Ask Mike: The customer is always right
Hey Guys,
Some say that the President has the world’s toughest job. I think the honor should go to anyone who works in customer service. Imagine how many times these brave men and women hear the following from a ticked-off client: “But I’m the customer! And the customer is always right!”
Never mind that the well-worn phrase is usually false. What I’d like to know is who coined it? I did some searching and found that the expression has an interesting back story. According to phrases.org.uk, the customer mantra likely originated from one of two men: Marshall Field or Harry Gordon Selfidge.
Most sources I found seemed to think Mr. Field was more likely the creator (Selfridge was an employee of his). Legend has it that Field came up with it as a way to distinguish his store from the competition. Over the years the phrase has been misused and misunderstood. Phrases.org.uk points out that Field never intended it be taken literally. I’m talking to you, lady who is trying to return her sweat-stained dress.
And if the Field name sounds familiar, it should. For a long time, Marshall Field’s department stores were among the biggest, grandest retail spaces in the United States. The brand was acquired by Macy’s several years ago, though some are still protesting the sale.
What do you guys think about the customer being right? Is it always true or is there a limit? Have you seen people try to “abuse the system”?
Thanks for reading,
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I work in retail and I’m glad you feel that way.
Worse is when they don’t have a receipt and can’t even prove they were a customer, especially when you have to explain to them that the brand they are trying to return has never been carried at your store.
Not always right.While it is true that department stores hould treat their customers with respect and kindness, it doesnt mean they should treat them like kings.
I always understood there to be an unwritten addition of Within reason. I as a customer can’t say well I don’t have to pay because I said I don’t and I’m the customer. If you took it to no limit that would work. They are to be reasonable so that customers will return.
I work in customer service, so this really hits close to home with me. A lot of the times, customers will get rude and demanding, especially if they are in the express line. Many want their way- and they want it NOW. Whether it be a coupon that is not for the right item, or a price they feel should be cheaper, I have seen such rude behavior much too often. I will not generalize for ALL customers, however. There are others who ask questions politely and actually are right in the situation. These times don;t bother me, as I always apologize to them for the confusion. I actually admire some for asking questions, because it ca end up saving them a lot of money and hassle in the end. However, I cannot stand those inconsiderate customers that walk into my line with their noses up in the air expecting to get whatever they want.
The customer is right 1/100 times, when the product is actually broken, the food is rotten, or when the customer is being polite, civil, and genuinely friendly.
All other incidents are the result of selfish, greedy, unlawful, or ignorant behavior. People abuse the system in so many different ways, it has nearly decimated all hope I had for humanity, and it further begs the question “How are we an ‘advanced’ species when half the time the lot of us are trying to cheat other humans out of the most insignificant amounts of money, product, or services?”
I read an article recently online about this very thing. I thought it was glorious!
Here is a link!
http://positivesharing.com/2008/03/top-5-reasons-why-the-customer-is-always-right-is-wrong/
I would just like to say that I TOTALLY agree!!!
Utility company Customer Service Rep…
I have worked in customer service over the phone for 8 years and some customers seem to really think that their few dollars a month is what pays your salary and that this gives them total control over you.
Come on people! When you talk to a representative, you don’t control them. If they want to keep their job, they have to follow what their boss tells them, not you.
That said, the problem is far more complex because the CSR (customer service representative) is rarely there to serve the customer.
Most of the time this is strictly a marketing approach ressembling politics aimed at giving the customers the impression they do get service while it’s pretty limited.
I work in retail and the customer is always usually wrong!
Everyone I work with agrees. Even my boss.
We try our hardest to male every customer happy, though, and sometimes have to take back things no other store would.
In my opinion, the customer is almost always wrong.
The slogans “the customer is king” or “the customer is god” or “the customer is always right” indicate the importance of customers to businesses – although the last expression is sometimes used ironically.
Do some people try to abuse the system?
Of course, but that what invented customer profiling.
Keep your receipt or pay by credit card.
So much easier where there may be a conflict of interest.
When you buy a product it is like one vote.
When you return it or ask for a redo it still not a negative.
But when you are turned away, and not the appropriate action happened and/or is unresolved and you leave unhappy and swear you never buy that product or service by them again. That is a negative that can be multiplied exponentially by networking.
I’ve worked in customer service for nearly 25 years. The phrase “The customers always right”, has become almost a joke amongst those of us who know damn well it has no power whatsoever. If you come into my store and tell me you have no receipt and want a cash refund. I’ll tell you no. If you tell me the customer is always right, I’ll try very hard not to laugh in your face. There are definite limits to what the customer should expect as far as who is right and who isn’t.
I think that phrase harks back to the good old days of retailing before mass communication & monopolies when retailers believed, and were right for a while, that their success depended on satisfied customers.
Today, if there’s a scandal at a big, monopolistic retailer, it responds w/ a massive public relations blitz in the mass media, that at least party neutralizes the bad press.
Also, mass retailers today can afford ideal locations, so even if a store has a bad reputation, so many new customers are attracted by its location, they outweigh the negatives of the bad rep.
I’ve worked in the grocery industry for about 7 years and my wife currently works as a manager for a major grocery chain where we live. Without going into detail, she’s in hot water right now because of an angry customer. The irony of the situation? The company she works for is so obessed with keeping the customer happy that they forget many of their employees are also customers. If she loses her job over this ONE angry customer, I know at least 10 people who won’t shop their anymore.
In any case, people abuse the system all the time. I once had a man scream at me from the top of his lungs because I punched out the perforated handle in his 12 pack of coke. He said in so many words that if he wanted it punched out, he would have asked me to do it. I calmly walked to the coke section and got him another case. It’s funny, but I think being nice to rude customers pisses them off even more. Turns out his name was “Dick” according to his work shirt, so that made it even funnier.
so basically i love you
I’ve worked in fast food, customer service, collections, and more..and certainly, the customer is NOT always right.
However, I can tell you that discussion skills should be reviewed periodically by call center reps to keep certain situations from escalating. In a world where people want instant gratification, fixes, etc. – patience has become a lost art.
One tactic I find to be very effective is providing perspective to the customer along with solutions. For instance, giving customers realistic time frames for resolution (even over-extending the expectation), so that repeat complaints/calls are less frequent.
By the same token, customers need to understand that screaming and yelling is not only rude, but unproductive. Ever heard the expression “you attract more bees with honey”? That is one of the most effective tactics a customer can use to get results.
From both sides, we need to understand that there is a person on the other end of the line (or on the other side of the counter) who expects to be treated decently. The better we are at being clear, civil, and courteous…the more productive we are as a society.
“But I’m the customer! And the customer is always right!”
Wow, who ever said that should get their butt kicked! Ever heard of respect? LOL.
That person is just arrogant and crazy.
A friend of mine works the returns/customer service counter at TJ Maxx, and on a daily basis she has stories of people bringing things in to ‘return’ to the store. No receipt, no tags, no sign whatsoever that TJ Maxx ever sold such an item. The items are usually old and used, seemingly to have been found in an attic and are now being attempted to be ‘returned’ for profit. And after trying to refuse the items because they are clearly not valid returns, the customer rudely disrespects her and insists upon speaking to the manager. “The customer is always right,” and usually gets their way in returning their used items.
I agree, customer service seems like a nightmarish job.
lol
Since I am a customer
I would have to agree with the saying
You could be right. A woman complained at a McDonald’s today that her breakfast egg muffin was asembled in the wrong order. “The cheese isn’t supposed to be on the top.” “Someone back there must be new and wasn’t trained in how to assemble them properly.” Nothing was missing form the sandwich, the layers were simply in the wrong order. I think I would have told her that there is no standard for that so take what you get and shut up.
Do you remember saying about stress? It’s “the confusion caused when the brain overrides the hands need to wring the neck of some ***** who desparately needs it.”
I work at a fast food restaurant on the days where I don’t have classes for grad school. One day, a teenage customer ordered a certain type of beverage. I rang it up and gave it to her, then she said that it wasn’t the right flavor that she wanted, and she gave it back to me. So I made the drink again with the correct flavor and handed it to her. She then said that she should get the first beverage also. I told her she only paid for one drink, so that’s the one she’s getting. She got upset and brought her mother over, and both of them tried to make me give them the first beverage for free. I kept saying if they pay for it, I’ll give it to them, but they didn’t like that. They eventually stormed out…and forgot to take the drink that they paid for. There was another girl waiting patiently for her turn in line. I gave her both drinks. For free.
Here is my philosophy,
The customer is not always right, but they are always the customer.
Respect is key, but after working in a nice restaurant for years, I have found more wrong customers than “right”
I just started in customer service for a phone company and I have to say yelling, cursing and carrying on does no good. It only gets you laughed at and you’ll get the same response as any other customer. Or worse, the voice mail of a manger.
When things go wrong I often hear, “I bet they’ll send that bill on time.” Ummm, a) you can get credit for the time your service is down and b) printing out a sheet of paper an mailing it is completely different than finding out what’s wrong with your phone and finding a tech to come out to your house on time.
I agree. There is no reason to decrease your level of education and as a service provider. There is no professionalism without courtesy. The “please”, “sorry”, “thank you”, “your welcome”, “pardon me”; the body language and sensitive wording are the standards to live by. The customer is always right, but the professional can extend the limits to a certain point. That’s why we decide what we can claim to offer and then make exceptions to help meet the special needs and interests of the customer. If the customer makes an outrageous request, it’s not a big deal to say no and apologize with grace. Our apology is not a lack of pride, but our human expression to feel sorry for not being able to please the client. We brainstorm and consult other sources of information before we say no. Yes; the president has the most important service providing station. Presidents motivate the country, express optimism, acknowledge progress, heal psychosocial wounds and tensions, promote nationalistic altruism, setting the example of patriotism, demonstrate cultural relativism, have international approval and possess a character that symbolizes a noble American and overall human being. The president hugs the country together, boosts it’s morale and has to inspire trust to lead with wisdom and selflessness.
People are constantly abusing customer service workers. They treat you like you’re the millionaire executive who wrote the company policy when really, you’re a low paid, at will employee who can get fired over the littlest thing. Back when I used to work in retail I had a customer tell me I was doing a great job and said, “People are so quick to complain when things don’t go their way, and never stop to praise when things go just right!” That has stuck with me for almost 7 years nows.
I think the customer is rarely right. Anyone who works in customer services knows that.
For all of us customer service workers, I suggest this website to lift up our spirits.
http://notalwaysright.com/
I think this is arguably the greatest myth of all. I’ve worked in customer service for years and while 9 out of 10 customers are genuine and understanding you’ll always get one who’ll abuse the system to the full! I find that those that use the expression “the customer is always right” wait till you challenge them and ask them to explain fully what the problem is. It’s when they feel they’re backed into a corner that they start getting all “high and mighty” with you. It’s a pure power thing and nothing else. For example why would you take such a position as a customer if you felt in control of the situation?!
No way the customer is always right. And anyone telling them that is only making retail a harder place to work.
9 out of 10 times the customer is always an asshole.
I do think they have a hard time, but think people in the health sector have the hardest job…nurses, doctors…
Amen! I’ve been in the restaurant business for years. I’ve been yelled at, cursed at, whistled for like i was a dog, been slapped (on the arm n hand), mocked, had things shoved at me, the list goes on…I actually feel a bit bad that ppl are so miserable they take it out on us.
