[Hal Copple]

it has been my experience that those that complain the most, usually got the service for free.

The way i explain it to my frustrated partners is thus:

if the patron doesn't pay for the service, then it has "no value", and hence, the service was "worthless".

Simple, at least to me.

I have heard that there is 7% of one's business that simply will never be happy or content with whatever one does for them.

I have another defensive way of silently dealing with such people. i simply mutter under my breath "you are having a bad day, all your days are bad days, every minute of your life is a bad day, of your own choice. I, on the other hand, am having a good day, excepting the 15 minutes i am spending in this room with you. And as soon as you walk out the door, i am back to having a good day again, unlike you, who are unhappy and discontented every waking moment."