I am just curious. I have been in customer service for a long time, and I can see both sides. But lately, I have had people wanting some really outlandish stuff, and being SHOCKED when I simply can't accommodate them.
2006-11-05 07:41:58 · 41 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
Very interesting answers so far. I thought I would get more people who would try to whole-heartedly back up this crazy old saying......
2006-11-05 09:41:09 · update #1
The term "The customer is always right" is an archaic term.
Nowadays the business is always right to protect itself against fraud and abuse of the return policies.
I worked in customer service for a while and i will always remember the woman who tried to return a Halloween costume the day after Halloween because it did not fit, she was very angry when I said no.
2006-11-05 07:53:11 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
It is an old term well known by most salesmen (especially older ones).
Maybe one way of interpreting it is that a sales person should always act toward the customer as if he/she is right. In sales you do not want to go against the grain of the customer.
Of course the customer is not always right all the time, but at almost all times they should be treated with respect, and treated as if they are important.
The reason is that they are important -- in the sense that it is only because of your customers that your job exists.
If a customer wants or says something outlandish maintain your professional courtesy --- be polite but brief. Hope this helps!
2006-11-05 07:56:45 · answer #2 · answered by Bob 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I, like you, have also been in customer service for a while. I take it very seriously because I too like to have good customer service. To me, "the customer is always right" is a general rule. We have a saying at my place of work, "Just give 'em the pickle!" The story comes from a man who owned a restaurant. A customer loved his dill pickles and would frequently come and eat one. One day, the customer had a new waitress and he asked for a pickle. The waitress was concerned with giving things to customers that weren't on the menu. So, she said he couldn't have the pickle. The customer was upset and wrote a letter to the own. The owners response was, "Just give 'em the pickle!" If you think about it, what harm would it have been to give the guy that dang pickle!??!?
In reality, the customer is not always right. I don't take the saying literally, just as a general attitude.
2006-11-05 09:37:12 · answer #3 · answered by Sera B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means the customer service representative should be kind, considerate and respectful at all times even when having to say no. I know it's hard from personal experience, but the customer service representative is responsible for calming an irate customer.
2006-11-05 07:54:50 · answer #4 · answered by dollarsmillie 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It means nothing!! In the medical office where I work, customers always complain because they do not want to fill out the proper paperwork or pay what they are supposed to. I am hired to enforce guidelines and company policies. So the customer is usually wrong if they dont abide by them. Be nice and smile but enforce rules.
2006-11-06 05:10:42 · answer #5 · answered by flutter 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means that you wont win when theres a disagreement with the customer. There will be NO dispute when it comes between the emplyee and the customer. The customer is supposed to be right, no matter what.
I dont agree with it, but many businesses go by it.
2006-11-05 08:06:20 · answer #6 · answered by ~~ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what they're asking for... if they're asking for something outlandish, especially if it's against your company's rules to give it to them, or if you could get into trouble for giving it to them (free items, or not paying extra for cheese or whipped cream, etc), I think the customer service rep is correct, not the customer. I do think that the rep should tell the customer this with tact, though, and not be rude about it, or act like the customer is stupid for making their request. If the rep responds to the customer's question in a not-so-polite manner, then it's the customer's turn to be right.
2006-11-05 07:49:59 · answer #7 · answered by SpaceGirl 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
some people will do whatever they can to try to get FREE or extra things for nothing at all. People like this disgust me. Sometimes the customer is never right, but is some cases instead of arguing with a customer it's best to give the customer what they want to some degree to keep the peace in the store. I dont always agree with the statement that the customemr is always right, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.
2006-11-05 07:46:27 · answer #8 · answered by Help Me Help You 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Haha, it definitely does not mean the customer is always right!
However, it means you should do your best from not arguing or being nasty to the customer, even if they are being demanding, argumentive, or nasty. It means you you should be the professional and do your best to accommodate the customer and make the customer happy. However, you must work within your company's guidelines. You cannot go against your employer's rules.
I realize this is not always possible. But you must do your best in order to keep the customer as happy as possible.
2006-11-05 07:50:35 · answer #9 · answered by peekie 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
The customer is always right, even though they seem to have extremely poor manners and are demanding, people are on the go, in a fast paced world, they want and they want it now, and are taken back when that does not happen. I personally would not put up with people that have NO respect for the person serving them, no matter what!!!
2006-11-05 07:46:18 · answer #10 · answered by Jamaison D 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