There are a lot of very kind people out there too! We really appreciate those kind souls out there!
i do not think customer is always right. I have worked retail, food service, and transportation and customers can be downright rude or nasty. Some have even started fights or debates just to get workers riled up to make trouble. We as workers can’t defend ourselves to the boss because the boss always quotes the phrase above. It is outright ridiculous.
LOL. Customer service has the toughest job? That is hilarious! Compared to what? A chimpanzee that sells bananas at a zoo?
I love the question because the dolts that work Yahoo Answers will love your question and think, “he’s sooo right ’cause my job is just so hard – no one understands” and delete my comment saying “there she goes again with her ‘hateful’ comments”. Oh brother.
Okay little customer service jockies, try comparing yourselves to air traffic controllers. LOL. Oh yea, you’ve got a REAL tough job. Your stress level is so high compared to them. And your need for accuracy outweighs theirs by sooo much it is just unthinkable. And the way your customer service job affects people very lives. . .amazing!
And the job of an air traffic controller is just ONE example – there are plenty more where that came from. So, while you’re thinking how hard your job is, think about the rest of the world too, okay? Let’s count the minutes before my comment is deleted starting. . .NOW.
I have always gone by my own mantra. The customer is always an idiot.
If you realize that, then there are usually less problems.
My girl works at a brand-name watch store and comes home everyday with stories. Most often, a customer brings in a watch they have NEVER sold insisting that they bought it there and want a refund. This would be equivalent to bringing the JC Penny’s brand back to Macy’s for a refund.
The one I love most is in the food service. They will actually yell BEFORE they get their food. I remember one time a manager was getting belittled by a customer so he said hold on. He went to the back, put two soft taco wraps in his shoes and then resumed the conversation with the customer. When they were done the manager said, “okay we’ll make up your order immediately” and then removed the wraps from his shoes and began to make the order.
If your going to act like that, then you will be treated like that.
Eibhlihnn Savage, I love that site.
Coming from someone who works in customer service, this phrase is completely false. Customers are picky, rude, and annoying. They treat service people as though they are worthless and inferior. For examples, in a restaurant, customers get upset at the waitress when the cook makes a mistake, and gives her less of a tip because of it. Oh my, I could go on forever…..
The fact of the matter is: The customer is (almost) always wrong…however if you don’t take care of them, someone else will.
It’s about balancing the needs of the store with the wants of the customer. Sometimes you just need to give them the pickle.
i dont feel thats right at all. most of the time they ingore me. “excuse me can i get some help?” “yeahh hold on. im almost done here.” umm no what are you doing? your just on that stupid computer fooling around. if you ask me most of the people that work at coustomer service need to be fired.
I’ve worked two years at a Target store, a great deal of it behind the service desk. And let me tell you, the customer (or as we have to call them “guests”) are not always right… in fact… many/most of them are very very wrong.
I’ve had people get very distraught before because I couldn’t take something back. I am sorry that you “paid cash and lost your receipt” and the item costs more the the allotted $70 no receipt return policy… but honestly, I can’t return it.
And then they ask to talk to a manager; they tell them the same thing; we give them the phone number for guest relations and they walk off in a huff.
So when our system doesn’t work to let the customer be right, we have pissed of guests and no way to even attempt to make them happy.
I think “The customer is always right” should be forever replaced with “It sucks if you can’t read, because the return policy is on the receipt.”
I think the honor of toughest job should go to the men and women endangering their lives fighting overseas for our us and our country so that the customer can be “right”.
I totally understand. I have worked customer service for the past two years. I can honestly say that about 90% of the time the customers are the ones that are wrong. I have experience almost everything, angry customers, who they don’t even know that they want. The one that I hate the most are the ones that throw their money or credit cards at you. That is so rude! I also dislike other customers who have person conversations with their friends while they are trying to order something and there is a huge line behind them. It’s interesting how I personally behave and is nice to the workers behind the counter because I work behind the counter too.
I hate customer service people. Whenever you have a problem they just go by whatever their stupid little book says. They have no knowledge of what they are doing.
I believe the term is used just as a way to put the purpose of customer service in perspective. One of customer service’s many functions is to make customers happy and satisfied with their product. Saying “the customer is always right” is acknowledging the importance of the customer. The customer is probably wrong, but you want your customer to believe he’s always right so he’ll be content and happy. You can always shake your head at how wrong the customer is after you’ve dealt with him/her but you’ll get away with having a happy customer that’s always right or so he/she thinks.
There are many stressful jobs out there Monica but you don’t have to be so rude about it. I am a recent college graduate and I am having a hard time finding a job. So I wind up working back in retail on the sales floor. I have had people yell at me for no obvious reason, cuss at me, and be just down right nasty. What have I done to deserve this? I go above and beyond to get the job done and to help people when they need help. I actually thank people by their names when I go somewhere and tell them to have a fantastic day. I go out of my way to put something back that I found instead of just tossing it somewhere. People are inconsiderate and rude and only think for themselves. If they can’t have the benefit then they are going to belittle other people. It is a stressful job, and the things people say to you, though not true will stay with you and affect in more ways than you know. I speak from experience . . .
mike,
i agree 110%. ive worked so many customer service jobs throughout the years. You always get treated like dirt
well the thing is the franchises make money from coustmers so of course they will be right when ther enot so they will some again and again it like mcodnalds and bugerking if people get mixed things up at mcdoalds people would start going to buger kind there aways compateion no matter what is it to cut to the chase in the long run it will pay off and if the coustmer rports it amd they have the coumsters alwaty right policy they will be fired or if there not fired there will be conqueseces
It’s not really that the customer is always right. I think it is more of a matter of customer satisfaction.
You satisfy the customer, you get the money. It’s not really a matter of being “right” or “wrong”.
Has anyone else noticed that he compared the jobs of low-to-mid level customer service reps to that of the President of the United States, a person who has the lives of our citizens in his hands? One bad decision may kill numerous troop members, throw hard-working Americans into destitution, or completely change our future for the worse. I’ve done customer service jobs and know how unreasonable customers can be, but dude, take a friggin’ Xanax and suck it up. President aside, I can name a lot of people who do a lot more and are responsible for much more than CS reps (teachers, doctors, law enforcement, … ).
I work at Blockbuster, dealing with this every day. 99 times out of 100, the customer is WRONG… There was a time our manager would say “Even if it’s there fault, it’s always our fault.” Really? It’s my fault that you kept your movie for 3 months? That didn’t last long though, because it was causing us to do too many credits. People don’t realize they will get much more from us by being nice. If you come in screaming & cussing, we will literally do as little as required to help you. If you come in and behave like a mature adult, apologize for misunderstanding the policy (or whatever), and act friendly towards us, chances are we will do everything in our power to help you.
The customer may not always be right BUT the customer is ALWAYS the customer and therefore the reason you are in business.
Without customers you will not be in business very long.
It is also easier to keep existing customers than it is to recruit or acquire new ones.
The saying is put up so that costumer service keeps the customers interests in mind.
All that said it is sometimes better to get rid of bad customers because they are bad for business.
From my experience working in customer service related fields, more often than not the customer is WRONG.
ive worked at subway and i cant begin to tell you the horrors of “im the customer, im always right!” i lost my job cuz of it if that tells enough. wasnt even true what they claimed, but who am i to argue? i got my revenge, needless to say.. dont ever eff with the person who handles your food. >:)
I have worked in retail, customer service, and healthcare. I once had a customer come into the store and try to return a small rug. We didn’t sell rugs! She spent several minutes trying to argue with me. I finally got the manager, who spent the next several minutes trying to tell her we don’t sell rugs. We finally took her on a tour of the store (very small) and showed her that we don’t carry rugs. She still stormed out cursing and yelling.
I have actually been let go from customer service jobs for giving to much customer service. I would take the time to resolve the problem, but the companies just wanted me to take so many calls a day and keep the calls short.
BTW customers, when you call certain businesses, they are some angry people that work there, and if you are rude and mean to them, they will mess up your account. It may get them fired, but you just got embarresed at Walmart when your credit card wouldn’t go through. Because the agent you talked to just placed your card in the lost/stolen category. I have seen it happen. I was usually the one getting the even angrier customer on the second call. Also remember, the agents talk about you on their breaks. And they remember who you are. Remember that time you called the phone company and yelled at the customer service agent for ten minutes straight? Do you wonder now why your hold times seem so long on every call after that? Bingo!
I believe people, especially ones who have no power in any other aspect of their lives(kick the dog syndrome)take the title customer service too literal as in customer servant
You’re absolutely right. Speaking to a few rude and irate people each day is far worse than running an entire country of them.
I think everyone should have to work customer service at least once in their lives. Then those that like to give us clerks a hard time can see what it feels like to deal with abuse for most of the day for only minimum wage with few and maybe some days no breaks with no lunches because you are understaffed due to the pay scale. I could write a book but anyone who has ever worked with the public can certainly understand how difficult it can be some days.
I worked in a department store for too many years.
I learned that the customer isn’t always right
one January 2nd when a long succession of customers returned items reeking of perfume
and stained with lipstick and/or champagne,
insisting that these items had never been worn.
It was obvious that these items had been worn
to holiday parties, and I knew perfectly well that
it is easy to re-attach a price tag with a commercial
device intended for re-attaching buttons.
Needless to say, I had to process these returns
because “the customer is always right”.
that quotes makes me sad, and but for me sometimes customer is not always right, depend on the situation, sometimes they under estimate the person who work on customer service or other retail store,
and i feel bad about that…
I once knew a woman who took full advantage of that quote every chance she got. When she feels like a little fast food dinner she simply calls a nearby chain-member and “complains” about a non-existant food order she claims was messed up in some way or another.
What floors me is that this works for her EVERY TIME.
So no, the customer is not always right and thinking so, is apparantly a rather weak bussiness stragety.
I did CSR for almost two decades in one form or another – Macy’s and Mervyn’s through college and as a telecom engineer / CSR Liason for 10 years after that.
It CERTAINLY adjusted MY behavior towards CSRs when I have problems… I’ll tell the CSR that I’m upset, but NOT with them personally. I understand that THEY are not the one coming out into the field (something I DID do), BUT that I needed them to express MY dissatifaction to their supervisor and to the dispatcher / technician.
IF a CSR is polite, understanding and helps me out, I ALWAYS get either their name or employee number and make SURE I write a snail-mail letter to the CEO of the company (followed up with an email with CC to CFO, COO, HR, Managers, et al). Nice to get a call-back from a CSR to find that the letter got them either a pat on the back, a reward, or an elevation in position… THEY then will jump through hoops to help me later. I ALSO do the same for any good tech who arrives at the house.
I saw an old B/W movie years ago that mentioned that motto… it had more to do with Mr. Marshall wanting his floor staff to be willing to NOT push the most expensive item or stylish item on an unwilling customer… in the sense that the Customer’s CHOICE was always right, NOT their attitude.
I remember telling my boss once that “I work in customer service, not customer kiss ass.” I think there’s a point between marking down items because they were genuinely in the wrong place (or some similar situation) and completely bending over backwards for someone trying to work the system.
Of course the customer is not always right, nobody is perfect!
Of course you have some customers who simply abuse the systen.
The customer is not always right but they do get the benefit of the doubt. That means they should be listened to and treated with respect. Sometimes a small consolation prevents an even bigger riot. It’s a “hush offering”. If someone screams their whopper meal tasted cold and nasty despite letting it sit for 30 minutes before eating it and consuming 80% of the meal, give them a free sandwhich. This is how most businesses do it. The “hush offering” is to prevent further chaos. Yes, some people do milk this “free deal” but they could lose more money if the customer starts a scene or compains to the regional manager and an investigation has to be involved. Remember a customer will tell an average of 1 person a good experience but 10 people a bad experience.
