friends (and even my employees) to "Go fuck themselves" and mean nothing by it. They know that, and don't take offense to it. They'll tell it to me right back, and we'll all laugh about it. The problem with talking to your customers, and strangers in general, like that is they don't know you. What they do know is that in society when someone uses that kind of language towards you, offense is almost always intended. That's why you don't use language like that with customers. Because in polite society it is considered offensive. It's usually meant in a derogatory way. And in business, it is absolutely unprofessional. Customers like to feel like their business and patronage is appreciated. This is business 101. And cursing at them is at the bottom of the list of ways to show that appreciation
So that's my two cents. I'd have to wholeheartedly agree with that reddit comment, because you are not the only field I've seen use this type of language and tone toward their customers. And because of this video you've joined the list of those fields that I won't visit. The fields that apparently think airsoft is a special industry where you don't have treat your customers with the courtesy and respect they've grown accustomed to in polite society, and at every other establishment they've given their hard earned money to. I've literally never encountered a single other form of business that would justify talking to their customers like that. It really blows my mind.
Maybe because airsofters usually don't have much choice of where to play at? So fields think since they are the only option in a 10 or 25 mile radius that they don't have to worry about losing customers or maintaining the level of professionalism that the rest of the working world strives to meet. Well, that may be true for now. But airsoft is a rapidly growing industry, with new fields opening their doors every year. And I can guarantee your customers will remember where they felt their business was most appreciated. Or unfortunately in your field's case, the least.