8 Reasons Why The Customer Is Always Right Is Wrong. “The customer is always right” is an adage or slogan which encourages service staff to give a high preference to customer satisfaction. It is typically used by businesses to assure customers that they will get adequate service at this company and convince employees to give customers good service. Now let’s look at how the saying came into actuality.
Origin Of The Customer is Always Right
The phrase “the customer is always right” is often acknowledged to have been originally coined in 1909 by Harry Gordon Selfridge (11 January 1858 – 8 May 1947), the founder of Selfridges department store in London (and former Marshall Field’s employee). It’s said though that he never planned for the expression to be taken literally.
What he was striving for was to sell people on the impression that customers shopping at his department store were exceptional — more special than if they were shopping at some other department store — and by being special, the staff behaved toward them better than staff would treat them at some other department store.
Now that we comprehend how it came into existence, the next question is: Is the customer always right???.
Is The Customer Always Right?
“The customer is always right” is an instructive saying that proposes those negotiating with the public to make customer satisfaction one of their highest priorities. This can be tough when a customer has a problem with your organization and truly believes they are right when they are not. They may be making demands that are difficult for you to meet. So, what’s the best way to address these situations?
A key point to keep in mind is that the customer is always right, in their mind, although not necessarily in actuality. It’s important not to argue with the customer because that makes them furious and argumentative. Tips to keep in mind when dealing with such customers;
- Don’t concentrate on the negative.
- Don’t even let out the word, “no.”
- Don’t spend time concentrating on who’s right or wrong in a situation. Instead, focus on the positive—on what you can do to assist the customer.
8 Reasons Why The Customer Is Always Right Is Wrong
- It brings about the bad business model
One of the reasons why Customer Is Always Right Is Wrong is that; Satisfying everyone is also saying that everyone is your customer. This alone is a bad business standard. There is an adage, “If everyone is your customer, you don’t have any customers yet.” The reason Is? If you want your product or service in the hands of every human in the world, you won’t have any target audience to market to. It brings about chaos.
- It’s impossible to satisfy everyone.
Using “the customer is always right” in your daily business strategies works under the notion that you can satisfy your customers all the time. This is a fool’s errand. Even the biggest and most successful labels know this to be impossible, and so should you. People are distinct.
We all have diverse tastes in fashion, food, cars, homes, etc., and if you attempt to satisfy every customer’s desire, your business will fail quickly.
- There are wrong customers
Merely saying the customer is always right is wrong. Occasionally customers are wrong and employees need to know how to handle them consequently. Taking ownership of an error that the business is not responsible for is a slippery slope.
- It makes employees unhappy and resentful
The customer is always right belief is a double-edged sword. Not only does it promote rudeness; it also saturates employee vitality, by choosing a hard-to-please client (who is halfway through the door anyway) over a valuable employee who’s been with you through difficult times, you’re only enhancing the preconception regarding employers not having the employees’ back—and this will annoy your employees.
- Customer opinions discourage you from improving
When it comes down to selecting between supporting your employee or rather a nasty customer, pick your staff first. Let your customers know that while you value them enough not to lose them, your employees too are equally important to you.
There could be hard times when your employee could have inadvertently done a mistake. In such a scenario, it is not the wisest to acknowledge the customer as right. Backing your staff while you provide them with the proper training.
- Customers drain more time and money
This is another reason why Customer Is Always Right Is Wrong. If you have a customer who keeps getting annoyed, insults employees, or induces an action that trickles your much invested time and money – they do not deserve it.
There could be sometimes when you will just need to ‘fire’ a customer to preserve your staff. If that is what the condition demands, do not accept a backseat. If you are planning to stick around the business for the long haul, you do not need such customers.
- It breeds entitlement in customers.
Another point that Customer Is Always Right Is Wrong is this; When customers realize that a business assumes that “the customer is always right,” it gives them the insight of entitlement to act however they want without fallouts because, after all, they are the customer!
Unfortunately, this means businesses have to endure horrible attitudes and cater to their every demand.
- It Gives Unfair Advantages to Rude Customers
Saying that Customer Is Always Right Is Wrong is because vicious customers often point out the adage “The customer is always right” to request just about anything they please. But have you ever thought that this might make the jobs of your employees much more difficult?
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Another issue that often arises from such a business strategy is that abusive and lousy customers end up getting better treatment than loyal, trustworthy ones. Also, that’s not something you would like because it is wrong.
- Some customers may bother other customers
Blunt people are everywhere, and there’s always the possibility that they’ll enter your place of business. This can make your other, more respectful customers uneasy and annoyed. If this is the case, do your best to handle the situation accordingly.
Bad customers can hurt your proficiency to provide good customer service to reasonable customers. Don’t get annoyed. Let them know if there is nothing you can do. If you feel you are in the right, state your case, but be polite.
In conclusion, treating customers like they are always right can be self-destructive for entrepreneurs. It can have far-reaching consequences for the business and everyone associated with it, even the customers. That is the reason why we say that Customer Is Always Right Is Wrong
You and your staff must strive to deliver excellent customer service. Not all customers are always wrong. As a service provider, ensure that you provide the best of all to your customers.
However, Customer Is Always Right Is Wrong