I work for an Animal shelter. We take in owner surrendered animal and animals from animal control after their time is up. We do low cost spay and neuters, humane education, and temporary boarding for disaster relief. We cannot take strays because of state law, they have to go through Animal Control. Since we are a “no-kill” shelter we can only take in a limited number of animals. Animal Control is the law enforcement. The biggest problem is people will want us to take a stray or abandoned animal and when we tell them they need to go through Animal Control we get “they’ll kill them there!” which turns into we don’t care for the animals and we are murderers! They don’t care that there are irresponsible pet owners who let their animals breed and wander around. Some people expect you to be super human. Some people have gone as far as to go to the newspaper and say we dont care about the animals!
Though I agree that working in customer service is a tough job… I think it is downright hilarious that the author implies that the president of the United States has an easier less stressful job! I mean… think about it… If I mess up at my job in cutomer service someone may be mad at me. If you mess up as the president of the United States millions of lives are affected and you have to live with security guards and death threats.
I have worked in retail for 5 years. It was a refuge for me during a time in my life that I needed to be very low profile. I really didn’t care for retail work, but during this time, I did learn a great deal about diplomacy and etiquette and self control — all lessons I needed to learn at that long ago time. And since the work did not engage me, I developed a lot of worthy interests and new skills away from work, so you could say, it worked for me.
I’m not too impressed with the flight attendant who made the grand exit because a lady bonked him on the head and then was nasty.
A year ago tomorrow, I walked out of a job that was well-paying and had decent perks and benefits. I actually was driven out by a supervisor and coworkers who did things to me that would have made the flight attendant homicidal. They came between me and my daughter, between me and a long ago friend with whom I was trying to reconnect. They sabotaged my work, claimed I was not the gender that I am, that I am a drug addict, that my boobs were phony and I was transgendered, treated me in unbelievably cruel ways, and then saw to it I was blacklisted.
A year ago tomorrow, for really sound reasons, I did not go in to work. I sent an email of resignation, and when they called, I let the calls go to voice mail. I had gone by the employee handbook of how to handle these situations, had spoken to folks, had done all the talking one is supposed to do. There was nothing further I could say or do, and they had been eloquent.
The flight attendant was angered by a passenger, but he turned on Jet Blue, who presumably paid him on time and provided him benefits and were reliable. He seems to have had friends where he worked and cordial relationships there. I do not doubt for a minute that Jet Blue and his fellow workers had his back. But he pooped on them, because he got mad at a passenger. He “snapped.”
People’s standards for interaction are indifferent and even in your face, and customer service or public interface jobs mean you see a lot of this. But I’m thinking about the folks who are living out of cars and in what used to be their campers, with their kids, no jobs, their homes gone. I’m wondering about the guy with the wife and kids in the camper living in the KOA Campground, no medical benefits, looking at the flight attendant’s snit fit — how he views it.
To me, this is not heroism. Ground Zero is heroism. Afghanistan is heroism. To me this is somebody who wants attention.
And look at us! We’re obliging him.
To rephrase:
The customer is always right, even when he’s wrong.
The customer must always save face, even when he’s wrong.
You can never win an argument with your customer because if you win the argument, you lose the customer.
I’ve been in customer service my whole life and I could probably write a book, if anyone would belive me. My Fav is the time I caught a customer stealing. I cut her a break, recovered my merchandise and just asked her to leave the store. She became furious and told me that if I didn’t let her steal from me then in the future she would steal from my competitor. She also called my boss to report how disrespectful I was to someone who stole frequently from my store. Point is the whole industry has spent so much time on “good customer service” that we’ve turned “service with a smile” into “please, may I kiss your a55″ and customers think they can get away with anything!
Thank you for posting this! I work at a grocery store and people complain about the prices all the time thinking that they will get a discount. Or they’ll complain about a price being wrong and when we have someone check and the price is correct, they still think that they should get it cheaper and get very rude about it. I understand wanting to check because sometimes the prices don’t ring up right but to get angry about it is ridiculous.
@Monica, no retail isn’t the hardest job. I can think of much tougher job. But, you get a lot of nasty people. I’ve been called horrible names for no reason because a price doesn’t come up right on the register. How would that make you feel? Being called names for something that you have no control over and just making you feel horrible in general hurts. I don’t put the prices into the system. So no, standing there for a few hours and scanning items is not that hard, but dealing with the people is very hard.
It works both ways. Employees want to be treated with respect, so they ought to treat customers with respect too – unless, of course, the customer was disrespectful in the first place.
I was the last onto a Southwest Airlines flight, stumbling into the cabin in a state of mild panic and with my frail, elderly grandmother in tow. I hastily stuffed my suitcase into a cramped overhead locker and plonked down onto an empty seat. In my frenzied state of mind, I didn’t notice that my suitcase was half sticking out. Along came the flight attendant, sighing loudly and shaking her head; I thought she had a bad day or was irritated at some other passenger. “Seriously! Whose bag is that?” she yelled, pointing at my suitcase. It was only then that I realized: I quickly got up and adjusted my suitcase, without saying a word. She could have left me alone then, or even muttered a quick “thank you”, but no… what she said was: “Did you think it’s my job to do that for you?”
So I was humiliated in front of all my fellow passengers, in spite of the fact that I quietly and respectfully cooperated with the flight attendant’s instructions. No – I wasn’t *right* – I’ll admit that I should have checked that my bag was properly stowed before sitting down, but I certainly didn’t deserve to be humiliated like that!
I have a classic example of what your talking about I think. I have to admit it appeals to my,’rebel w/o responsi-bilities’ side. Steve Slater, former flight attendant for JetBlue, ended his 28 year career in flamboyant style. When a lady stood up to remove her suitcase while everyone was supposed to remain seated, she hit Slater on the head with the suitcase, and then told him to go off in a sexual manner. Our go-boy got on the intercom and gave the lady a few choice words, grabbed 2 beers and his flight bag and then opened the emergency hatch and went sliding down the inflatable ramp. Obviously the customer always being right didn’t ring true with Steve.
The police arrested this “desperate criminal” at his home and he is facing up to 7 years in prison for this daring feat. First time murderers generally get 3 years, but that’s for another day.
This type of tale is so American; a guy pushed too far just makes his statement as an individual and fights against the establishment. It’s Batman, it’s the Lone Ranger, it’s the Alamo; the little guy fighting against the evils of the world; in this case the fat spoiled customers of our blessed, bloated country.
We are not an easy bunch to please, I want you to know. Our lives verge on opulence and decadence unknown by royalty living just a generation ago. We’ve all watched “Dynasty”, or “Gossip Girl” (they’re rich, right?) and decided this is our birthright; not the opportunity to pursue happiness, but to be made happy. There is a big difference.
I have been both a ridiculously demanding consumer, and a purveyor of customer services, and I can tell you that we are so spoiled we don’t begin to understand what reasonable service is all about.
I wish the TV show, “Undercover Boss”, would use hidden cameras because not only would we see how employees really behave (the worst employee is going to be his best when there is a camera man standing two feet away) but we could see the kind of nonsense people who serve the public have to deal with.
Remember the person serving you has had to deal with the worst jerks in your life; give em a break, or eventually watch them make a brake for it.
Customers aren’t always right. I work in retail too, and most of the time customers are nice but there are some customers are jerks. If I go into a store, I will treat the employees very well, never talk down to them, or yell at them if the line is too long. I work in retail too, and can relate to them. If a customer gives me a hard time in the store I will call a supervisor over or a manger, I will not let the customers treat me like dirt.
I work as a legal assistant in a very large law firm. Many of our clients get upset and some scream and yell if the person they are wanting to talk to is on the phone, or, God forbid, in court. People want what they want NOW!! And I try really hard to help them–I am always courteous and compassionate, but they don’t always respond positively to that.
I work in retail too and the customer is NOT always right. I’ve gotten criticisms that I don’t know all the products in my department and that not everyone is trained in the knowledge of how all the products work. What customers fail to realize is that it takes A LOT of money to train people, money that the stores sometimes don’t have because of the sales that they offer for the customer’s benefit. A lot of younger people work in retail because they are the ones willing to apply for the jobs. Just because we are out of stock on an item DOES NOT mean that it is my fault, because I DON’T ORDER THE ITEMS, CORPORATE DOES!
Don’t get me wrong, I love working with my customers. However, a lot of times people try to scam companies with fradulent coupons and through other decieving means. Try believing people then…
I feel it depends on the situation because not all cases the customer is right mainly because some figure they are paying so you get those who take that to the limit and tend to abuse the system in order to get something free or whatever way they can “bend” the rules. I have seen it as I have been in customer service for over 30 years. Most people are good in their intentions but then there are a few who aren’t.
I hate how they take advantage of it the “customer is always right” no they’re not always right!
I’ve worked in retail most of my life, and I couldn’t agree more. Thankfully, they don’t say things like that often any more. Instead, staff get threatened with “I’m going to the Ombudsman!” and “I’m going to take ALL my business from you!”
In my opinion, consumers have become more demanding and less responsible, and legislation has allowed it.
We need to stand up and say “Hey, I work here– don’t treat me like this!” And I encourage my staff not to take any guff from rude customers– it gives those with legitimate issues a bad name all around.
The Customer is no longer right !! Customers always try to abuse that priviledge for the stupidist reasons. I work in retail and you wouldn’t believe how many times people try to pull that card. I own my own store but since I’m only 23 and look 18 people always think I’m an employee making minimum wage and they always try to take advantage.Most people do that to feel better about their pathetic jobs.
And one more thing to all those that are customers the more you yell, curse, and treaten just makes all of us working in retail either ignore you and not want to help you or pretty much just get mad and curse you out. Most of us working in these types of jobs are attending Universities so don’t try to talk down to us.
Ah, yes, I know the pain of working in customer service. But this certainly does not apply to Wal-Mart employees! I have seen them accept the most outrageous returns, even a lawnmower that appeared several years old!
When I worked in the seafood department in a grocery store, I once had a customer come to my department raving and yelling about how she had bought salmon from us, cooked it, and ended up over-cooking it and didn’t like it and she wanted her money back. Had I been the manager I would have told her to stuff it. But since customers are “always right” my boss actually decided to give her her money back.
As a retail sales associate, I know exactly what you mean, and have felt strongly about this for all the years I’ve been dealing with customers. I’ve decided to make sure that when a customer tries to return something, I inform them of a few rules of business. The customer is NOT always right, AND we, as salespeople have to keep a close eye on our bottom line. I outline that for upset, and unhappy customers. I also outline my rights as a business associate. Once they understand everything, things go so smoothly.
i think they are abusing it! the costumer is never ALWAYS right. i work in retail, and if some lady is trying to return a damaged article of clothing, she is NOT right. you ripped it, you bought it!
Not retail, but I work at a Movie theater. The worst thing is that the local papers never print the right showtimes. So almost everyday we get the enraged senior citizen who can’t believe that the prized paper was wrong and the movie started an hour before. Sometimes we have to turn away costumers because they threaten us.
I’ve worked customer service most of my life and the biggest hangup I have is when the customer tries to bypass state and federal law.
