“The customer is always right.”
“The customer is always right.”
“The customer is always right.”
When I first heard those lines, it sounded disturbing to me. At the age of 16, I got my first work experience working behind the checkout counter at a famous fast food restaurant (read: McDonald’s).
I remember getting ridiculous requests sometimes, customers mentioning the wrong name of the meals when they actually wanted something else. And somehow, somehow… the customer was always right. And somehow, yet… it was my fault. It was my fault because I flagged down the order they didn’t want (hey I only take orders), there was salt on the fries, and because McDonald’s doesn’t serve the same chicken as KFC’s.
At the reckless age of 16, it was natural for me to talk back to such ridiculous customers, something you don’t always see at McDonald’s, only to be lectured by my floor manager in the staff quarters.
“You’re a good employee, Edmund, but the customer is always right.”
This scenario didn’t change much when I took on my next full-time job at a chemical manufacturing company. My former boss chose his clients over his workforce, even though a small number of his clients were obviously “bad apples.”
You see, if you keep the bad employees, you’ll drive the good customers away. And if you keep the bad customers, not only will you drive away the good customers, but your good employees will also be gone in no time.
Now, are things any different in the shoes of an internet entrepreneur? He may be working for me now, but bluntly speaking, not quite.
Have any of these ever happened to you?
If you answered YES to any of the above questions, high five, we’re in the same boat. NOT? Either you’re very lucky… or you’re not making much money yet. While this is expected to be an integral part of a business of any kind, I personally found some recurring situations and scenarios to be unique to the field of internet marketing.
For a common example, we have people who use the worn-out tire excuse “I didn’t get a chance to use the product, so I want to request a refund.” There’s a ghostly chance of that happening in the offline world, and usually what’s a valid reason to request a refund is if the merchant doesn’t deliver what they promise, or the product isn’t good or damaged. .
Furthermore, most of the people who are entering the world of E-Commerce as individuals are usually motivated by desperation. Therefore, it is also not uncommon to find people asking for their money back due to their poor financial circumstances.
So is the customer always right?
It depends.
Are human beings perfect? No. Are customers also human beings? Yes, definitely. So can they always be right? Not always.
I know this is an ironic trap 22 situation because as business owners we need customers to keep our operations running, pay our bills and we’re in it for profit, right?
But after talking to a number of business owners from different fields, and obviously more experienced than I am, they all agree on one thing: Don’t take just any customer.
We always hear about consumers who demand their rights, ask for what corresponds to them, and even go so far as to form consumer organizations within their societies. What is perfectly right to protect yourself from fraudulent merchants?
But what about the rest of us who are in business? We face the same problems as clients in an area of effect: bad clients.
The origin of the phrase “The customer is always right”
My research suggests that the phrase was originally coined by Harry Gordon Selfridge, the founder of Selfridge’s department store in London in 1909. The quote was used to convince customers that they will get good service from this company and, at the same time, convince employees to provide good customer service. .
Good customers, bad customers
Just like with people, there are good people and bad people, nice people and not-so-nice people. While the good news is that by and large most customers are honest, polite and well-intentioned, there is a small fraction with the potential to give you an unpleasant experience, enough to ruin your day.
The telltale signs are often similar: making unreasonable demands and saying things like “it’s my right” or “I’m entitled to this” (don’t you hate those words?) and “if you don’t meet my demands, then I’ll post about your rotten service on HubPages, Squidoo, Twitter… and did I forget something?”
What do I do when I come across a rotten customer?
Being offended by a customer’s nasty comments is a natural knee-jerk reaction for many of us Internet marketers and business owners. The first thing to do is to examine whether there is any truth to what he or she is saying, and why he or she might be saying it.
It could be a genuine fault on your part, who knows?
Maybe you promised too much and didn’t deliver. Maybe your sales copy is sending the wrong message and perception to your customers (this is quite common actually). Examine all possible angles that it could be an innocent mistake on your part that is causing discomfort on the part of your customer.
However, if the customer is downright rude and makes unreasonable demands on your service, remember that even as a paid customer, you have no right to insult them.
In such a case, don’t be afraid to exercise your decision to fire your client (who says firing is only for employees?). It’s very simple, as said before: if you favor your bad customers over other customers and your staff, your good customers will go first. THEN your employees. AND THEN your bad customers after you find out you can never please them.
If someone is threatening you or giving you a hard time, just say “sorry, but I have to let you go” and, in rare cases, if refunding your purchase will keep them away, do so. It’s not worth keeping a $37 sale and not being able to sleep at night. It may mean losing your business, but you can sleep better and keep your mind in a healthy frame so you can do more business with a better class of buyers.
DON’T SCREW THEM AGAIN: Like most of us, I admit that screwing those losers around seemed like a perfectly nice thing to do. But more often the problem is that this will only give bad clients “ammo” to shoot at you. And if it’s in writing, like an email or a letter, they’ll have something against you. Be courteous and stay professional. It’s not an easy thing to do, but remember the future of your career, your other good clients, and your partners.
Another advantage of this is that since you are educated, they can’t hold anything solid against you and would think twice before posting about your business publicly (because others can clearly see what a nice person you are…and what an idiot he is). or she). she is!) And if you’re thinking about the possibility that they could make the story up, this is where it pays to keep copies of your email correspondences so you can defend yourself.
The “it’s my right” mentality
You will find that this is a favorite line that some of these bad apples stick to. First of all, it is perfectly fine for a customer to get what they deserve from a product or service. Things like good customer service, delivering your product on time, getting warranties, etc.
But also remember that he or she has no right to take up your personal time (unless you’re in the coaching business), get the rest of your stuff for free, abuse your helpdesk and support, and certainly not run off with your spouse. !
So is the customer always right? If you still think they are, then get ready for sleepless nights!