The customer is always right...what do you think?

Jump to Last Post 1-38 of 38 discussions (78 posts)
  1. jpcmc profile image89
    jpcmcposted 12 years ago

    Many sales professionals especially the old schools ones often tell me that the customers are always right.  Because of this, many of them simply bow down to what the customers want even if the request is illogical or even outside the company's policies.

    Customer service is not about spoiling the clients.  Of course we want them to feel happy but we can not give them everything.

    This is what I believe in...or should I start calling and apologizing to clients?

    1. aguasilver profile image69
      aguasilverposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Old adage in sales:

      Buyers are liars.

      1. Expomovers profile image60
        Expomoversposted 3 years agoin reply to this

        Awesome

    2. Coach Julie profile image61
      Coach Julieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Everyone here has their own frustrations no matter what side of the counter they view it from.  As I see it, If we paid minimum wage workers a decent salary and provided them with proper customer service training, the customer's experience would improve greatly.  If the customer feels valued, more than likely the minimum wage clerk would be treated better by the customer.  If companies spent more time on quality assurance procedures and consistantly put out a quality product, refunds would rarely be necessary and customers wouldn't be angry when they come into the store and are greeted like they are an intrusion on the personal lives of the clerks behind the counter.  Another way of looking at it is if we want to be treated politely, we need to approach other human beings in a polite manner.  It doesn't matter what industry we work in or what side of the counter we work on, we have control over how we treat other people.  We do not have control over how they treat us but chances are other people's attitudes toward us would greatly improve if we start the ball rolling with a smile and a polite greeting.  We do, however, have control over how we allow ourselves to respond.  If we are greeting rudely, we can choose to return the rude behavior or we can choose to be polite and friendly.  I've seen many people's attitudes improve when they realized they were taking their bad mood out on someone who didn't deserve it.  And just think, you could help another person feel good by being perhaps the only positive thing that happened to them all day.  By helping someone else feel good, we help ourselves more than we realize.

    3. profile image0
      Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      no, you just make them think they're right

      1. jpcmc profile image89
        jpcmcposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        We're all customers one time or the other, would you like to be treated that way?

    4. vellos profile image60
      vellosposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The customer is most assuradly NOT always right.

      But one must not break the news to them.

      1. jpcmc profile image89
        jpcmcposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        It takes a lot of will power not to say that to their faces especially when the client is more than just irate. Can you suggest a strategy or technique to help customer reps to do this properly?  Patience is a rare commodity now - and unfortunately, even in the customer service.

    5. profile image0
      nikashi_designsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      As difficult as it is. You want to keep your customer. Depending on the situation, different results. The one common thread is to always have your company POLICIES clearly stated. Then you can always fall back on Policy. If it's not listed, then you leave yourself wide open for problems.  That applies online or brick and mortar business. Never get into a pissing contest, that will always backfire. If a customer leaves pretty happy, you might keep them. If they leave angry from your site or place of business, they will tell others of the problem. I always follow up a couple of days later, give them an email or call. It shows that customer service is very important. Clients and customers have many choices to shop elsewhere. Question you want to ask, "do you want to keep your customers?"

    6. profile image0
      CheetahsLadyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It's all about knowing where the line is.  Yes, the customer for the most part is always right from a business standpoint because without them there is no business.  However, if you are processing refunds constantly and throwing your products at the customer for free or on a discount, then they are going to expect it.  Eventually, you'll be bankrupt and then you won't have any customers at all.  I think too many people have that phrase "the customer is always right" in their mind when they are calling into customer service so they think they can get away with anything.  As a business owner, if you have reasonable policies in place when it comes to your product and your money, all should be ok.

    7. sarovai profile image73
      sarovaiposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Customer is always right. Any of your product or service , based on satisfying the other end , that is customer. If one of your customer is not satisfied with the product or service rendered by you , is the time to review your approach on product improvement. Who really listen to customer, excels in business. That's what I know.

    8. Ladybird33 profile image67
      Ladybird33posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I believe the customer is always right, regardless.  However, the customer service levels in American has lowered their standards and it's really rather sad!!!