I was working at a convenience store a while back and a young man came in to get a pack of cigarettes. I carded him but he didn’t have any ID so I apologized and sent him on his way. Not 2 minutes later in comes his mother (supposedly) screaming at the top of her lungs that I MUST sell the kid the smokes because SHE can verify his age. State law (in VA) specifically states that noone, under any circumstances, is allowed to vouch for a possibly underage customer who was refused the sale for lack of proper ID nor can anyone purchase the product (cigarettes OR alcohol) for them. I told the woman this and she continued screaming at me demanding to speak with my manager. When my manager backed me up she started screaming at him, too, and stormed off in a huff cursing and yelling the whole way back to her car, kid in tow.
Even in the face of legal statutes customers can still be wrong. In my opinion the phrase “The customer is always right” needs to be somehow wiped from the worlds’s collective memory because there are WAY too many people in the world (that I’ve seen, anyway) that seem to think that because your title is “cashier”, “server/host/hostess”, or “CSR” that you are sub-human and, therefore, can be treated like crap and that you don’t know anything.
That being said, I have also had numerous customers who are exceedingly kind, polite, and easy to work with – unfortunately it’s the bad ones like the customer detailed above, that give service jobs a bad name. Hopefully someday this will change, but I’m not going to hold my breath waiting.
And way to go, Tim! Your last paragraph sums it all up perfectly! Bravo and thank you!
In my experience of working at a grocery store, I can tell you that the customer is hardly ever right. Customers do not know what goes on in the store or what is supposed to be done. “The customer is always right” is used as an argument to get their way. They KNOW they aren’t right, they just figure if they cause a lot of trouble then they will get what they want. It’s like dealing with a toddler.
If everyone worked in a grocery store or retail store, then they would understand how it feels to have to deal with a bunch of immature customers. Maybe there would be more respect? Because some people are downright immature, selfish and terrible. They just assume that the employee won’t let them do something because they either don’t know how to do their job or because they are just a bad employee. Sometimes, an employee just can’t do what you want them to do. We can’t afford to get fired just because you feel you deserve more, when we are not allowed to help you in the way you want.
I feel, if you don’t think the employee is right, go to the manager. But don’t complain about how the employee is just trying to do what they are told to do.
Compared to the years when I was in customer service, today’s is a joke. I’ve lost count of the number of surly, rude, indifferent customer “service” persons I’ve dealt with in the last 10 or 15 years. I’ve observed and been involved in issues that would have at the very least brought a severe reprimand from management in the past; complain to management today and the best you can hope for is they’ll just defend the offending employee.
Customer “service”….HA!
And btw, those of you who are grousing about who really has the toughest job please try to remember that this is simply an opinion forum and that the focus of THIS forum is the phrase “The Customer Is Always Right” and how it has been abused.
I’m not going to argue about the soldiers in Iraq, the Presidency, or anything else – I read the forum opener carefully and responded to the topic at hand.
I have worked in customer service before as well but for the last few years I have been working as a graduate student and teaching assistant. As a TA I’ve often seen similarities to working customer service however it’s 24 hrs since they email you and track you down in you office, in order to complain etc…
Rarely I”ll have a student who is polite and considerate when going over assignments or grades but every once in awhile I get one who seems to think they can bully me into doing what they want. Over time I just can’t help but see them as little children throwing a temper tantrum in order to get what they want. My situation is different from most others posting comments in that I can actually put my foot down but some times there is a student who wants to go over my head to the class coordinator. That’s probably the worst. In the past I’ve worked with some coordinators who stand by their TA’s decisions but there was one who would not and from that point on the student was intolerable to be around. Every class day he felt the need to lord it over me and remind me of points he was able to get back. Any grade assigned to him and all he had to do was go whine a little in order to get maybe a point or two back.
I can’t help but be a little jaded and think of all students as spoiled little children. Most parents would be horrified to see what their students say and do in order to get their way.
Needless to say I have no intention of teaching.
The customer usually isn’t right, and they just milk that phrase for their own benefit.
I just started in customer service for a phone company and I have to say yelling, cursing and carrying on does no good. It only gets you laughed at and you’ll get the same response as any other customer. Or worse, the voice mail of a manger.
When things go wrong I often hear, “I bet they’ll send that bill on time.” Ummm, a) you can get credit for the time your service is down and b) printing out a sheet of paper an mailing it is completely different than finding out what’s wrong with your phone and finding a tech to come out to your house on time
You don’t know how I wish EVERYONE would appreciate the fact that the customer is NOT always right… I work in retail and every day I encounter many “limited” people, who expect to be “babied” because they are the customer. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen and although you know YOU are right, they abuse the “law” of them being right and create a scene out of it and blame it on you being rude to them and what not, although you were not. In all honesty, I am very sick of it and reconsidering my career. When I am in the customer position, I always treat the sales assistants with respect. So why can’t other people??
It’s amazing. I read all these comments and all of you make it seem like when people go to a customer service desk that everyone gets simply amazing service all the time – and it’s the customer who is rude. Or you answer the phone and you’re just on top of your game, know the policies without having to hem and haw, don’t sound bothered on the phone ever, don’t talk on the phone with an attitude, you write as if you are always friendly when you first come on the phone, like one of Santa’s elves, and act as if you are always helpful and “give it all you got” for your customers. Well, if that’s the case, then the writers that are on here are the limited few in the United States and I’d like to stand up from my computer and applaud all of you for being the super reps of the world – because guess what? Your colleagues? They’re horrible at their jobs. They could care a less about the quality of their job. They have attitude on the phone that appears to carry over either from their last call or perhaps from their work surroundings, who knows, who cares. Clock watchers, the lot of them. They only seem to care about when their lunch break will be and when they get off.
Here’s what real workers do: they take a look at their jobs and they attempt to improve what they are doing – increase their own productivity, their efficiency – we don’t need to read it out of a manual – we don’t need someone to tell us to do it. It is call INITIATIVE. Try it someday.
Another thing…if you hate your job so much, QUIT!!!
Some of you say, I’ve worked CS for this many years and. . .blah blah blah (essentially hating it) blah blah blah. . .QUIT!!! Leave. Do something else. Use your amazing skills to excel at something else and have some other employer get the benefit of your vast knowledge!
Why do people stay in jobs that they can’t stand?
Makes no sense at all.
well there is also the saying, “we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone”…
I’ve worked retail for awhile now and there’s ALWAYS a bad apple in the bunch that will test you. I’m always about catering towards a customer’s needs and doing what I can to be sure he/she get’s taken care of. But do mind that there are store policies, rules, and guidelines that I have to follow in order for me to help you. Many customers think that it’s easy to stroke a few keys and call it a sale, but business doesn’t run like that. They have to understand that in order for us to insure that things get taken care of correctly, you have to be honest with us. 9/10 people will throw a fit over merchandise or return policies because they either didn’t read the return policy or they feel as if something should be given to them out of our expense and their distress. We have to be reasonable. I do agree that a customer is always right, but then there’s times when me as an associate, know exactly what’s right & wrong, yet the customers word is taken over my own judgment. There’s always a power struggle and some customers whom are regulars towards a store, know how to abuse it and get what they want.
I have worked in customer service my entire working life. I did say once, that if I ever found the individual who coined that phrase, I’d beat them senseless (not literally mind you).
I do not believe it to be true, and I genuinely hate the people that abuse it. The same as I genuinely hate anyone of any race that uses their race as a way to claim someone is discriminating WHEN THEY AREN’T!.
No, the customer isn’t always right. I work for a cable company and people call in everybody demanding credits they don’t deserve. I would say 95% of them are right, but the other 5% needs to be disconnected.
The term “The Customer is always right” actually means you accomodate the customer within reason.
A person must understand it is the customer that enables their employer to meet their payroll.
Even when a customer is someone you do not like personally you have to wait on him and be courteous.
This does not mean you should be expected to accept abuse from a customer.
A lot of times how a person deals with another makes a big difference in how they accept it. If you act officius expect a hostile reaction. Even when the rules will not allow you to make an exception you can always politely say,”I;m sorry.”
Now I know that doesn’t always work.
Also a customer can be called many things, not only a customer, but a client, a patron, a patient, a policyholder etc.
If they are purchasing your employer’s products or services they are the people who keep the payroll going.
I think the phrase does give customers the wrong idea, however, they are soon disabused of that notion. I notice that customer service is often a step toward getting into management. I don’t think anything can be harder than that department. If you are in it, you have my condolences, but that you are there at all shows you are management material and have managed life as well or they don’t put you there. No way. LOL
I notice a lot of people get questions wrong. Of course I never do that. OK, so I do, yes I do, but it seems rampant today. First it’s obvious that it was not to be taken literally that customer service is the hardest job. It’s sort of a joke, a funny. At least sort of.
Then saying it’s the hardest job, I think we can say job, not profession. I don’t think we are talking about management, for instance. We just be ordinary people, or at least I am.
It’s like saying one and one is two. Some wit always says, “Not in the binary system.” I think we are always saying, ‘all things being equal’ or ‘in this context’. I hope that gives purists a few ideas about questions, reading, imagination, culture and language. I would like to think we have evolved or are at least learning and are the smartest generation. At least we aught to be. We’ve had enough chances. Ha.
I’ve found customer service to be the toughest ordinary job out there, especially for the money in most cases. It’s good training for management and life. I have high regards for people who tackle that bear. I give them my respect and wonder. LOL
I notice a lot of people get questions wrong. Of course I never do that. OK, so I do, yes I do, but it seems rampant today. First it’s obvious that it was not to be taken literally that customer service is the hardest job. It’s sort of a joke, a funny. At least sort of.
Then saying it’s the hardest job, I think we can say job, not profession. I don’t think we are talking about management, for instance. We just be ordinary people, or at least I am.
It’s like saying one and one is two. Some wit always says, “Not in the binary system.” I think we are always saying, ‘all things being equal’ or ‘in this context’. I hope that gives purists a few ideas about questions, reading, imagination, culture and language. I would like to think we have evolved or are at least learning and are the smartest generation. At least we aught to be. We’ve had enough chances. Ha.
THIS IS SO TRUE I WORK IN A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT AND CUSTOMER DO TRY TO ABUSE OF THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!! THERE IS DEFINITELY A LIMIT!!!
After working in retail for many years I would LOVE to see it MANDATORY for everyone to work one Christmas in retail customer service role & face those who are ‘always right’ from the maxed out credit card holder who swears ‘try again Ive lots of credit left’, to the catalogue shopper who comes in Christmas eve 15 mins before close screaming that the item is in the current catalogue & so should therefore be available,I promised my child, its false advertising” and of course its always the retail assitants fault!
Ahh much prefer being Mummy to 3 screamers, may not get a day of but atleast you can reason with toddlers.
I work at a pizza place. A kid, around fifteen, came in today and ordered medium garlic strips. Our strips come with and without cheese, but we don’t have an option for strips w/o cheese if it’s medium or large, so we have to charge for cheese if they get a medium or large. I asked the kid several times if he wanted cheese, and he said no, he just wanted the garlic sauce, NO CHEESE. I told him we had to charge him for cheese because he got a medium, but we would give him one or two items that he was also purchasing for free to make up for it. I again repeated that he wanted garlic strips without cheese, and he agreed. Fifteen minutes later, in the middle of a rush and after his friends had come in and out, I gave him his garlic strips. He said he asked for cheese. I couldn’t say sh*t because the customer is always right. But boy, did I want to kick that brat in the teeth. My manager and I both think his friends came in and told him they wanted cheese, and he was too much of an idiot to tell us while we were making it, so he decided to send it back AFTER. F*ck.
