DEI37

Truth or fiction? What do you think?

For me, if you live by that statement, you'll die by it. For the most part, the customer CAN'T always be right. Otherwise, you're going to end up with a lot of customers that will take advantage of this "kindness" and drive you under.
On the flip side to that, the customer should know that you'll stick to your guns policy wise, but will give him a fair shake. You'll honestly listen to his complaints, and do what you can to help him. If you can't do everything he desires, at least he'll know that you listened, cared, and tried. If that doesn't make a satisfied customer, nothing will.
If a customer isn't satisfied then, he's probably a customer you didn't want in the first place.

Now, your thoughts.

rock_bottom

Working in retail, and to a lesser extent now as a fledgling teacher, the axiom is useful, even if you don't really agree with it. A lot of people, particularly the people who are likely to complain, will get really pissed off if you argue with them, even if you're right. So I've always felt it's easier just to agree with them as much as you can. Obviously if they are trying to get some money out of you, then you have to put your foot down. However, if they just want to vent about how they don't like X or Y, you aren't going to win if you try to argue with them.
In fact, if you argue every time you're right, you'll probably lose a lot of customers. That's what I think the moral of the axiom is, not that customor IS right, but that it's better to treat him LIKE he is.

I Brow

My dad used to own a teppenyaki restaurant. There were two main teppenyaki tables, those hot plates that they use to cook the food in front of you, that could seat about 8-10 people each and then a few small tables to the side. One day two people came in, sat down at one of the main tables, put their feet up on the table and were just general assholes to everyone in the restaurant. My dad walked in, politely asked them to stop, and they replied "If you want our business, you let us do what we want." They were promptly kicked out of the restaurant.

Don't know if that pertains to what you're saying, but i felt like sharing.

SaltPork

When I used to work in a restaurant we had a saying, "The customer is always right, especially when they're wrong." Basically, when they were wrong, they were borderline belligerent and it was a good idea just to give into them to get them to shut the fuck up and get them out. Perpetuates a shitty attitude, but the alternative is not always pretty. There were times when we actually asked people to leave, regardless of how "right" they thought they were.

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Cynthetiq

a customer can always be right.. just not necessarily serviced where he wants to and when he wants to.

I prefer to tell them to take their business elsewhere, as all businesses have the right to refuse service to anyone.

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Charlatan

"The customer is always right" is a bit of a blanket statement.

I don't think it applies to customer that are damaging your property or making asses of themselves in a resaurant, for example.

It does make sense with a returns policy. If a customer brings something back let them return it. Why piss them off and lose a customer. It costs way more money to generate a new customer than it does to keep existing ones happy.

In the first example I gave it is important to keep your other customers happy (as in a restaurant) and who wants a customer that doesn't respect your estabishment.

Retailers, etc. should always reserve the right to server whomever they want and if you are being an ass you should be denied service. The retailer just needs to determine how much tolerance is worth.

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YELLOW450

The customer is always right when they want something or want you to do something that would NOT jeopardize themselves or yourself or business. I mean if a customer wants to get a piece of merchandise for $5 when it cost you $25, then he is absolutely wrong. ( i am speaking from experience in a welding and fabrication business with this example) If a customer brings a part in that he needs put back together and he wants you to do it a certaion way and you know it won't work, I suggest to the customer the best way to do it and if he doesn't agree, i do it his way and then when he brings it back to be fixed the second time he is still happy b/c its his fault it didn't work and he doesn't have prob with it. If the customer wants me to do something that would endanger himself or other people i will tell him the reason and refer him to another shop. The customer isn't always right but just make him think he is.

Sun Tzu

It takes a skilled leader, diplomat, expert on services or product, a little psychology, and magager of employees to negotiate between the customer leaving happy and making sure the company doesnt sustain a loss. THer will always be assholes in the world, but IMO if one attempts to create a win/win situation in their daily interactions they will.

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degrawj

anybody who has ever worked in an environment where they have had to deal with customers face to face KNOWS that the customer isn't always right. in fact, they are usually wrong. (or just plain stupid). the goal is to try and make the customer THINK that they are always right, without them actually ever being right. :-)

Loki

both my current and previous job have been in retail, and after working in retail for that long, let me tell you, my estimate of the average intelligence of people was reduced by about one third. ugh, people are stupid. like yellow said though, if you can make the customers think that they are right, thats all thats needed.

SecretMethod70

Working in customer service and sales I can tell you this statement, for the company I work for at least, is very true - especially in the sense that rock_bottom mentioned.

If the customer says the sky is green, they're wrong; if the customer says that we're not legally obligated to tax them on shipping (which, unfortunately, we are because of the nature of our company), they're wrong; but do any more than calmly explain the situation and the reasons for it and then YOU'RE wrong.

I tell the customer the way things are - and most of the time they see they're getting an unbelievable benefit. In the relatively few cases where someone decides to nitpick on something such as being taxed on shipping (which is especially humorous not only because we're legally obligated to do it but also because often we're talking about an extra $25 on a $600 order or something like that) then I do no more than calmly explain the reasons why to them, and if they don't like it they don't have to buy from me. We're STRONGLY against pressuring people into anything, so I don't do it, and if they miss out on the benefits I'm presenting to them, it's their loss, not mine - there are other customers out there.

