“The Customer is Always Right” is wrong.
It goes without saying that in the world of business, managers and employees go to any lengths to provide exemplary customer service to please their clients and thereafter, obtain fame and profit. However, this has not always been the situation. Before the 19th Century, “let the buyer beware” notion, which meant that a buyer assumed the risk that a product would not meet his expectations or would even have flaws and defects. Harry Gordon, who owned the Selfridge department store in London, coined the phrase “The Customer is Always Right” in the year 1909 that other businesses quickly adopted and applied as their standard. This hence assured customers that they would get excellent service at respective companies while employees were prompted to offer it. While the intentions of the notion were good, the last two centuries have brought about a change in the business world, leading to a reconsideration of this notion. Today, assuming that customers are always right can have disastrous effects on businesses as it often dampens employee morale and uses up vital resources.
Among the facts that businesses must accept is that not all customers are indispensable. Companies are better off letting go customers who persistently complain and get abusive as they only end up stressing up the employees. This is regardless of the amount that the customer spends on the business. Some clients wake up on the wrong side of the bed and spend their days looking for someone to take their anger out on. These types of clients frustrate employees, make outrageous demands, and make the business environment terrible for even other clients. When they enter a business premise, they shout at others and throw their arms when they are not in agreement with what is being said to them.
Additionally, they often criticize and get into verbal and physical confrontations with the employees. It is hence essential for businesses to remember that the saying “the more clients, the better” does not apply anymore as the quality of clients is more important than the quantity. A single lousy client can end up hurting business and also prejudice hundreds of others. Hence, companies would be better off “firing” the bad clients as opposed to undermining good customers or firing exemplary employees. Businesses must understand that it is not all about making money or losing it. Instead, it is a matter of treating people with dignity and respect.
Moreover, businesses should have in mind that clients are not experts, the business owner, and the employees are. Hence, when clients are unhappy that the product they bought does not do precisely what they thought or when their inadequate use of a product has led to its destruction, businesses should help the client see the real problem and also understand that their demands are unreasonable. In this view, companies should always remember that their resources, such as energy, time, and patience, are limited. Whenever a business owner feels that they have done their best to solve an underlying problem, they should not feel guilty about moving on. After all, businesses do not exist solely for one disgruntled client as they are required to meet the expectations of many people as well. With this in mind, it would be irresponsible of a business and its employees to continue pouring resources into one customer at the expense of others. While it may seem off for some, business people should not be afraid to refer clients elsewhere. When a business owner feels that there is nothing left for them to do or when a client becomes abusive to employees, they should feel free to refer the client to someone who would meet their needs or one who would put up with their never-ending complaints.
One of the reasons why some businesses are still held captive by the “customer is always right” standard is their notion of the importance of customers in their business. Such companies assume that the customer is always right because they want their clients to return and also feel appreciated and welcomed. However, this should not be at the expense of the happiness of the business owner as well as the employees who work hard to ensure that the business remains steady. Companies that stand by the standard “the customer is always right” seem to disregard the opinion of their employees in favor of their clients. Hence, employees feel unappreciated and betrayed. While it is essential to listen to the needs of a client, business people should remember the main reasons why they hired their employees. For one, employees share similar views of the business, have more skills in that domain, and they are interested in helping people find the right products. Just like clients, employees also randomly have bad days where they lack the motivation to do their job right. In such a case, the employees should be helped and guided in the right direction because they know that their hearts are in the right place. Businesses that are certain that their employees are terrific workers should side with their people instead of siding with unreasonable and demanding clients who seem to always come up with ridiculous problems and complaints. The fact that a client buys products from a business does not give them a right to get abusive towards the employees.
While ensuring customer satisfaction is a good business ethic, satisfying wrong customers at the expense of other clients and employees gives them an unfair advantage. In most cases, when clients feel unsatisfied, they resort to the phrase, “can i speak to your manager?” This is because clients know that managers are more likely to bend over backward and make them happy at times even disregarding what has already been explained by the employee and stretching the rules to make one customer happy. However, this is dangerous, especially when dealing with unreasonable customers because they feel that they request anything because they are right by definition. Businesses should understand and accept the fact that it is almost impossible to satisfy some customers regardless of how far they bend. Some clients will remain unhappy irrespective of the time dedicated to solving their problems or the number of favors that they are granted. Hence, businesses should cut their losses, respect their employees and other clients, and let go of toxic clients.
It is a fact that business owners and their employees should endeavor to achieve excellent levels of customer care service and ensure that their customers are always happy. However, when businesses adopt the “customer is always right policy,” they end up hurting their businesses as it kills employee morale and also empowers rude customers, which eventually makes the business environment bad for other customers. With this in mind, companies are better off empowering their employees to make the right decisions while also encouraging them to walk the extra mile for their customers without giving rude customers a chance for a takeover.