Is The Customer Always Right?

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Is The Customer Always Right?

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DoorMat

posts: 289

Jan 06, 2008 8:03 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Is the Customer always right?

CraigL

posts: 9051

Jan 06, 2008 8:26 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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No; sometimes they`re nuts!

ScrapBizKim

posts: 369

Jan 06, 2008 10:18 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Nope, and sometimes they need to be told they aren`t.

LiveWise

posts: 89

Jan 06, 2008 10:33 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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There was a time when a customer had to prove they were right. It went too far with "The Customer is Always Right". I think this allows for the customer to expect a company to lose to make them happy. I feel that their has to be fairness on both ends of the customer and the business. Both can compromise.

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ELCEO

posts: 43

Jan 07, 2008 1:23 AM ET Quote Report Abuse

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The more you can let the customer always be right the better off you will be. It kind of depends on the volume of business you do and what you can afford to take a small loss on. Usually when its a "customer is always right" issue it involves money back to them for a refund, supposedly not receiving an order or retunring a product for dissatisfaction.

What you are willing to do for the customer even if it costs you may get you more clients or customers in the future. At least that`s been my esperience.

CraigL

posts: 9051

Jan 07, 2008 1:42 AM ET Quote Report Abuse

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ElCEO, you`re right in general, about going out of your way to help a customer, even if it costs you money. But that`s not at all the same as saying the customer always is right, with a blank check on your time and business.

We recently had a customer who was so far wrong it was ridiculous. Then there`s the story out of Chicago from a couple of years ago, about large retailers banning certain customers from shopping their stores. The customers were using the retail stores as a personal rental company, returning everything after they`d used it for a party, night out, or whatever.

No, the customer isn`t always right. But good customer service begins with at least the assumption of innocent until acting crazy. :-)

ELCEO

posts: 43

Jan 07, 2008 2:15 AM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Craig,

Good points! I think we all know that in a literal sense...the customer is NOT always right.

RicWillmot

posts: 154

Jan 07, 2008 5:06 AM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Are you ready? Repeat after me:

"That will not work."

"You have some better options which you should consider."

"That is not really a good idea."

"No, I am not going to do that."

Deliver sensational customer service; but do not cower to those who pay you a fee for your best advice or superior product. Recently, a human resources manager contacted me from a major legal firm in Melbourne, Australia. She wanted detailed answers to ridiculous questions. I mentioned that I had consulted with a dozen legal firms all around Australia and always began my projects by discussing objectives and outcomes with the managing partner or owner.

The HR manager huffed that she would never simply "allow" just anyone to talk to an executive. Hasta la vista, baby. Your loss.

We won`t survive in business too long if we continue to accommodate irrational requests and forfeit our own personal and pofessional perspective and integrity. We need to secure our own self-esteem. Your customers are surrounded by `yes` people on the payroll. The client doesn`t need you agreeing for the sake of trying to win the sale, preserving a contract or staying in `good.`

Most of us are so afraid of losing the business that we do not do enough of the smart things to win the business. Assuming the client is always right is one of those mythologies that perpetuates average performance. And it does neither you, nor the client any real long-term good.

Other than that, I don`t feel strongly about it.

Rgds,

Ric

-------------------------

Ric Willmot
Executive Wisdom Consulting Group
www.ExecutiveWisdom.com
info@executivewisdom.com
Blog: www.ricwillmot.com

Founder of the Society for Executive Wisdom
www.ExecutiveWisdomSociety.com

Strategy for Professionals: www.strategyforprofessionals.com

nhgnikole

posts: 2660

Jan 07, 2008 1:46 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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I think good customer relations is about compromise .. no one is right and no one is wrong.

SandraP

posts: 76

Jan 07, 2008 2:41 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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I think in any relations - customer or otherwise - you have to get past who is right and who is wrong. If both parties goals, objectives, needs, whatever can be met then great, do business together. If not - move on.

And I really agree with Ric - we need to not be afraid of losing business. I know I have "fired" many prospects only to find the next one was a great client that I would have missed had I been focused on the "bad business."

~Sandra

-------------------------

Sandra Pearson
The Mompreneur Next Door
www.themompreneurnextdoor.com
sandra@themompreneurnextdoor.com

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