Mouprise.com

The customer is always right?

The corporate world sometimes seems to be a war zone. Customers and clients feel that companies do not respect them. Workers gossip about treating clients or clients, co-workers, supervisors, or employers. Employers complain about employees and customers. Everyone seems to be mad at someone else. Let’s pick a battlefield and examine it: the relationship between sales representatives and customers (which includes customers). The old adage still exists somewhere that the customer is always right.

Ms. Smith was fuming as he left the store. If the door weren’t automatic, I would have slammed it. “I was there for fifteen minutes while the employees visited me. Don’t you know that without clients you wouldn’t have a job?” she complained to her friend. That business probably lost a customer.

At another business, the receptionist tried to keep a smile on her face when a customer reprimanded her because the person she wanted to see was not available. “I’m sorry, sir. Mr. Moore had a meeting across town and hasn’t returned. I’ll be happy to get a message.” She smiled widely. “I’m sure he will get back to you as soon as possible.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I really don’t know what else to do unless you want to talk to someone else.”

The angry man stopped and looked at the young woman. “I’m sorry. There’s nothing you can do. I’m sorry I took my frustration out on you.” He gave a half smile. “Is there someone else who can help me?” That business probably kept a customer.

At an ice cream parlor that made its own ice cream sandwiches, a woman ordered one of the sandwiches. The clerk informed him that the ice cream hadn’t had time to solidify yet, but if he waited about ten minutes, the sandwiches would be ready. The woman glared at him before saying, “I want one now. I don’t want to wait ten minutes.”

“If I give you one now, ma’am, the ice cream would drip everywhere. I don’t think you’re satisfied.”

“I don’t believe you. Now are you going to give me an ice cream sandwich or not?”

The employee glanced at her supervisor, who nodded briefly. The young clerk went to the freezer and pulled out a paper-wrapped sandwich. He took the woman’s money and handed her the sandwich. The woman left the store and returned moments later, ice cream dripping down her blouse. “Look at the mess. I want my money back,” he yelled.

The clerk hesitated, not knowing what to do.

“I said I want my money back, and now,” the woman insisted.

When the clerk opened the cash drawer, her supervisor joined her. He patted her on the shoulder. “Give him the money.” Then he turned to the woman on the other side of the counter. “You owe this young lady an apology. She told you, very kindly, that the sandwiches weren’t ready, but you insisted that I sell you one. You have no right to talk to her like you have.” He took a deep breath and continued calmly. “Please take your business elsewhere if you can’t or don’t want to treat my employees better than Marsha.”

That company may have lost a customer, but the supervisor was correct in supporting his employee, as in that case the customer was wrong.

The customer is always right? No, but many times it is. People who trust customers or clients to have a business need to treat customers with respect. If employees are being mistreated by a customer, a supervisor must step in and protect the employee. Personal conversations and personal matters should wait until the client’s needs are met. Many times a smile and a respectful speech can change the attitude of a disgruntled customer. Most of the time, the customer has to be happy for an employee to have a job to hold.