    9. profile image55
      Annaelisonposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      I work as a writer on the site https://paramountessays.com/write-my-scholarship-essay and I have many clients. I can say that the client is not always right and he needs to talk about it. Communication with clients that offend you is unacceptable for me

    10. Favtutor5 profile image61
      Favtutor5posted 3 years agoin reply to this

      Awesome

  2. WryLilt profile image88
    WryLiltposted 12 years ago

    Customers are right - when you're talking to their face. Behind their back, they are complete morons.

    Having worked at a refund counter where we'd often have abusive customers pushing the line as much as possible I discovered the following:

    -*Customers lie. Even the cute little old ladies. I had people who'd ring me up, ask a question and when I said no, they'd ring back and then tell me that the last person they'd talked to had told them yes. I'd then have to say I was the last person to talk to them.
    Or the 18 year old girl who swore the broken mobile phone without a docket had been a birthday present the day before but when I checked her ID her birthday was six months before.
    Or when I asked the middle aged man if the fuel had been emptied out of the mower refunded under warranty, he looked me in the face and said yes without batting an eyelid. I got in trouble for believing him when the guys out the back opened the fuel tank.
    -*Customers will push and push even if it means trying to get a refund on an item they stole, don't have a docket for or purchased from a completely different retail outlet.
    -*If you give in to a customer, against store policy, then the customer will a) tell all their friends (but my friend got a refund on one of these!) or b) try something at a similar store and ruin another retail person's day when they get told no.
    -*Customers are rarely grateful. A friend where I worked spent half an hour trying to find a copy of a receipt on the system (she could have just said no warranty without a receipt, but instead she was nice) and couldn't find it. The lady's husband made a formal complaint.
    -*People who question how I do my job and treat me like an idiot don't reserve my respect or to have me go the extra mile.

    Basically what I'm trying to say? Give 'em an inch and they'll take a mile.

    1. jpcmc profile image89
      jpcmcposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      That must be a very irritating job.  What's even worse is you need to keep smiling in spite of their BS.  Ha ha, I feel your pain. 

      Yes, many customers are rarely grateful.  Their reason is that it's our job to provide them service and why should they be thankful for something that they should get.  Although they may be right, it does not mean you a small gesture of appreciation is not wanted.

  3. earnestshub profile image79
    earnestshubposted 12 years ago

    I always ran a mixture of "the customer is always right" and the staff reserve the right to throw them out in the street if they were rude to them.
    Great service for good customers, no service at all for losers looking to cause trouble. That way you don't burn your business time or your customer base.

    1. jpcmc profile image89
      jpcmcposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I know what you mean.  I have several encounters with customers that are totally there to make your life miserable.  When they go out of line, I don't hesitate to point it out and if necessary ask security to escort them out.

    2. aguasilver profile image69
      aguasilverposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Good policy!

  4. C.V.Rajan profile image59
    C.V.Rajanposted 12 years ago

    Customer is always right - when I am a customer.
    Not so - when I am a seller!

    1. jpcmc profile image89
      jpcmcposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Chances are, we all have that same idea. smile

  5. livewithrichard profile image72
    livewithrichardposted 12 years ago

    Depends on what business you are in.  I'm a consultant and my customers are never right which is why they hire me in the first place.  They pay me to solve their problems so for them, I am always right.  smile

    1. jpcmc profile image89
      jpcmcposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Nice one.  It's nice being a consultant.  You get paid to point out other people's flaws.  smile

    2. classicalgeek profile image82
      classicalgeekposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I have a similar job. I'm there to point out where they are wrong. Of course they often don't believe me, at least until things really go south, and then they will reluctantly admit I was right, sometimes when they have gone off to someone else and show up at my door six months later, profoundly apologetic.

  6. Shadesbreath profile image78
    Shadesbreathposted 12 years ago

    The attitude of the modern customer is entirely and completely brought upon the modern American business by the general contempt business has had for the consumer over the last three or so decades.

    The blast of technology of the last century has made a wave of products from instant double cheeseburgers to light-speed downloads availabe. It's all so goddamn cool that the modern consumer, eyes wide and hypnotized by the shiny lights of all of it, the sumptous flavors... they buy anything, order anything.

    They allowed themselves to be treated like crap. But now, they are coming out of the trance. Service is awful.

    So, people don't even know what good service means anymore. The definitions are actually arguable now. Companies count money and decide on service levels based on cost.

    Dumb. And yet people get caught in the logic trap that seems to support the argument that "some customers are just unreasonable."

    Wrong wrong wrong.

