Customer / Client is king and always right, right?

Customers are important so one tries to treat them as sane and knowledgeable - but you can get awkward ones. All you can do is your best and sometimes you have to end up saying " I am trying very hard to {find what you want/ deliver what you want/etc} but I do need you to {be a bit more specific/give me more information/stop shouting/etc}

You have rights too and some behaviours need to be calmed.

Yep, the customer is always right, at least to their face, and according to the rules of where you work. Follow the rules of the workplace to the letter, and when an exeption might need to be made, follow the rules of what to do about that.

Put a smile on your face, work at making it sincere. Put a lilt in you voice, it is much harder to be angry with a happy person than a unhappy one. Make eye contact.

Say things like, yes, I will take care of that right now. I'm Sorry, here is what I can do. Yes, the manager will be informed. Don't use words like try, or maybe. And give that unhappy customer your total attention as much as possible. and be pleasantly firm. "Yes, I will help you with that, but this lady was first."

I had an unhappy customer last eve, she was really upset by the corporate system I work for. I had my happy voice the whole time, and made sure she understood that I understood about the problem, and assured her I would take care of it. I explained in just a few sentences what the reason for the pronblem was, and explained her options now and in the future when dealing with us. She was dumbfounded, I don't know what she exactly expected from me, but by the change in her voice and attitude, she even thanked me at the end.

No, unfortunately, there are not customer etiquette books. I wish there were because I get a d*ckhead every day at work. Never fails, there's always one who just must be an asss.

Did you ever hear of the golden rule, the one that says those with the gold make the rules. The customers have gold, you want them to spend it with your company, so, do or say anything that helps that (within legal limits of course).