The customer is not always right. I work at a car dealership in the service department. My manager will fire a customer for rude behaviour to his employees. He will not allow anyone to abuse us or use fowl language when interacting with us. In this day and time that is unheard of. We try very hard to give the absolute best customer service because customers are our business. However, when they are unreasonable and will not understand things like they should have done regular mainenance on their vehicle he will only take so much and they are outta there!
As a person who’s been working in customer service type jobs for over 10 years (retail, and information desk in college, now customer service for a technology company) and for someone who is a frequent customer herself, I’ve learned that the customer is not always right.
You want to do your best to make sure that the customer is happy, becuase you want their business, but you can only do so within your limits. No one should have to break company rules/regulations for a snotty, rude customer. They should read the fine print, ask questions, learn the return policy, etc. before they fly off the handle thinking they know it all.
Being on the receiving end of it, I try not to give people a a hard time. I ask alot of questions, and yes, sometimes I do get upset, but I don’t take it out on the CSR! Company policies were not their decision. And as a person on the other end, let’s just say that I’m more willing to help and go out of my way for customers who are nice to me than to those that think they are the ones paying my salary. Those that are tolerable, get more from me, I might do something like take care of their request before anyone else’s. Some people need to know that acting like a jackass isn’t always going to get what you want in life…..
You’re going to mostly have comments from people, like me, who are in the customer service business.
I’ve seen SO many people try to abuse the phrase “The customer is always right” and we’re SUPPOSED to allow it. But, the thing is, even before I got into this business, I NEVER acted the way some people do when they come in. My mother always taught my sisters and me to be respectable people and to be kind to everyone- especially strangers. I don’t care if I’m younger than you and work in a fast food business, you should give me JUST as much respect as you would your friends or anyone else for that matter. I mean, I’m an assistant manager right now (and there’s talk of a promotion) but even I don’t make the rules for most things- especially menu items! So please don’t yell at me or my employees because the prices are too high or you’re not getting exactly what you want with your meal because you didn’t read the fine print.
I’m just glad some people actually realize how much we actually have to deal with. Honestly, some days I feel like handing my name tag over and saying “You think you can do it better? Go ahead and prove it, jerk.”
Well, I used to work as a manager at Pizza Hut at numerous stores in the midwest and our regional managers were always using that line, but I modified it. “The customer is NOT always right, but hopefully, he is always your customer.”
The meaning to me is that you should take his concerns to heart and help if and when you can but in the long run, it is better to lose an unhappy customer then always be giving them free or discounted food “just because” they made a big stink over some minor thing. Fix your mistakes, but you can’t afford to give away free food
Yes . It takes a real skill, real knowledge and ability to mange not only yours but also complainers emotions.
If you ever try to sell on line you will learn the most sophisticated level of costumer service or you will be gone in no time. Amazon is best in many ways and their systems of feedback and metrics is really amazing, and effective. I had problem to understand some things , same time i did learned quickly and now I know nothing can stop me from success. Client is always right, and there is no alternative, no ins no outs.
Peter Calka
i will say that some times and actually in many occasions it is a matter of physiology. If you give your self to the client like a happy puppy his respect for you and your service will come down. The days of keeping your clients happy at what eve cost are over.
The customer should be treated well, but that doesn’t mean he is right.
I find that the customer is almost always wrong. Maybe it’s just where I work (in a low socio-economical aka “dodgy” area) but they are hardly ever right. A lot of my customers are on some kind of drug or have already hit the booze and will fly off the handle if you so much as look at them.
Most customers expect you to bend over backwards for them, or treat them like royalty, when they definitely don’t deserve it. If I’m having a bad day, woah, that’s out of line, but if they’re in a bad mood that’s cool. I can deal with their abuse over such petty matters, because I’m a retail robot and I shouldn’t have feelings and I’m supposed to know everything about everything.
Rant done. GOD I hate retail.
Customer service can be challenging, and a lot of people, upper middle class in particular, think that we are there to be walked on, or that there is no way we won’t give them what they want. As far as tougher then presidency; false. If we piss off a customer, or make them angry, we may be remembered, and at most, our store hated and given a bit of social ridicule from that person. If a president makes a mistake, it goes into the history books, to be ridiculed for the rest of known history.
One of the reasons I got out of retail was because of the rude customers, who have reached a point where they think it is okay to treat retail associates as less than human.
I even saw a rude customer hit a clerk at a store where I worked, then get furious when the police showed up, and yelling that she deserved it, and he was “never shopping at this fascist store again!”
I finally knew I had to get out of retail when my own attitude toward someone threatening to “go to a competitor” was to either give them directions, or say something like “that’s fine, people like you are a dime a dozen anyway…”
Yes Customer is not always right. I have seen young people appearing to be underage try to buy alcohol or cigarretes without ID and they claim to be of age. Imagine what harm I could do If I believed the saying.
Great question . I am in automobile sales and the customer hears and reads that it is a buyers market and how bad the economy is and how much the customer deservies what they want and these people believe that they can come into your place of business and say and do what ever they want to some of you who are reading this are the problem. I got fired because a customer who was not buying a car said I was treating him bad long story but this really happen because of poor managment and rude customers. I know of a woman hitting a salesman just because he did not tell her what she wanted to hear.It has nothing to do with race ginder how much money you have how old you are people are just rude. I deal with people who have BAD CREDIT you would think that these people would be humble these are the worse ones and they want a Mercedes Benz not a Chevy or a Ford they want an ESCALADE BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY DESEVE IT. How can you really think you deserve something when you did not pay off the people you owe.
I have a question for you; since it says “Ask Mike”
In Great Expectations what is herbert’s fiancee’s fathers aliment. OR why did Estella married Drummle?
I worked as a bagger at a local grocery store once, and though I wasn’t working directly with customers, I had the best view for watching my co-workers interact with them.
From what I observed, the cashiers at the 12-items-or-less line have it the hardest. For some reason, people like to think that a whole grocery cart full is 12-items-or-less. What’s worse, though, is that more of the cashiers can’t say anything. Though I did know this one lady who was like “If they come up to my line with more than 12 items, I’ll send them away. I don’t car if it’s 13 or 30, they shouldn’t be there,”
As far as “The customer is always right,” goes, I would say that it’s false. Though I do agree that in that statement comes a little reminder that you must respect the customer, even if they don’t respect you. By definition, when working in customer service, you have to be more patient and understanding than the person you are trying to help.
My customers pay my salary and that allows me to live and enjoy life. But, they are not always right.
There are customers who abuse the system. They want something for nothing or next to nothing. They file complaints because they like hearing the sound of their own voice.
There are also great customers who I like having as customers and don’t want to lose. It’s a shame a few bad customers taint the rest of the people who are honest.
My biggest job gripe is when my company makes a mistake and a person wants to take a mile and they know they are due a few inches. That’s really discouraging when people take advantage of an honest mistake and expect a free ride or a steeply discounted one. But they know that are not entitled to such treatment and demand it anyway.
To all of us cynics, critics to this mentality, Business-Gurus and others who have been there and seen what really happens in front of and behind the counter; consider SAM WALTON.
Mr. Sam’s ethics (business and other) left an ongoing impact into our lives.
I work in the rental car business. we have some of the whiniest, stupidest, most a-hole customers anywhere!
Hey mike i have a question for you maybe you would know the answer to, so my internet explorer will not work, mozilla is just fine but i cant download anything from it, if i do then apparently i cant find it and it doesnt go into effect, could u help me out?
I have worked in customer serivce since,my teenager years.All I can say,no matter how WRONG the customer is,there right for the simple fact there paying.
I had some rude people when I used to wait tables and I was outbound rep,busser,clerk etc.
from personal experience,only bc,your getting service does not mean you get to treat ppl like crap.havin worked in that field I learn to respect those that clean and all kinds of postions bc,I was at the bottom and we all start somewhere.
Is degrading when ppl treat you like your less bc,your working a hr job.
remember the fight club movie…how WE CONTROL what you GET..just remember that one day there will be total madness bc,some damm customer is insane looking for some random diet pill at walgreens..damm I swear there are some real stupid ppl out there who are IGNORANT.
There are various factors involved. For one, it all depends on the situation. The product being returned and what is wrong with it. It also depends on the attitude of the customer. The way the customer presents the problem. And also what can or cannot be done for the customer based on company guidelines. Yes, there are many abusers of the system out there, but there are also many honest customers as well. The key is to know when one is telling the truth, and when one is merely using the system for their own gain. The key is to use logic, reasoning, and critical assessment skills, in determining to make a proper decision about the person, the product, the defect in the product, and how the defect occured.
i have a different phrase:
“the customer is always right, except when they are wrong”
im not going to rehash all of my old customer service stories but i can tell you that if you are lying to me, you will get nothing from me. i do not help disrespectful, lying, cheating customers. a business does not need that kind of customer.
besides that i know customers are important and i do my best to make them feel that they are my #1 priority, if you give me the respect i deserve as a human being i will go the extra mile time and again for them.
in reference to those who feel the need to interject their opinions on who has the hardest job, please air your opinions elsewhere as you have no reason to be posting on this subject.
it’s totally misused. such as a customer who stinks at math and thinks you didn’t give them enough change even though the computer clearly says 3.56 and you gave them 3 one’s, two quarters, a nickle, and a penny!!!!!
The customer is almost always WRONG!
Period!
This society in America needs to wake up to the fact that people are nothing but spoiled BRATS, especially adults!
If you don’t like it, then take your Damn business elsewhere!
You see the problem!
In this bad economic time, any or all business means money so businesses know that every dollar spent is worth the grief and aggravation!
Unfortunately, ALL the corporate brass knows is … the bottom line! MANY of them have NEVER worked with customers FACE to FACE and have NO CLUE with interacting with customers!
NO… customers are WRONG especially if they try to exchange things without a receipt but… if it’s relatively new, just exchange for a store credit.
NO… customers should NOT be allowed to “exchange” something OLD and USED for something NEW…
A*H*E*M*… L.L.BEAN ******
Damn company spoils their customers and Actually accepts OLD, WORN OUT clothing and exchanges it for NEWER ones!
FRIGGIN’ DISGUSTING!!!
NEVER Will I work for them Again >:(
To those ARSEHOLES that STATE they (customers) ARE right, they need to wake the F*CK up and SHUT THE F*CK UP!!
SICK of spoiled ARSEHOLES like you!
NO WONDER PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD SH*T ON AMERICANS!!!
TOO many people have the DAMN ENTITLEMENT SYNDROME in AMERICA!!!
NO… you do NOT DESERVE something!
At least be POLITE and ASK POLITELY for things instead of DEMANDING for things WITHOUT ACTUAL DUE CAUSE!!!
I work in a customer service job,
and also am a customer;
so I’ve been on both ends of the stick.
I actually have more trouble with other customer service people more than with the customers I deal with when I work.
I almost feel like some customer service people just like to walk all over me, instead of the other way around as most people claim.