    Examine the marketing budget of any company, they spend hundreds and thousands of dollars for every customer they get. And then some retail clerk blows out some customer who comes in wanting a $30 refund.

    They'll never come back because they got blown off. 

    Who cares if they got a refund. It took a thousand dollars or more to get them there, and some minimum wage douche is going to make it so they never come back because some idiot middle-manager is tracking refund volume versus sales.

    If they'd given the guy a refund, and offered him a free top of the line replacement, and then given him four tickets to the premier of the THOR movie, he would have left there going, "Holy crap, I was all pissed off at them (for a stupid, wrong, lame reason) and now I see they are the coolest company of all time."

    For a couple of hundred bucks, you can turn a loudmouth idiot (the kind who loves to tell his/her friends about their experiences) into an apostle for  your company religion.

    But nobody does that anymore. Greed surpassed good business a long time ago. That's why our economy isn't recovering well, and why everyone shops online. Going to a real store is depressing. The experience is horrendous. Nasty, selfish clerks doing text messages in the middle of questions.  Etc.

    We get what we permit.

    1. WryLilt profile image88
      WryLiltposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You've never worked in refunds, have you?

      1. jpcmc profile image89
        jpcmcposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        I assume you have.  if you have, then I bet you've got some juicy stories.  In fact, many sales reps have shared unique experiences that have turned into urban legends.

      2. Shadesbreath profile image78
        Shadesbreathposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        Yep, I have. Almost a decade in retail, 8 of them as store manager.

    2. jpcmc profile image89
      jpcmcposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Shadesbreath that's a very interesting idea on the subject. 

      Although cost is an important factor in providing the type and level of customer service, it is by no means the only factor that companies use to determine how to serve customers. 

      Moreover, customer refund is just one facet of customer service and after sales service.  This is one area that gets much attention because there is already a concern on the product that needs to be resolved.  But you're right, this can be improved.

      I've never personally worked for a customer refund section before but chances are, those that these people serve are more often are already pissed of either at the product or the service.   Ask anyone who works in this section and you'll learn that some customers do lie and exaggerate.   Although this is not a reason to provide poor customer service it does happen some times.

      1. Shadesbreath profile image78
        Shadesbreathposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        I hear you, but what you are talking about is called "managing to the exception rather than the rule."

        It's the excuse companies make for providing crap service. I've been there being lied to. I've been there listening ot customers play out a deliberate, studied "retail play" that gets free service. Nearly a decade of seeing it first hand. Talking to peers, fellow store managers and district managers.

        Most complaints are not like that. Some of them are legitimate, because the product is garbage made by companies who don't care and watch costs over quality. Sometimes its a valid complaint because an honest mistake went down in manufacture/service. And most complainers are real people who didn't understand what they were buying.

        Whose fault is that? It's very easy to blame the customer. And that's fine, do it. Tell the customer they bought the wrong crap and should have read the instructions better. Tell them they should have done the research. Whatever. You are right. They should have. You win.

        The customer will not be coming back however. Not if they have any other options.

        1. jpcmc profile image89
          jpcmcposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          I agree with you that there are so many crappy products and services out there.  This is a something companies all over the world have to improve.  Moreover, customer service must be improved as well, no doubt about that. 

          You've shared many insights on customer service, the corporate products and service and many others.  But going back to the fundamental question, are customers always right?

          1. Shadesbreath profile image78
            Shadesbreathposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            I think forcing the conversation into a "who gets to be right?" completely misses the point for the business, which is to sell products and services and be as profitable as possible.

            By allowing the relationship between company and customer to be viewed in adversarial terms, it becomes too easy for poorly trained or unmotivated sales people to fall back on the "That guy was just unreasonable" excuse.

            When marketing expenditure is factored in with worst-case scenario refunds (very rare) and long term, cumulative gains from angry customers who are turned proselytizer (very common when done properly), the net gain will end up totally in favor of treating every customer as if "they were right" regardless of whether any particular customer understands what's actually gone wrong with their buying experience at the point of the complaint.

            1. jpcmc profile image89
              jpcmcposted 12 years agoin reply to this

              The whole point of the forum is to draw out what people think about the idea of the concept that  "the customer is always right".  That's why we inevitably go back to that question and your thoughts about it.

