Are customers still always right?

by Edward Lee
(Malaysia)

You know the age old adage of "The Customer is always right". But...

Are customers still always right even when they are so repulsive?

Answer

Date: November 15th, 2007

Hi Edward,

My answer to that is Yes. The customer is always right. But let me add a little nuance that is often forgotten: Not every customer needs to be your customer.

Let me repeat that:

Not every customer needs to be your customer.

Would a customer who steals from your business, remain a customer?

I think not. So obviously, there are limits to what customers are allowed to do. I think that severe rudeness, personal attacking, and outright discriminatory remarks are beyond those limits. But you need to discuss those limits within your company, so that everybody knows where the line is drawn (and when you may end the call).

Anyway, please read this article I've written about this subject (feel free to share and discuss it with your peers and superiors):

The Customer Is Always Right, Right?

As always, if anyone has thoughts to share on this subject, feel free to comment!

At your service,

Erwin.

Comments for
Are customers still always right?

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Nov 16, 2007

Amen!
by: Anonymous

I agree completely. Sometimes you know right off the bat that someone should not be your customer, and sometimes you discover that as you work with them. It can be perfectly right to fire your customer.

You know how "80% of your income comes from 20% of your customers?" When 80% of your headaches come from 20% of your customers it is time to say adios!

Nov 24, 2007

He who pays the fiddler calls the tune
by: Anonymous

The customer, as long as he remains a customer is always right because he's the one spending his money to get what he wants.

However, as the Expert said, you have no obligation to sell everything the customer wants. You have to have a clear idea of what you're in business to provide and also to know your own limits.

Sometimes a customer might want something that you are incapable of providing, even though you might like to. When you run into a customer like this you then have to reassess your position and maybe change your practices to be able to provide what he wants. You might not get this customer now, but he might show you the need that you might not have been aware of.

Even if you lose this particular sale, if you're open and sincere with that customer, you still might gain his confidence so that he will deal with you for what you can provide.

Apr 09, 2008

''A Beggar has no choice''
by: SAMUEL(THUNDER)

I also completely agree with you as to "a customer still always right.”

As long as a person remains a your customer he is always right. This is because he is the you're begging to buy the product provided and the person to spend money to get what he want considering what you have provided.

There is a saying that a customer is the social and economic justification of a firm existence and so all the proir activities(marketing) is done towards the satisfaction of a consumer and so the customer must be treated as a king.

However, a customer is said to be the major stakeholder of every business .this also confirms why customers should be much considered when doing business. Treat customers as service partners as a duty of employees. Also treat customers safely irrespective of their rudeness, personal attacking, and outright discriminatory remarks and shall always successful and improve customer retention.

Thanks.

Oct 23, 2008

The Customer isn't always right, but...
by: Leoni (South Africa)

My dad taught me that the customer isn't always right, but is still the customer and should be treated with the necessary respect - even when they are wrong.

I guess this boils down to the 'walking the extra mile' principle even when the customer might be rude and unreasonable.

There are, off course, boundaries and like Erwin suggests: not all customers have to be your customers.

Dec 30, 2009

Getting to Yes
by: Cheri Tyner

We in the service industry like to say that the customer is always right, because that's what we've always been taught. But I have a different school of thought. The customer is always right, not because of what they say or request, but because of the responsibility that we hold as customer service providers. I am a manager and a Contracting Officer in the federal government, and as a service provider it is my responsibility in the service industry to make the customer right. Does this mean that we are to do or provide whatever the customer request--NO...what it means is that if we are not able to deliver the customer's request, then it is our responsibility to provide a reasonable alternative. "No" or "I don't know" is never an appropriate response to a customer's request. "I am not able to provide that, but here is what I can do" is an acceptable response. We have to add up points by meeting the customer's needs as often as possible, and then when we are not able to meet the customer's request, we've built up a level of trust where the customer is open to us providing an alternative solution. It's as simple as that...