Right or Wrong: Customers
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This adage was never true. I always thought it was a joke, actually.
Customers are normal people: sometimes they're right, sometimes they're hilariously wrong. Sometimes they're nice, sometimes they're assholes.
I like to follow the saying: "the customer who is kind is treated kindly in return." Especially in the customer service department.
Customers are normal people: sometimes they're right, sometimes they're hilariously wrong. Sometimes they're nice, sometimes they're assholes.
I like to follow the saying: "the customer who is kind is treated kindly in return." Especially in the customer service department.
http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-idiotic-misconceptions-about-calling-customer-service/
no, they aren't always right, they just think they are. as for are we better off?
don't see how its hurt anything
no, they aren't always right, they just think they are. as for are we better off?
don't see how its hurt anything
This. Exactly this. Granted, some teens are still retarded as hell, but they're far more understanding than older people.xDarc said:
I once overdrew my account, but the way my (now ex-)bank set up the charges made it so I had to pay $135 for seven (fucking) dollars in overages. When this was explained to me, I only asked one thing: "Was their ability to reorder charges like this in the contract that I signed?" "Yes." I merely nodded and asked if there was anything that I could do to lower the cost, which he then helped out with in the greatest way he could.
I am amazed by how many people are taking this literally.
On the other hand, it's obsolete. Gone are the days where pissing off a customer might send them to your competitor. Look at the Mass Effect 3 outrages. It will probably break records. For all the fits people have, they keep going back to Wal-Mart, EA, Democrats or Republicans, Dell, Warner, Comcast, etc.
It doesn't hurt that a lot of times there's no real competition, but still. Customers have become total bottoms, and their attitude tends to be impotent blustering followed by "Thank you sire, may I have another?"
You get what you deserve. You stopped fighting for your rights as a consumer, now you have virtually none.
Good service only makes business sense if there is some negative outcome to bad service, like people not buying your product. As such, knowing that people will complain and then continue to buy, it's a bad business model to try and keep people happy. "The Customer is Always Right" as such, is the worst model you can offer as long as people don't change buying habits.
On the other hand, it's obsolete. Gone are the days where pissing off a customer might send them to your competitor. Look at the Mass Effect 3 outrages. It will probably break records. For all the fits people have, they keep going back to Wal-Mart, EA, Democrats or Republicans, Dell, Warner, Comcast, etc.
It doesn't hurt that a lot of times there's no real competition, but still. Customers have become total bottoms, and their attitude tends to be impotent blustering followed by "Thank you sire, may I have another?"
You get what you deserve. You stopped fighting for your rights as a consumer, now you have virtually none.
Good service only makes business sense if there is some negative outcome to bad service, like people not buying your product. As such, knowing that people will complain and then continue to buy, it's a bad business model to try and keep people happy. "The Customer is Always Right" as such, is the worst model you can offer as long as people don't change buying habits.
The "customer is always right" thing comes from an age of small, local businesses that employed a dozen people, and if you shop at those kinds of small, niche businesses you will very often still get that kind of service. Why? Because they can't afford to drive customers away, and the person who can authorize weird stuff is 10' away and glad to have an excuse to stop assembling boxes or scrubbing tabletops.
When you have a BIG business that employs tens of THOUSANDS of people, you need procedures in order to operate. Deviating from procedure on behalf of one customer means you have to be prepared to do it for ALL customers, and that's a HUGE FRIGGIN EXPENSE, especially since many of these "customers" wanting things are *in fact* thieves trying to scam you. It is not worth it even if one or two people throw up their hands in disgust and swear they're NEVER SHOPPING HERE AGAIN. Keep in mind that the way big box stores stay in business is by cutting expenses down to the bone, so they can offer low prices and the convenience that comes with enormous shelf space and one-stop-shopping. You can still get great customer service, you just have to be prepared to pay a premium for it, the same way you pay a premium for all premium services.
The really smart businesses are ones that figure out processes that allow them to give the appearance of catering without the expense. The online model, in many cases, offers superior opportunities to do this. Heck, I even prefer to order food online rather than call the restaurant because it takes only a few clicks to establish that I want NO BUN and SAUCE ON THE SIDE and the computer doesn't forget to ask for the expiration date on my credit card. The server isn't trying to man a counter and take calls at the same time, either, so it's not being interrupted every 3 seconds.
The idea that "the customer is always right" needs to die, not because customers are morons, but because it is a context-less commandment that doesn't reflect the type of business you're running or the *source* of your profits. There's a big difference between running a premium service and running a low-cost, mass-market service.
When you have a BIG business that employs tens of THOUSANDS of people, you need procedures in order to operate. Deviating from procedure on behalf of one customer means you have to be prepared to do it for ALL customers, and that's a HUGE FRIGGIN EXPENSE, especially since many of these "customers" wanting things are *in fact* thieves trying to scam you. It is not worth it even if one or two people throw up their hands in disgust and swear they're NEVER SHOPPING HERE AGAIN. Keep in mind that the way big box stores stay in business is by cutting expenses down to the bone, so they can offer low prices and the convenience that comes with enormous shelf space and one-stop-shopping. You can still get great customer service, you just have to be prepared to pay a premium for it, the same way you pay a premium for all premium services.