              Of course it can be seen as adversarial because of the nature of the topic.  But this is just one topic on customers and sales reps.  Is so happens you participated in this specific forum. 

              At east we now know that you believe that there is gain when you treat every customer as if they were right.  You have shared your ideas thoroughly with all of us. For that we thank you.

  7. earnestshub profile image79
    earnestshubposted 12 years ago

    I think infrastructure costs are excessive for brick and mortar businesses, at least with spectacles and other common needs. My online purchased specs were $198 with the tint, thin lenses, frameless rims and bifocal. The same glasses from OPSM are over $600. Delivery is always fast online in my experience. I buy most things online to avoid poor service and paying to support high rent and staffing costs etc built in to the product price.

  8. trish1048 profile image67
    trish1048posted 12 years ago

    Treat the customer with respect, even if they aren't working with a full set of tools.  The employee should not stoop to the level of the irate or irritated customer, no matter what wage they are earning.  Once the customer has calmed down, he/she might just realize that he/she was treated professionally.  Or not.  I've written two hubs about this issue, The Customer is Always Right, and Both Sides of the Fence, Employee/Customer Insights.

    1. jpcmc profile image89
      jpcmcposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      What;s so common about the topic on customers always being right is that many tackle it when customers are already irate.  I guess that's because this is the time when they take out the customers-are-always-right card. 

      I often tell sales reps to act in a professional manner.  But I must confess, it's takes a lot of effort to do just that when the faced with a furious client.

  9. jessicab profile image60
    jessicabposted 12 years ago

    I think not.

  10. donotfear profile image83
    donotfearposted 12 years ago

    With over 25 years customer service experience behind me my answer is simple:

    NO


    NO


    NO


    But you can't let the customer know it.

    1. JMAW profile image60
      JMAWposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think we can all be right because it's all perspective if you think about it.  I also like the agree to disagree argument.  I realize in sales and customer service this isn't always the case and in some jobs I have wanted to give people foot to backside and show them the door but yeah...

      1. jpcmc profile image89
        jpcmcposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        JMAW, thoughts like that also crossed my mind.

    2. jpcmc profile image89
      jpcmcposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      cool point donotfear.  You just don't tell it to the customer's face you're not always right.  just imagine what they will do.  LOL

  11. Mikeydoes profile image43
    Mikeydoesposted 12 years ago

    Kissing ass is how you move up the ranks.

    1. jpcmc profile image89
      jpcmcposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      By the time you get to the top you'll be really filthy! smile

      1. Mikeydoes profile image43
        Mikeydoesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        I'm personally am not taking that way, but I have certainly seen people do it!

        They're noses are so brown I'm surprised they breath out of it.

        1. jpcmc profile image89
          jpcmcposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          You're giving me images that are too darn disturbing.  smile

  12. tlynn6420 profile image60
    tlynn6420posted 12 years ago

    Personally I think that's complete B.S, but if you want to run a successful business you should at least pretend that it's true;)

  13. profile image58
    iversonposted 12 years ago

    now, i am running my own business, i used to be the sales man. clients always right is the right in most situation. but you know that, clients is always not as familiar with the products or serivce which you have to face everyday. so, they are wrong in most of the time. you must ture them right, this is why clients always right.

    1. vellos profile image60
      vellosposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Wow. Some crazy stories here. Glad I'm no longer dealing with customers directly.

  14. profile image58
    FStevensposted 12 years ago

    If you want them to remain customers then, yes sadly they are always right!

  15. Stacie L profile image88
    Stacie Lposted 12 years ago

    no matter how rude, greedy or dishonest a customer may be, you have to keep in the mind, next potential customer's business.

    In other words, they will talk to others and you want that to be a positive feedback which will be a  reflection on your business..

    you can always stick your tongue at them when they turn to leave..smile

  16. CJamesIII profile image60
    CJamesIIIposted 12 years ago

    In reality, customers are rarely right (retail).  They often try to cheat policies and actually lie.  Customers are often lazy and often forget their receipts for returns and exchanges.  A customer has a responsibility to be respectful and not cause disturbances and to bring the damn receipt if they would like a receipt for a return/exchange.  I found customer behavior quite disturbing, and I was a retail manager for over 15 years!  They should NEVER expect things that are unreasonable!  They can let companies know what they would like on the respective websites, not harassing the employee.  We need a major shift in attitudes in the USA.

