Customer is always right

[DayTrader]

Do you believe in this saying? Are customers really always right? I have heard a lot of stories about customers being abusive of their right.

[JKansas]

I highly diagree with it! Especially in service industries. If the customer is always right then why bother coming to me at all? In some cases, the customer is so wrong that I have to turn down their business because what they want is not safe or risks too much of my liability. In a litigious world we just can't always give the customer what they want.

Even the big box retailers and service providers are moving away from this misconception.

[paulson]

'Customer is always right' is an out dated statement, The business world has become more competitive, and it's important that you keep your customers happy, because when you fail to do so, they always have your competitors at their door step. when you offer the best products and excellent services, majority of customers will show loyalty and fairly accept what you offer them, and their complains ( even if they have) would be reasonable which you can deal with them easily. why the statement is out dated, now a days, the basic principle remains the same, customers are precious and they are important. The statement contradicts today's business approach where marketers say 'customers cannot be always right'- they refer to those customers who are rude by nature, whose expectations are not reasonable, who take the companies' employees for granted, who always find fault somewhere , no matter how good your products and services are. while majority of the customers are fair and reasonable and companies would love to meet their needs and demands. The new approach refers to those customers who are always wrong.

Here are a few reasons why such customers cannot be entertained

They themselves have no idea of what they want
You cannot afford to entertain at the cost of your loyal employees ( ex: rude behavior towards employees)
Such customers take advantage of your 'customer is king' kind of attitude.
such customers can be totally unfair and unreasonable
A few of your loyal customers may follow them. ( ex: if such a customer are entertained among the other customers)

[akula]

Do you believe in this saying? Are customers really always right? I have heard a lot of stories about customers being abusive of their right.

i think what the saying means is that founders shouldn't start ventures that customers don't wanna buy from
...it's quite often that founders start companies that market things which people don't need..and in that way, the customer is always right

[paulson]

i think what the saying means is that founders shouldn't start ventures that customers don't wanna buy from
...it's quite often that founders start companies that market things which people don't need..and in that way, the customer is always right

Oh! you have given a different explanation to the statement, you are partially right., actually in the marketing world, 'the customer is always right' means, you are obliged to listen to your customer's needs and wants and customer is the king. Your business exists because of your customers and for your customers and you should always do what your customers expect you to, you need to compromise even when your customer is wrong and this idea is gradually changing now. Now marketers say ' customers cannot be always right'.

[vselin73]

i think it should be "the customer always wants to be heard".....a lot of times....the customer just wants someone to listen to them....they know they are not right....but they want to get it off their chest...so you just listen and let them vent....you tell them (or your reps to tell them) that you understand what they are saying and listen...but due to certain company policies and such...it can't be done....but for the most part we find that they just want to be listened to and understood.....and all you have to do is listen...it's very easy....but there have been times where i have broken up with customers...cause they wanted more then what we could give...and they eventually settled down and understood. but unfortunately in today's climate....many customers think that the only way to get their way is by being harsh and rude, they think confrontational is the way to get their way...and that simple does not work...especially with us...sorry to ramble....it's friday!
basically customers still think "the customer is always right" and try to use that...but i think they are going away more and more from that.

[homenotion]

It's not that the customer is always right, it's about letting the customer believe they are always right.

That means treating them like they are right. We all know as business owner that customers can be wrong but if you want your customers to come back then offerthem superb customer service which means putting your customers first. That's been my motto and it works well :-)

[DayTrader]

I agree with all of what's been said. We should treat our customers like king if they are valuable to us. If they have become a nuisance one way or the other and can already harm our business, we should just let them go. We should acknowledge that there are different kinds of people in this world. Some can really be so unfair. We cannot please everybody.

[vselin73]

It's not that the customer is always right, it's about letting the customer believe they are always right.

good call....people may know that they are wrong....but they don't want to admit it or be called out on it...they want to save face.....even as simple as saying something like "that is a great suggestion on how we could have handled this differently...we appreciate your feedback on your experience and will take it into consideration" is telling the customer that you are listening to them and value what they are saying..you may not do anything with the info....but recognizing them and their feelings and making them feel that they are being heard and listen to goes a long way!

[DayTrader]

good call....people may know that they are wrong....but they don't want to admit it or be called out on it...they want to save face.....even as simple as saying something like "that is a great suggestion on how we could have handled this differently...we appreciate your feedback on your experience and will take it into consideration" is telling the customer that you are listening to them and value what they are saying..you may not do anything with the info....but recognizing them and their feelings and making them feel that they are being heard and listen to goes a long way!

But on the other way around, if you put yourself in the customer's shoe, telling them you will take it into consideration but really do not intend to do anything about it, it can be like fooling the customer. I remember an experience being a customer. I bought a refrigerator that has a factory defect. I called up the store where I bought it and informed them of the defect and would like to change the unit. The maker would not change the unit and would just want to repair it. I don't think it's fair to me to get a defective unit. I insist to get a replacement, but they did not respond to it. It is an old brand that we thought can be trusted, but then, times changed.

[vselin73]

i was not meaning to listen to them and blow them off....we listen to everyone...but you can't possibly make changes everytime someone makes a suggestion...but you should consider them...you know? we get amazing feedback from our customers and use it all the time....but some of the suggestions are just beyond crazy...but you don't tell them that....you treat them with respect and say...we appreciate your feedback and will consider it...people for the most part want to be listened to

the frig part of your story....i understand where you are coming from....you received a frig that was not working.....but the problem was not the whole frig....it was a piece within the frig that was not working....so i feel that by them coming in and replacing the defective piece was fine....a frig is a large piece made up of several smaller pieces....it would almost like buying a new car and the replacement tire had a hole in it....they are not going to give you a new car...they are just going to replace your tire....i understand where you are coming from...but from a business stand of point...i think coming out and replacing the piece is fine...i also think that way too from a consumer point of view..you know?

[timjahn]

I think this is a great topic and actually just inspired a post for me to write next week on BeyondThePedway.com.

I think a lot of the "customer is always right" mantra depends what type of business you're in. Many businesses are very niche and selective with their customers, often times "firing" the customer because the fit just isn't right. Contrast that with businesses like Wal Mart, who obviously want to please everybody and never turn a customer away.

What do you think? Is it right to fire a customer?

[goldie]

There have been lots of articles in the FT arguing that the customer isn't always right.

But this doesn't mean that you should treat them badly.

There is a Value Hierarchy whcih determines the relationship.

[timjahn]

Agreed, you should never treat the customer badly but rather just explain to them that you wish to no longer do business with them.

Here's my recent post about this subject: Should You Fire Abusive Customers Or Just Suck It Up? | Beyond the Pedway | Video interviews to discover what drives creative entrepreneurs!

[MySuccessIzUnlimited]

I think it's important to make the customer feel as if his/her concern is important to you and your business. You can often improve our service/product with constructive feedback.

However, you must learn when their are customers who just like to complain and that's it. Continous ranting after a resolution has been offered means get that person off the line as quickly and politely as possible. Period. But employee politeness in ever case will always go a long way. Most cutomers will appreciate it and tell others.