TOP 5 REASONS WHY “THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT” IS WRONG

 TOP 5 Reasons "THE CUSTOMER ISN'T RIGHT EVERY TIME" IS WRONG

If the customer isn’t happy – for your business

One woman, who flew frequently on Southwest, was continually disappointed by every aspect the company's operation. Because she complained after each flight, she was nicknamed the "Pen Pal".

She did not like that Southwest didn’t assign seats to passengers; she didn’t enjoy the absence of first-class sections; Southwest's boarding procedures were too complicated; the uniforms of the flight attendants and the casual atmosphere didn’t suit her.

Southwest's customer services people were temporarily stumped when her last letter, in which she recited a long list of complaints, was delivered. They took it up to Herb (CEO of Southwest) and wrote: 'This is yours.

Kelleher responded in 60 seconds with, "Dear Mrs. Crabapple. Love, Herb. '"

Harry Gordon Selfridge was the original inventor of the phrase "The Customer is Always Right" and it is often used by businesses to:

Convince customers they will receive great service at this company

Inspire employees to offer customers great service

Thankfully, more and more businesses are abandoning the maxim, ironically because it leads directly to poor customer service.

Here are five reasons why "The Customer is Always Right" is incorrect.

1: It makes employees miserable

Gordon Bethune is a brash Texan (as Herb Kelleher coincidentally). He is most famous for turning Continental Airlines around "From Worst and First," a story he tells in his 1998 book. He wanted to ensure that customers and employees enjoyed the way Continental treated their employees.

In any conflict between employees and customers, he would always side with his staff. Here is his explanation:

We are loyal to our employees whenever we meet customers with whom we can't get back in touch. These people have to live with it every day. It doesn't give you the right abuse our employees just for buying a ticket. . .

Every month, more than 3,000,000 people are scanned through our books. A few of those people might be unreasonable or demanding jerks. You have to decide between supporting your employees and demanding jerks.

Your employees should not be treated as slaves. You must value them. . . Resentment can arise from customers who feel that you are not there to support them in times of trouble.

Bethune believes in his people and not in unreasonable customers. I love this attitude because it balances employees with customers. Bethune says that the "always correct" maxim favors the client. This is not a good idea as it can cause resentment among employees.

Unfortunately, there are plenty examples of employees who provide poor customer service. This is not the solution.

2: It gives abrasive clients an unfair advantage

Adverse customers can make any demand they want - that's why they are entitled to the slogan "The Customer is Always Right". This makes it harder for employees to manage their customers.

This means that abusive people receive better treatment and conditions than the nice people. To me, this was wrong. I think it is much better to be kind to nice customers to keep them coming back.

3: Bad customers can make a business miserable

Businesses believe that having more customers is a good thing. However, some customers are simply not good for business.

ServiceGruppen, a Danish IT services provider, proudly shares the following story:

Our service technician arrived at the customer's location to do a maintenance job. The customer treated him very rudely, much to his shock.

He told his manager about his experience after completing the task. They immediately cancelled the customer's contract.

ServiceGruppen fired an unfavorable customer, much like Kelleher did to the angry lady who complained (but also flew on Southwest). This was not a matter for a financial calculation. The question wasn't whether or not the company would make money with that customer over time. It was about respecting their employees and being respectful of their dignity.

4: This results in poorer customer service

Rosenbluth International is a corporate travel agency. Hal Rosenbluth, the CEO, wrote a great book about their approach called "Put The Customer Second" - Make your people first and they will kick butt.

Rosenbluth claims that customers will be satisfied if you put your employees first. If employees are happy at work, they will be satisfied. Happier employees give better customer services because:

They care more for other people than customers

They have more energy

They are happy and are easier to get along with.

They are more motivated

Conversely, if management and the company stand by customers, rather than employees, it sends a clear signal that:

Employees aren't valued

It's not important to treat employees fair

Respect from customers is not something employees have a right to.

Employees must endure everything customers throw at them

Employees lose interest in customer service when this attitude is prevalent. Fake good service is the only thing customers can expect. You're probably familiar with the type I am referring to: corteous only on the surface.

5: Some customers simply aren't right

Herb Kelleher also agrees as can be seen in the passage From Nuts! This is the book that explains Southwest Airlines in detail:

Herb Kelleher [...] is clear: his employees come first, even if that means firing customers. But customers aren't always right? Kelleher snaps: "No, they’re not." "And that is one of the most egregious acts of betrayal a boss can commit against employees. Sometimes, the customer is right. These types of customers don't come to us. We write to them saying, 'Fly another. Don't abuse the people. Lottery Where as You Could've Gone For Raising the Heck Out of Your Term Life .