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DEI37

Interesting replies. I've been in retail for some time as well, so that is kind of why I put this poll/thread up. You guys make some good points, like letting the customer THINK he's right. Like I said in the initial post, if the customer turns stupid on you, though, send him elsewhere, he's not worth the time or effort. But, for those customers that are good repeat customers, you work with them a little. Usually, those are the ones that understand things better, and realize that you're there to make money, not give stuff away. So long as they know they've been treated as a customer and not a paycheck, those types aren't an issue, and you want to keep them happy.

World's King

It's this exact reason I hate people.

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The_Dude

just a tactic to get more business.

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JadziaDax

The reason they may "nitpick" on this very topic is because in some States it's unlawful to charge tax on shipping fees (I happen to live in one of those states).

But back to the topic at hand...
A lot of great points were made. When I worked in retail, and a customer was putting up a fuss about the price of something (saying that the sign said it was 25% off when it wasn't on sale at all or similar things) I would just give them the discount. Why aggravate the situation? When I would talk to my manager about it afterwards, she would always say I did the right thing. Better to keep the customer happy in a case like that. We would just make sure it was easier to tell what exactly was on sale after the incident.

I'm so glad I'm not in retail hell anymore.

ARTelevision

it's a customer service ideal...
there's always a rift between the ideal and the real.
the trick is managing the difference.

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soccerstudpc20

i agree with The_Dude, its a business tactic. If you treat a customer badly and they never come back, you miss out on the business they give you in the future. You have to look at opportunity cost, if somebody wants a refund for a product that costs $50, and you figure they will spend more than that at your store in the future, then obviously you will do it for them, seeing as how it will be financially beneficial for you.

phredgreen

oh my... you've unleashed a monster.

i've been on a few different sides of the customer service table.

i worked for an airline. air travellers are generally the most pushy, rude, and downright annoying people you can ever deal with. especially when something dosen't go their way (delay, cancellations, etc...) the problem is that customers don't understand all of the rules and regulations that go into some businesses and make their demands based on their wants, not the airline's (or retailer's) needs and abilities. so what it boils down to are a bunch of people who want you to hand them the world, when all you have available is luxembourg.

i've also been on the side of an oem (original equipment manufacturer). where your customers aren't the genral public, but instead other businesses. you'd think that you'd be able to count on these people to have a little more rhyme and reason to their actions. WRONG. businesses are run by people, and people normally revert back to their demanding selves when ordering for their businesses and expect their suppliers to bend over assbackwards to make them happy. it's just like the consumer-retailer relationship, but maginfied and extended to more signifigant sums of money and product. it's a nightmare.

i've discovered through my many experiences with customer service two things: first, i'm damn good at it once i have a firm grasp on the specifics of that particular job, and second, that i truly despise it because of all the mindless games that people try to play with their retailer or supplier to get what they want.

if i had a business, i'd run it completely bullshit free... if a customer didn't pay their bills or make unreasonable demands, they an go elsewhere. for all of my customers that did business straight and on the level, they'd get the best service in the industry. i feel like too many people have taken advantage of weak retailers/suppliers and fucked it up for the rest of businesses out ther who wnat to do it right. i hate the game, but in order to be successful, you have to play it. maybe one day you'll walk into a phred's llama supply store and see how it's done right, but until then, you may all continue to suffer through the pains of everyday business.

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frozenstellar

no, the customer is not always right.

the wednesday night before good friday, an australian current affairs program decided to show a segment regarding mercury content in fish.

the following day being the busiest day of the year for seafood sales, every customer was an instant expert on this subject, and proceeded to verbally abuse us for selling such a product.

my boss who hadnt slept that night (started at 3am), and myself (started at 4am).. told me at about 8am (an hour after we opened) not to stand for their crap, and if they get on your nerves, tell them where to stick it, and refuse to serve them if they really get on your nerves.

customers yelled at me that we shouldnt add any chemicals to our fish, that we shouldnt sell fish that they named in the segment, that we should be taken down by the EPA and health inspecters because of this.

as phred said, 'customers that did business straight and on the level, they'd get the best service in the industry'. this is too true. any customer that comes into us that is on the level and respects us, gets top notch service, often resulting in discounts/cheaper prices.

in general, customers arent always right, and ones that think they know all, can go whistle dixie, cuz i wont stand for your crap.

TheIceMan

Don't forget that "The customer is always right" depends on the culture and ethnicity also. In the Asian culture, the customer is not always right. In fact, he or she tries to "save face" by not looking bad in front of others. So when you're acting like a fucking idiot, people think poorly of you and the people you're with. In traditional Asian establishments like certain restaurants, patrons act like the "soup Nazi" episode in Seinfeld. You (the customer) take whatever they give you and you don't complain. Now THAT is different.

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Reese

I think We're all in agreement here. The Customer is always right until he causes more trouble than he's worth. I don't mind dropping a few late charges, or accepting partial payment as long as the customer keeps coming back because I'll eventually make my money back and if I just let the customer leave I'm not going to get any payment and he's not coming back.

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