Whenever I think about getting a job in Customer Service, I have to remind myself that calling people out on what they are would probably get me fired. And then I realize that I couldn’t do it. I hold the deepest respect for those in the Customer Service position. Having to deal with morons and cheats and yet NEVER telling them that they are a bunch of muck-sucking blits? I hold every ounce of respect for you all. Customer Service IS a more stressful job than the president of the US. If you say something wrong in CS, you’re ass is on the streets. If you say something wrong as the president, you simply have Public Relations make up some shit about how what you said wasn’t what you meant to say, and that the people who got upset are a bunch of thin skinned ninnies. Besides, it’s not like anyone who becomes president actually CARES about the general public anyway. You are the goddamn PRESIDENT. Who gives a shit if people don’t like you. You can’t be fired, and you are set for life. You become president, you no longer need a job. Didn’t do shit for your term? No problem! It’s Congress’s fault!
With Customer Service, you don’t have all these get out of jail free cards. You mess up, you’re out. That’s all that happens.
Customer Service > President.
Rick Spencer
Arizona
you know that everyone who works in retail/customer service is going to say that you are right. as a person who works in retail, im going to agree with by saying the customer is not always right. however, there are jobs out there that ARE
“Those who say ‘the customer is always right’ never worked in tech support”
I agree totally that he phrase “the customer is always right” has been taken out of context to abuse the system. I used to work at a call center for a major phone company (won’t tell you which one), and it was a daily struggle to death with people who felt that they were entitled to having their phone bills waived because “the customer is always right”. We live in a society that seems to want something for nothing. Validating that feeling is the wrong approach to take.
Having been a customer service worker, and a customer on an almost daily basis – I know that I’m 99.9% of the time wrong! LOL!
When I was in training for my current job (Chief Engineer in a hotel), we got into a discussion about this phrase. The Assistant Executive Housekeeper said, “Well, I know the customer is always right, so”…to which I responded, “No, the customer is NOT always right.”
As an example, I told the group about a situation I’d been confronted with while working for an auto parts supplier. The customer wanted to buy a brass compression union to repair his brake line, which I refused to sell to him. Brake lines are made of steel and the brass union might have held…until he tried to make a panic stop. Stomping on the pedal would have blown the line apart and he’d have lost braking pressure at potentially the worst possible time. Where would the liability have fallen, when the lawsuits started? Yep…not to mention it would have been on my conscience, especially if someone got hurt or killed.
She replied, “Well, we don’t sell a product, so we won’t run into that kind of situation.”
“Okay, so we sell a service, not a product. Suppose a guest asks you to get him a hooker…are you going to do it because the customer is always right? If you are, we might as well hang out a sign and start a cathouse, because that’s what it’ll end up being if you don’t tell him NO! The customer is NOT always right. In fact, he’s often wrong. You just need to know how to TELL him he’s wrong.”
…as gently or as bluntly as is necessary.
Nope, the customer is definitely not always right. I’ve worked in a shop and had to deal with shoplifters, crazy-weird people, rude people. Just because someone is wearing a uniform standing behind a counter, some people think that gives them the right to treat that person like they’re less than human. You might never realise just how ugly the ‘public’ is until you work in CS.
A lot of times I will get a customer who swears on their own graves that they got an item at my store when in reality it never existed in our store, and they actually bought it at another store similar to ours that is just down the road. Or they will ask for something that we don’t sell and the competition does and they will ask well THEY sell it why don’t you. “because we are a different store and we carry different things that’s why!”
When I was in university, I used to spend my summers working in a liquor store. And believe you me, I got tired of hearing this phrase.
In those days, we used to get edicts from the head office stating, “Remember, the customer is always right!” However, our boss believed just the opposite. He got tired of seeing drunks, obnoxious pukes, arrogant customers, etc coming in and acting like they owned us, lock, stock and barrel. It was amazing how immature a drunken fool can act, and over something as simple as a bottle of wine.
In those days, the provincial government ran had total control of liquor sales. My boss’ attitude was, “If they aren’t happy with us, where else are they going to go to get their liquor?” Now, don’t get me wrong; that didn’t mean we weren’t rude to customers. Just the opposite. But our boss often told the offensive ones to “hit the road.”
Today, the policy has changed. Now you see signs announcing that clerks have the right to refuse service to those that are drunk, rude, offensive, obnoxious, arrogant, etc. Obviously someone in the head office realized “the customer isn’t always right.”
i dont have a job (im not 16 yet) so i dont know which job is the most difficult, but i definetly have sympathy for people who work in customer service. i always make sure to say hello, please, thank you soo much, goodbye, you were soo helpful, etc., unless they are being deliberatly rude and unhelpful. and i keep all my recipts, and save all my tags.
Everytime I see this come up I want to grind my teeth. I hate that statement. I worked in customer service for many years and the customer is not always right, in fact sometimes they are dead wrong. But what that statement really means is that a business is designed and built for the customer, and that quality and service are the most important part of your business. It is the code for providing the very best product and service that your business offers. What that statement really should say is “The customer is your number one priority and providing them exceptional service and making them happy is the most important thing you can do.”
I work in the diamond industry and custom make jewelry for clients. I have a 100 day return policy for all pieces. I had one customer return to me within the hundred days with a bag full of diamond shards (oh yes, you can shatter diamonds) and broken gold. Why? He and his wife had gotten in a huge fight and she’d taken a hammer to her $25,000 ring. Was the customer right in this case? Absolutely not. Did he think so? Absolutely. Is there any way I can make marital counseling a pre-requisite for returns? Sheesh, some people!
I always feel bad for customer service people because I see so many of them catch crap from customers. It’s part of why I always treat them nicely, even if I am pissed about something. Oftentimes it isn’t the CSR’s fault and treating them like crap isn’t going to solve anything. However, just like the few bad customers, there are some bad employees out there who are unhelpful and just don’t care. Sure it’s maddening when they treat me like I’m insignificant and my problems don’t matter but I’m not going to start yelling and making a scene, simply because it doesn’t help.
And on a side note, everyone leaving these disgusting comments about how it’s not really that bad to be in customer service: I bet you don’t think it’s a big deal because you’re probably some of the people that abuse these workers. Just saying…
Some people have a reason to be upset with the service they get. Such as going to a store and not being able to find something and asking a person wearing a uniform and name tag ( for the store your at) and getting the response sorry I don’t know without looking up. I have went to a Walmart and asked the guy working in toys about a bike on display with out even bothering to look just said we don’t have any it took asking for manager and turns out there were 5 in the back. maybe if csrs put a little costumer service on at the job and stop acting like our questions are so bothersome to you maybe you wont have as many upset people.
“The customer is always right” is just an expression. It is best to keep up with that policy because it promotes good will and smooth transactions. Although some customers might not understand everything of what happens behind the counter and may become confused or act frustrating, it is the job of the worker to deliver some kind of service and presentation. Too often I see cashiers treating customers like uninivited guests or something. It’s degenerate.
I hated this phrase when I worked fast food. It made me cringe every time a customer even thought about uttering it. In the end however I learned that it is best to just agree with them and then apologize for not being able to actually give them what they want.
“Yes sir you are absolutetly correct we should give you [insert demand here] I agree entirely however due to company policy I cannot do that for you. Here is what I can do though….”
It doesnt work on all of them but the few I have come across that it failed on wouldn’t have been happy for anything less than me committing ritual suicide for failing to please them.
I totally agree with you I work at a grocery store and relate 100 percent to what your talking about about 1 percent of the customers are right if the product is damaged rotten or broken, if they got the wrong amount of change, or a coupon wasn’t scanned or if they have a question. Then you have the other 99.9 percent of customers who are impatient, rude, stuck up, inconsiderate and only want they way. Add in to the fact that my job is a high pressure job im a cashier so I deal with people every day and have to deal with these types of customers not everyday but once in a while you get that one customer whos in a bad mood doesn’t feel like waiting has no respect for the workers. I mean its like were trying to help my whole a job is based on customer service and some of the customers completely take for granted they don’t know what its like to work a job like this. Some of them do but not all of them I try not to think about to much or let people like that get to me I just smile and say have a nice. I don’t let them have it either people like that aren’t worth wasting time on. Anyway I don’t plan on keeping this job any longer if had it for about two and a half years. I plan on going to tech getting a another job and going into the Coast Guard or Airforce.
I work in front-line customer service for the municipal government of a decent-size city. One of the lines that drives me up the wall (when a customer is not getting their own way) is, “I pay your salary!” Do they not realize I pay taxes too, duh?!?
As long as the customer can fit his piece of the puzzle or doesn’t feel he was caught off guard by something, he won’t give you any problems.
I’ve worked in customer service for this one company that sells savings discounts thru advertisements by dozens of different websites. Up until I worked for this company, I did (NOT) realize that so many people are just plain dumb-ass STUPID ! In order for “any” person to sign up they have to sign up to enroll into the program by clicking on a button that brings up the entire monitor screen that explains in very,very understandable English they are enrolling into these programs for a 30 days trial basis and you have to agree to enroll by either putting in your email address,or,entering in your credit card # again – and then clicking the YES button stating that you are agreeing to enter into the 30 day trial period. The customer would then receive an email back within an hour confirming the enrollment. That’s how they enroll. Sounds easy. But these people evidently DO NOT know what they are reading. The screens state that if you do not call before the 30 day trial period expires you will be billed the monthly fee on the credit card you used to make the previous purchase. Now here is where the stupidity of people shows.
When they get billed because they did NOT call to cancel like the screen states (and the email that was sent to them within an hour) they call up to inquire “What’s this charge for?” -or – “How did this get on my statement?” We ask them to verify their name/address and tell them their email address before we even tell them the “how or what” on how they enrolled. After the “customer” verifies the info, we proceed to tell them the “how & what” that their inquiry was about. We state “Do you remember being on a website called ( name goes in here ) and they reply yes, this is when you signed up for (name of program goes in here) and once they realize what they’ve done, the customer denies ever doing this. This is when the customer starts yelling and screaming and makes accusations that this is a scam or fraud. Really now, I’m sure at least 90% of these customers realize they were ignorant or dumb as a box of door knobs and start calling us representatives names.
As I read the earlier posts to this, if you people would act like semi intelligent people and ask nicely then we as representatives would be willing to help. Don’t become an @sshole and show us how DUMB you are. And in “many” cases these monthly fees have been on your credit card statements for many months -even years in some cases- and you just now are seeing them? C’mon people, part of having a credit card is being responsible for your actions, do you think the card companies just send out monthly statements for the fun of it? And the company I work for even has our phone number listed beside the charge each & every time. So don’t go screaming at the customer service reps because (YOU) don’t look at your statements -or- do not know how to read! As a result of putting up with these kind of customers, I have to say that ” I HATE PEOPLE “.
@Shirley Tomlin
Where do people like yourself live?
What era do you think we’re in?
I give lots of respect and my condolences to people to customer service. They have to put up with lots of SHIT from people.
I know… I used to be in retail and now in management… in the service industry… so that STILL involves customer service.
People pay us to do our jobs but they do NOT have the right to abuse us or EXPECT stuff just because they pay for our services.
This is especially True when they are WRONG as in.. they LIED to us!
In the finance/accounting industry, we deal with clients daily doing whatever. For example, Business projections require information… you change 1 bit of information, the scenario changes! We should NOT be yelled at because YOU, the client, FORGET to tell us something or did NOT tell us something when we ORIGINALLY asked you for the information in the Beginning!
NO! The customer is not always right!
Yes, the customer is paying for our services BUT… that does NOT excuse them for EVER abusing the ones that they hired to HELP them!!
PERIOD!
No wonder this society is so SCREWED UP!
NO FRIGGIN’ MANNERS ANYWHERE!!
