By Michael Priest — festival vendor and small-business owner
You can be right about the customer and still handle the situation in a way that costs your business.
In Episode 7 of Festival Geeks, Michael Priest tackles one of the hardest parts of selling at festivals, craft fairs, farmers markets, and local events: dealing with rude, demanding, or simply difficult customers without letting a frustrating interaction turn into tomorrow’s reputation problem.
Being right is not the goal
When a customer pushes your buttons, the natural reaction is to prove your point. But the better question is: What outcome am I trying to protect?
That outcome might be the sale, your merchandise, a policy, your reputation, your relationship with the event organizer, or someone’s safety. Once you know what you are protecting, you can choose the calmest response that gets you there.
The firing letter that was right—and still wrong
Michael shares a story from his photography business involving a client relationship that clearly needed to end. The business decision was right. The delivery was not.
Instead of simply ending the relationship, he wrote, printed, signed, stamped, and mailed an emotional firing letter. In a small town, that turned a private disagreement into a permanent document that could be repeated or shared without context.
The lesson stuck: a boundary can be right even when the way you enforce it is wrong.
Situations vendors face every weekend
Episode 7 walks through the kinds of interactions that can turn a normal market day sideways:
- Discount pressure: State your price without turning it into an argument.
- “That’s too expensive”: You do not have to defend every material, hour, and expense. A customer’s budget does not determine your value.
- Kids touching merchandise: Protect the product without treating a family like the enemy.
- Demanded exceptions: State the boundary clearly and stop reopening the negotiation.
- Disrespect: Stay willing to solve the problem without accepting abusive behavior.
- Review threats: Do not surrender a sound policy just because someone threatens to post about the interaction.
The response ladder
When an interaction starts getting difficult, use only as much force as the situation requires:
- Clarify. Make sure you understand what the customer is actually asking.
- Redirect. Guide the conversation toward an acceptable solution.
- Set the boundary. Clearly state what you can or cannot do.
- Offer choices. Give only the workable paths forward.
- End the transaction. Sometimes the right answer is that you are not going to be able to help this customer today.
- Escalate for safety. Bring in the organizer or security for threats, harassment, intoxication, theft, or other safety concerns.
The unsent-letter rule
If you need to write the angry response, write it. Just do not send it yet.
Wait. Let someone sensible read it. Remove every sentence whose only job is proving you are right. And assume anything you put in writing can be screenshotted and shared without the surrounding context.
Before you hit send, ask one question: Does this solve today’s problem without creating tomorrow’s problem?
The takeaway
Not every customer deserves to be kept. Not every irritating customer deserves to be fired, either. The skill is knowing the difference—and handling either decision without damaging the business you are trying to protect.
Listen to Episode 7
Episode 7 of Festival Geeks was published September 8, 2026. Visit the Festival Geeks Podcast page for the latest episodes and resources.
Related Festival Geeks guides
- How to Handle Rude or Difficult Customers at a Craft Fair
- What to Say When a Customer Says Your Handmade Product Is Too Expensive
- How to Say No to Discounts at a Craft Fair Without Starting an Argument
Festival Geeks
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