The really smart businesses are ones that figure out processes that allow them to give the appearance of catering without the expense. The online model, in many cases, offers superior opportunities to do this. Heck, I even prefer to order food online rather than call the restaurant because it takes only a few clicks to establish that I want NO BUN and SAUCE ON THE SIDE and the computer doesn't forget to ask for the expiration date on my credit card. The server isn't trying to man a counter and take calls at the same time, either, so it's not being interrupted every 3 seconds.
The idea that "the customer is always right" needs to die, not because customers are morons, but because it is a context-less commandment that doesn't reflect the type of business you're running or the *source* of your profits. There's a big difference between running a premium service and running a low-cost, mass-market service.
Actually, once upon a time, this used to be true. The law of customer infallibility was commonly accepted by scientists, and duly recognized by various retail chains. Then, of course, one gentleman decided to test this law by proclaiming "2+2=5," thus fracturing the universe in the resulting chaos. It was only due to the brave actions of another nearby consumer, who promptly tackled a passing shop assistant and declared "The customer is not always right," that the law of customer infallibility was thus erased and the stability of the universe ensured.
As a result, the customer can frequently make mistakes in this day and age, much to the relief of shop assistants and the laws of nature alike.
As a result, the customer can frequently make mistakes in this day and age, much to the relief of shop assistants and the laws of nature alike.
In my experience working in the service industry, the customer is almost always wrong. Businesses only pretend the customer is right so that they don't get offended and decide to shop somewhere else.
That article hit particularly close to home for me. Esp. #1. You want to take your business elsewhere? Music to my ears.Kitsuna10060 said:
I also remember that sometimes customers would get so bad that we'd actually hope they'd ask for a supervisor just so we wouldn't have to deal with them anymore.
Take my word for it when it comes to calling customer service, it's not any more pleasant for the customer service rep than it is for you. Actually it's worse, because the service rep has to deal with 20+X you a day.
As a CSR for many years, I think you're wrong. In my (pretty extensive) experience, usually customers are being dicks when we, the company, have fucked something up. Only a small minority of customers are assholes just for the sake of it.Thomas Guy said:
No, you might not have caused the problem, but you signed up to be the representative (the clue is in the job title) of the company. It's your fucking job to deal with people who are pissed off with your employer. By extension, they are pissed at YOU. To a customer, you are inseparable from "The Company". Don't take it so personally if someone is being a cock. If you're too thin skinned to deal with angry customers, you're in the wrong job. Fact.
Whether a customer is being a dick or not, we should do everything in our power to help them when the company has screwed up. Which probably accounts for 99% of customer contacts. Let's face it, nobody ever calls up their bank or electricity company to tell them what a great job they're doing.
Besides, you know that by making your stand, you're only going to end up gifting the customer more free shit or money or whatever when they complain at a higher level and the company (who will NEVER back YOU up) decides to make a "goodwill" gesture, right?
The customer is always right has nothing to do with their intelligence or ability or what have you. It is a prompt for employees to not redirect them using their judgement or superior knowledge in order to sell more things.
Here's an example: Say I want to buy an iPad, an overpriced piece of crap that costs like $600. The customer is always right mantra exists so that employees don't go "That thing is a piece of crap let me get you a better and cheaper tablet.
Or here's another. Say I want to get a digital cable box for a tv it isn't compatible with. The employee, keeping that I'm always right in mind will sell it to me rather than inform me about how I am wasting my money in order to make a sale.
Other than that of course it's wrong, it was never right and people are stupid.
Here's an example: Say I want to buy an iPad, an overpriced piece of crap that costs like $600. The customer is always right mantra exists so that employees don't go "That thing is a piece of crap let me get you a better and cheaper tablet.
Or here's another. Say I want to get a digital cable box for a tv it isn't compatible with. The employee, keeping that I'm always right in mind will sell it to me rather than inform me about how I am wasting my money in order to make a sale.
Other than that of course it's wrong, it was never right and people are stupid.
I'll be the first to admit that my "customers" aren't quite what you'd find in the retail industry, but in my own experience the customer is wrong 99.99999 ad infinum percent of the time. There seems to also be a correlation between how wrong they are and how confident they are in thinking they can do my job better than myself too... how strange...
- Mar 31, 2010
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Nope, I haven't worked in retail but I don't think that spares those who do from showing customers respect, or being honest. I can believe that customers often are unreasonable but that doesn't mean that most are "full of shit" and I've had a number of bad experiences with lazy or rude retailers over the years so they're hardly golden either.manic_depressive13 said:Forgive me for asking but have you ever worked in retail or customer service? Just because you were right in your example doesn't mean that the vast majority of customers aren't full of shit.JoJo said:TLR: people above who say the customer is usually wrong or an arse are talking out of their behinds, companies should learn to respect their customers again. Oh and don't go with Virgin Media.
Because people are sometimes stupid in their demands - and there are sites dedicated to recording these instances - the customer is not technically always right. Which is fine, because this quote is generally misused.
It SHOULD be that the customer has the right to make a complaint, where as a sensible reason to do so (like being ripped off, say) is rewarded with proper action (namely, not being ripped off anymore). So, when the customer IS right, the customer is always right. Fight for your rights responsibly, ladies and gentlemen.
It SHOULD be that the customer has the right to make a complaint, where as a sensible reason to do so (like being ripped off, say) is rewarded with proper action (namely, not being ripped off anymore). So, when the customer IS right, the customer is always right. Fight for your rights responsibly, ladies and gentlemen.