Yea, slinging fries is way harder than running the country…If you don’t want to have customers yelling at you for no reason, get a better education, get a better job…like the president.
Ya know Mike, I’ve read your columns quite a few times. I’ve never fully understood why they decided to call it Ask Mike, when it’s usually you telling us things, but I never thanked you for all the valuable information. Keep ‘em coming.
I think being in retail is one of the Toughest jobs. You get rude, impatient, over-their-head, customers. I always get customers who think they should get customer service first because they are in a hurry, that we should drop everything and bow to their needs. They are not only rude to sales associates but to other customers who patiently waited their turn. A lot of this customers have no manners. They know how to use the Magic words… I mean come on you don’t have to watch Barney to know those words it just common sense. But I have to give it to my other customers I have some who patiently wait till the problem gets resolve I try to thank them as much as I can for their coaporative behavior..lol..Whats funny is the customer knows they’re wrong yet they still think that because of “the customer is always right” they can get away with it…and sometimes they do. Oh well thats life some have to lose in order for others to win…
“The customer is always right” is a terrible phrase. I work at a coffee shop, probably one of the worst places to work as far as customer service goes. We have absolutely no right to defend ourselves in any way. We have to remain extra cheerful constantly, and if any customers decide to treat us like dirt, we simply apologize, give them whatever they want, and smile and say have a nice day. They could be standing there swearing at us, but we can do nothing. We do have the right to hand the customer off to a manager, but then it just becomes someone else’s problem, doesn’t really fix it. I hate the man who came up with that phrase because it started this whole wave of customers thinking that they can get whatever they want just by raising a fuss. UGH!!!
“Some say that the President has the world’s toughest job. I think the honor should go to anyone who works in customer service. Imagine how many times these brave men and women hear the following from a ticked-off client: “But I’m the customer! And the customer is always right!””
How about the military? The “brave men and women” who actually put their lives on the line to protect your right to free speech, which you exercise in such a disprespectful manner. No, you’re right. The starbuck barista has a way harder job.
People will always find ways to abuse the system. People even abuse our court system, when they lie, in order to get out of jury duty.
Oh, customer service. Some people don’t know what they’re saying, they just want to channel the hardships of their day onto you. Being one of the new workers, that’s when I scream for the manager.
But really, I’m sixteen years old, I’ve held my job for only three months, I don’t know WHAT some people are expecting to get out of complaining to the girl with pink braces.
I mean, one woman asked me the same question four times, a question about credit cards, something I know little to NOTHING about. The problem was, this woman refused to open her mouth…she was mumbling, and had a very angry look on her face. I really don’t know how she expected me to respond when I didn’t even know what she was asking simply because she couldn’t un-clench her teeth. It was ridiculous. If she has a speech problem, that’s not really either of our faults, but even I’ve learned to get over mumbling once I got a job.
But other people you just can’t respond kindly to…that’s not to say that I throw a fit and start screaming, but I can’t be nice about it.
I worked retail for many many years and it was very hard. I was in management so it was even worse because I’d be the one getting yelled at by the angry customers. It definitely wears on you after a while, I’ve had all kinds of customers crazy, rude, needy, and the worst were the thieves!! In all my time I’ve only had a customer come back once and apologize for yelling at me and told me she was having a bad day and just took it out on me. I’ve worked from high end places to smaller stores and it’s all the same. If it’s not the customers it’s your co-workers. It’s 24/7 no real holidays off and always working weekends.
I would still have my crappy mid-management retail job if the last place I worked at hadn’t fired me for “stealing” a $3 item I put a note on I said I was going to buy. The company was near bankruptcy and doing major lay offs, and I found out they really were planning on laying me off and replacing me with someone who makes 30% less than I, but fired me to dodge unemployment, it didn’t work. Anyway, firing me was the best thing they did for me because I went back to school, got my degree and now I’ll never have to put up with that again!
Oh and all of the financial advisors are right, stay away from the in store credit cards!!!! They pushed for us to open those things to much, just trying to get people in debt and to spend more $$$. People from the financial institutions which the credit cards were through would come in and coach us on opening more if they felt like we weren’t doing enough. They’re the devil, the incentives never outweigh the APR and other stuff. They sores just want you in debt.
sure the customer is always right.. they are the one who is paying for the goods or services… they are the one who chooses what goods or services that they want and on their terms…. but that right comes at a price… the more that the customer wants, then the more that you are going to charge that customer to fulfill their demands…
We all know the customer is not always right. But customer service is not what it was in years gone by. So many companies don’t even have live persons to talk to about your problem and they even have computers answering your email with “canned” replies. It infuriates people so that if they ever are successful in reaching a live person, there is a load of venom built up and ready to dump, and boy do they! People feel so out of control in their lives in just about every area, that they jump at the chance to use and abuse any offer of power that crosses their path. They have so little power in their daily lives that when they find some place where they have some it all comes boiling over the top and onto the hapless customer service rep that just happens to be there. People are angry at society in general. Businesses require their sales and service reps to do some pretty stupid things such as recite “How can I give you excellent service today?” Pleaseeeee. It makes us want to vomit. Reciting trite phrases does not make up for the one thing we really want. SERVICE! And, Oh yes, should I forget, the slippery slidey slope of trying to sell other services and goods on top of what you have already purchased. Do I want to fill out a form for a company credit card and get 20% off of this purchase? Do I want to buy an extended service contract? For just a small additional fee, I can get an extra six months of 4 different magazines I wouldn’t read if I was stranded on a desert island….etc. It’s gotten so that I don’t even answer my own phone any more. I let it all go to voice mail, and then I never pick up the voice mails. The really important people know how to reach me, and it isn’t by phone.
Doesn’t the president have the toughest customer service job in the country? Think of all the people shouting at him daily, “BUT I AM THE CUSTOMER AND THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!”
You can return anything at Kohl even if it’s been worn. This policy works very well for Kohl’s.
I’d have to say customer service should be a priority, but there are limits to that. If a customer doesn’t offer you the same respect as any other human being, that’s not right. It doesn’t matter if the crusts aren’t cut off the sandwich, that’s no excuse to scream and swear at these people. If you did that to anybody you knew, you either wouldn’t have any friends, or your own family wouldn’t want anything to do with you.
Working retail is a very intense love/hate relationship. There’s days I want to quit my job, and then theres days that I KNOW I made the difference to someone by going into the bakery after it closed and searched for the order books to place an order for a customers little girl. There’s customers that shop at the place I work purely because I work there. I’ve had people tell me that “If you didn’t work here! I’d hate grocery shopping!”. I have to say by far, my favorite are the ones that yell at the abusive ones. The ones that say things that they know I can’t. This guy came in, and was buying birdseed, and when one of our baggers came to put it in the car, she tripped, and almost dropped it. Guy started screaming about “WHY DO YOU LET MENTALLY RETARDED PEOPLE WORK HERE!” the bagger was on her first day, and looked like she wanted to quit right then. I was about to call my manager, when a customer spoke up and said “You arrogant jacka**! You’re holding up the line, and I’M tired of hearing you abusing these girls, get some morals, jerk.” Easily the best thing. So yes, there are good days, and there are bad days. Overall, my goal is to get past that one horrid customer and know that the rest CANT be any worse.
So basically I LOVE THIS ARTICLE!!! I worked in the apparel section of Kmart for over a year and i got to agree with the guy saying about the coke pack customer named “Dick”. Being really sweet to someone who is abusing the hell out of you does make them even more angry…
I’ve also faced being fired form companies being they are so busy tripping over themselves trying to keep the angry customer happy (even when they are so obviously wrong) that they forget about their mistreated staff…. We had a fight break out in the fitting rooms one time. One of my workmates was on the fitting rooms and got hit by these two stupid broads and the managers were going to make her finish her hours despite the fact that she was in shock and pain. (It was her first fight and she wasn’t even throwing the punches.) One of the human managers sent her home on pay as she could see how badly this girl was….
I used to work at a pizza place known for being in mall food courts in the USA. There where always the scammers. I remember one lady would come up every Friday and order a large ziti. She’d eat half and bring the rest of it up and say it was bad and she’d get a refund. She got us about three times before we called her out on it. Of course she denied it. We made her taste a sample size before she tried to order again. She said that it was bad, walked away and we never saw her again.
I love those customers, or rather I loved them. I have so many of stories about people just acting ridiculous. While working at blockbuster I had a lady bring in 5 DVD’s she said she bought there. When movies come ofthe new release wall, we are required by contract to destroy a large # of the discs. We do so by running them through a little device that punches a bunch of holes in them. This lady bought me 5 dvds without cases with the holes, she forgot her receipt at home! Haha… I told her to quit going through are dumpster and start frequenting hollywood video!
Total agree that “customer is always right”
As we see if we take care of our customers, our business will take care of itself.
I am running an online jewelry store. I am pride that almost all of my customers are delighted with my products and service.
I never really caught on to the idea of the customer always being right; if they’re wrong, I just tell them and ignore their arguments lol
I think it’s about half and half. If you have a receipt saying that you got it there and have proof of your order, then yes they’re right. But if they’re doing stupid stuff like the egg mcmuffin thing, then no, they are not always right. Or if the person taking the order/sale/etc are clearly not paying attention to anything the customer is saying, then they’re at fault there too.
I think at the end of the day you are trained to be polite and agree with a customer but if you don’t, just try and be polite and explain to them why they may not be correct on this occasion. You cant really stand there arguing with a customer as it isn’t professional and would not encourage them to return to you.
Well, if I am not right, then you will have fewer customers as well as myself. I do not go back to stores where they treat me totally disrespectfully. In this economy, it pays to be nice to the customers.
Interesting topic to me for a few reasons. Marshall Field was a distant cousin of mine, and I work the customer service desk at the largest of the Marts. The biggest thing I’ve learned is that the customer isn’t always right, but that a little empathy goes along way. All most people want to is be heard, to know that you understand their issue and that you want to help them in whatever way you can within the policies of your company. Are there people who abuse this? Absolutely. There are people who are immoral, who are thieves, who are desperate, who simply can’t understand why you can’t just make things how they want them, or who just, for whatever reason, need to lash out at someone. And some days you go home thinking, this is the worst job ever. But other days… other days you help a inner city elementary school free up a few hundred dollars from their budget by hooking them up with a great deal, or help a scared customer deal with a personal crisis, or just make a preschooler’s day by finding them that special toy they have to have. Those days are great.
NO WAY. I worked as a cashier all the way up to corporate manager and let me tell you “Customers can be crazy at times; including my self”. You do have the right for the merchandise to be functional, and get any issues resolved under manufacturer’s warranty, and also those issues that were recurrent during the warranty and were not resolved before the expiration however may people believe that whatever they buy should NEVER fail and should work for a lifetime. Well, if you want something to last for a lifetime you will not be able to afford it. Many items are been made with three things in mind: quality and engineering, cost and will be replaced within a few years: Laptops 3 years, Appliances 5 years and so on. Why do you think you can only buy extended warranties for a few years and not for a lifetime? By the way, anything you buy over $1,000 should have an extended warranty if the price of the EW is within reason. A diagnose by a certified technician can cost as much as the EW and by the time the repair is finished you could be better off by buying a new item. Ok, back to the crazy people (aka customers) I have seen it all, and I have been told all the bad names you can think of because they believe they have “a given” right to get anything for free and whenever they want. In fact the customers that I helped the most and that I did anything on my knowledge (including contacting the manufacturer’s to obtain an exchange when their product was way out of their warranty) were the nice customers. Yes! The few ones that are nice to you, that will ask you nicely “What can I do, Is there any way you can help me or guide me on what I need to do?” At my job I decided to let abusive customers go a few years ago, those who will use phrases like: I am taking my business somewhere else, Would you rather loose my business than to replace my $5,000 item that has been out of warranty for the last 20 years? Or the best one “I cannot live with the 1/8 of an inch scratch on the back of my appliance you must understand it is my baby” after one year of using their product. We noticed that their “abusive friends” go away too. My P&L started to reflects better numbers in some areas. Well, there will always be problems that need to be taken care of, and you must respect and do your best to help those who need assistance with a legitimate issue. Trust me when I say “LET THE CRAZY ONES GIVE A HEADACHE TO ANOTHER COMPANY” You do it once and they will be your best friend forever, they will track you down to be sure you continue to do the same over and over. The most important thing; do not let anyone disrespect the people that work for you, they are humans, have feelings, and will do anything for your customers if they know that you will do it to. Good luck. And get real as your only given RIGHT was to be born and to DIE one day, everything in between is just what is called LIFE. And man I just wasted 10 minutes of mine, back to my coffee.
I work in Customer Service and the Customer is definately not always right!
You made my day. Thank you.
I work in retail and I totally agree!!! There have been so many times that I have had customers yell and scream at me because Johnny broke his xbox or the tv remote batteries went dead (not sure what I’m suppose to do about it) My favorite was a guy who tried to return an xbox 360 and when he went home to bring back the hard drive and controller he had forgotten, I realized that those little black things all over the counter were bugs!!! the xbox had been infested and thats why it red ringed!!!! He did NOT get to return it!!!!
I admire stores like Nordstrom, which seem to manage to sustain itself profitably despite the extra light years they drive to enthrone their customers. However, not every business have that strategic advantage. I believe that “the customer is always right”, within a certain context. I believe that a business should do whatever it can to make the customer’s objective move as easily as possible, as long as it’s a fair deal.
In countries like the US or Australia where people tend to have an internal sense of fairness that relatively works, “the customer is always right” should be the norm. Businesses shouldn’t assume that customers are out there to take advantage of them; after all, any customer would want to be treated with respect, be made to feel important, have their needs met even if it takes extra effort, have their complaints listened to and actioned upon, and not have to deal with technical details or complicated procedures. In cultures where people naturally have a reasonable sense of fairness, businesses can deliver all these qualities without worrying that customers are out there to extort them out of business.
However, there are other countries like The Netherlands and Indonesia where the culture is just not like that. If you implement “the customer is always right” in these countries as you would in America, it wouldn’t take long for you to go out of business, because the natural tendency of the people there is to abuse such privileges. Seeing that they could make easy money out of it, “customers” would come and lie to you and cheat you without feeling an ounce of guilt and trample your employees on the face. That’s why in such cultures it is important for businesses to set higher boundaries and say “no” to customer demands which would otherwise have been OK in America.
So yeah, I guess that it’s up to every business to learn its market well and determine to what extent they can go to keep customers happy in a way that keeps the business feasibly thriving in the long run. Be generously helpful to your customers, but set firm boundaries to prevent irresponsible people from ripping you off. I think that’s the key for setting up a successful business.
I’d have to disagree that they have the toughest job. The men and women in the armed forces serving overseas do, as they are away from their families for 12-15 months at a time
But I do agree that people mistreat the customer service employees. My mamaw used to be one, but had to change jobs because the customers made her so mad. I mean the employees don’t make the rules so I don’t see why people cuss them out and blame them.
i never worked in retail before, but i can tell you that i feel bad for people in fast food chains who work there. a young woman passed a beverage cup (empty) and demanded the man to fill it up fast. he looked like he was miserable and i don’t blame him. why the high and mighty attitude when people eat at fast food and are not near wealthy. maybe a fucked mind and class system!
Whether you work in customer service as a phone rep, or a waiter, cashier, bellhop, service tech, flight attendant, nurse or whatever, you are going to run into people who are raised from childhood not to respect people who are paid to do things for them.
They consider you a lower class and not worthy of consideration, much less respect.
They aren’t going to learn.
Sometimes it’s kind of fun to piss them off.
I can think of many jobs that are tougher than the presidential job. Are you kidding? Those people who put their lives on the line are first (firemen, policemen, etc). Then come the ones that deal with the public. My brother was a bank teller in NYC and he’d come home with all these stories about people and how h was going mad. Some were funny, some not. Anyhow dealing with people has got to be one of the worse for you, mentally. I agree.
marshall feild? lol, if he joined the army, as soon as he was called in the role, he would be given a high place. “marshall? feild marshall?”
Only one difference, the presidents salary is most likely slightly higher than the Custom Service workers salary I guess.
The Vendor must be correct, he must not hide any fault of his product/s, in this age of competetion, just because the other party producing the same product gives the vendor more kick backs.
Mike, I feel the expression is something of an ideal, not meant to be taken literally, but not entirely insincere, either.
Sadly, I think there is truth to what Kevin Linx said, that the phrase “harks back to the good old days of retailing before mass communication & monopolies when retailers believed, and were right for a while, that their success depended on satisfied customers.”
Still, I think it is good to cultivate an attitude that customers, and their satisfaction, are the reason you have a paycheck, or if a business owner, the reason you are still in business. The customer is not always right – but if you are clever enough to resolve disputes such that he leaves believing he is, guess what: you win.
Leon L. Bean, who founded L.L. Bean in the early 20th century, is like the granddaddy of customer service, IMO. My favorite quotation attributed to him: “No one ever won an argument with a customer.” It’s true. Think about it. If you win that argument, you lose – the sale, the customer, maybe even all the customers’ friends, as Philip alluded to in his post.
Sometimes a customer isn’t even a customer. Some people here have posted about people who try to return merchandise to the store that the store never carried in the first place. Well, that’s not your customer – he didn’t buy the goods from you. Still, if there is any possibility he made an honest mistake, courteous handling of the situation, in which you decline to refund money, but say you are sorry and maybe even suggest another store that perhaps did carry that product wouldn’t hurt – it might even make that person into a customer.
What the hell – courtesy in any situation never hurts. Courtesy can help diffuse the hostility of an irate customer, and thus lessen wear and tear on the CS rep. And you can make the customer “right” without capitulating to unreasonable demand. “Yes, Ma’am, the customer is always right, but I’m sorry, I’m afraid we still cannot accept this return.”
A customer service rep who always tries to practice courtesy can rest assured that he or she, too, is “always right.”
Here’s a link to the story of my CS hero, Leon L. Bean: http://www.answers.com/topic/leon-leonwood-bean
I once caught a “customer” stealing”. I thought I would cut her a break and simply asked her to leave the store instead of calling the police. She replied that it I did not allow her to steal from me then she would go steal from my competitor. I was stunned. Obviously, we have tried so hard to provide good service to our customers that they now expect their A$$es kissed and their demands are no longer reasonable. I submit that “the customer is always right, but only when the customer behaves in a moral and civilized manner”.
Did you hear the actual story regarding the airline ticket agent that was abused by a premadonna customer. He didn’t like the length of time it took for him to get serviced, as she was catering to a previous customer.
He came to her counter and ripped her apart with swearing and vulgar words. She just smiled at him and kept saying i’m sorry sir over and over again – -
Finally he got his ticket and walked still bitching – -
The next customer felt so bad for the agent and asked her how she could be smiling and so friendly to him.
The agent replied “no problem, he is going to San Francisco and his luggage is going to China ” .
Problem solved.
Customers vote with their feet, if they are not satisfied they won’t come back. Therre are some you never want to see again.
costumers are not always the problem here, most of the time its the costumer services that are very rude and mean right up in your face if not in your ears… I’ve experienced getting a mean and ugly respond from workers in a super market.. what is wrong with asking the male worker to bring your items out from their stock room..? oh God he looked at me as if he wish to cut me up open(threatening look) as politely as i can be I ask him to get my product out of their stock room b/c I was kinda rushing. I as a costumer ask the male worker a favor with a genuine smile-respectfully. it went opposite for me that day at a super market(popular too)male worker reacted and costumer went total blank wondering wtf is his problem and what did i do or say wrong to tikk him off… and guess what, he came w/that fken product and leave it right there w/ no fken help to bring out to my car( which they are suppose to do that service for a costumer,especially when the costumer is a woman and the product is very heavy. so from that fken day forward.. I never step foot in that popular store no more… and today it is no longer popular and that store is losing a lot of regular costumers.why..???? b/c their fken costumer services are fk up to the max..!!!! and b/c of me they lose costumers too, and how would they meet up their important payments without a costumer eh..? of course them dick head costumer services should think twice before they say that they don’t get paid by us costumers… without us, they get no payday’s and if you are rude or mean in front of a costumer then you lose a couple of hundreds out the door… tiny from each of us eh… true that but when majority of tiny dollars walk out, and never come back for your services, can your BOSS or even the company owner meet up or hold you in still, to give you your pay check bi weekly..? I do not think so…!!! you will also get out the same doors the costumers step out from. but only you lose a job and the costumers continue on living and being a costumer in this world.
the business services are not that important if you were to look at it, we as a costumer can refuse to get them services but the company would do everything to attract costumers to their product.. yes as always costumers are more important then the workers themselves and that includes the business owners.. “The Costumers Are The Business Services Oxygen….. ” they can’t live or get money without someone to buy their products…..
Frankly, it takes 2 hands to clap. Most customers are demanding and want good service. Most service staffs, when come upon such customers, either smile, frown or pickle with them. There’s no right or wrong, it’s about individual characters.
Look, The Customer Is NOT always right!!!!!!! the customer can say that they saw a comercial yesterday about a product and came to the business offering it the next day when it’s not on sale anymore. They are not right, BUT they are still the customer! They STILL have a part in giving you a paycheck!
The customer is always right is an organization’s catch phrase to remind the employees that this customer is paying and his money contributes to the profits of the organization. Face it. Profits mean there is business and achievement. Therefore even if the customer is wrong, you have to be careful in that way you want to change his thoughts. That is why there are public relation officers. They are professional when it comes to dealing with the customers. The customers have their likes and dislikes even though something which they wish to have is not suitable for them at all. But since they love it and since they think they look good with it, then you have to make them happy. Once they are happy, they will pay for it and you will be happy in return because that payment is part of the profits. It is money. Cold solid money.
I run a salvage business.
My rules are: #1 – the Boss is always right.
#2 if the Boss is wrong, see rule #1.
My customers are never right. all they do is sell me or give me their junk. So how can they be right?
If they knew the value of their junk, they’d probably keep it.
Customer service is tough and many take advantage of us but in todays economy with all the competition the best way to handle a complaint is to say
“What Can I Do To Make It Right”?
I have been in retail for 35 years and I do not really like it but that is the way it is in todays world
whoever is right, is right, and whoever that thinks that anyone can be right for being someone or something(customer in this case) is an asshole or an idiot.
Customer purchases a vacuum almost 4 years ago and wants us (retailer) to take it back. He becomes agitated that we won’t take it back or “do something to make it right”. Has no warranty from the manufacturer or an extended warranty. Also wants us to fix his out of warranty dishwasher he purchased, again with no additional warranty. When does the products become the customers? As a mgr., what are good ways of dealing with these types of customers without getting upset and just telling them they are being ridiculous and unreasonable?