    1. Stacie L profile image88
      Stacie Lposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      do you find that it's worse for discount businesses or any business in general,that customers are awful?

  17. puddingicecream profile image69
    puddingicecreamposted 12 years ago

    It depends on what you're doing. In some jobs, the customer is "always right" because you want to keep business. In others, the customer knows they might not be right and seeks your help. All in all, know the boundary, and feel free to call a superior if you think a customer has crossed it.

  18. DrMikeFitzpatrick profile image36
    DrMikeFitzpatrickposted 12 years ago

    funny. if my customer tells me 1 plus 1 is 3, are they right? of course not. what my customer is, is someone who pays my bills and is the reason why i am in business! simple distinction from someone who was a manager for someone elses business who said the customer is always right. like i said, a manager said that, not the owner. smile

  19. Chaotic Chica profile image59
    Chaotic Chicaposted 12 years ago

    Basically every job is in some way customer service.  Without the customer, you have no job. 

    When we had our business, we had our share of customers that were undeniably wrong {one customer got down right irate with us if we reffered to his Vulcan as a Kawasaki as he knew that he had a Kamasaki}.  Either way, we bent over backwards for our customers.  For him, we swallowed our pride and called his bike what he wanted; it was after all his bike and what is a name? 

    We have provided free services, free gift certificates, house calls at no charge to resolve an issue, free pick-up & delivery, even if the problem was not with what we did but with the product or delivery. 

    Word of mouth can make or break a company, especially a repair shop, and we have actively pursued our customer's satisfaction.  That is why we had such a high reputation that customers were bypassing big name dealers and smaller shops to come as far as fifty three miles away to see us.

    That being said, we had our policies printed and posted as well as a sign that stated that our business reserves the right to refuse service.  That came in handy for the occasional customer coming in for confrontation about another customer's ride.  Being a motorcycle repair shop we had a reputation for making a bike perform at peak or better on the track and sometimes rivals didn't like that!

    Bottom line is right or wrong, the customer is the reason you have a job and that makes them right.

  20. profile image0
    Stevennix2001posted 12 years ago

    Don't know if this has been covered yet, but here's a couple of hubs to tell you guys how to be a good customer.  big_smile  Trust me, Imogen H is probably one of the best and funniest writers here. smile

    http://hubpages.com/hub/Being-a-Good-Customer

    http://hubpages.com/hub/Being-a-Good-Customer-Part-Two

  21. Eaglekiwi profile image75
    Eaglekiwiposted 12 years ago

    Customer are only right about one thing.

    Payment for services rendered wink

    Good service -Pay
    Bad service -No pay

  22. OverConscious profile image61
    OverConsciousposted 12 years ago

    its the customers that fuel our businesses, so its only logical that they comes first.
    However, they customer's rights should only go as far as yhe organisations policies allow else the system be abused and businesses run amock

    1. cindi h profile image60
      cindi hposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Having worked in customer service related fields most of my life I adopted a saying and found that most of my customers were receptive to it. It was, " You may not always be right, but you can always be happy".  I worked for over 20 years, on and off, as a waitress. Most of my customers were pretty nice but all it took was one mean S O B to ruin your whole day. I found it very rewarding to get these 'nasties' in a good mood or to at least make 'em laugh before they left my station. Patience and compassion go hand in hand when dealing with people!

      1. carol3san profile image59
        carol3sanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        Since my retirement, I've worked part time as an affiliate for a cosmetic and fragrance company.  During this time I've seen some customers that are too rediculas for words.  They try everything under the sun ro keep from paying, even when I've given them the best bargan they will ever see anywhere else. It is unbelievable some of the things they come up with.

  23. profile image0
    Carliismiles<3posted 12 years ago

    No! The customer is not always right. I worked at a restaurant and one afternoon a couple came in, ordered food and when i came back with it they said they had not ordered those plates. Not to mention i was thrown a soda and a plate full of food. The owner got mad at me for their actions.. i quit. I was not gonna let someone treat me like that.

  24. JON EWALL profile image60
    JON EWALLposted 12 years ago

    hubbers

    ''The customer is always right''
    The BEST KIND OF ADVERTISEMENT , WORD OF MOUTH

    A GOOD SALESMAN knows  How and When

  25. carlo_olano profile image60
    carlo_olanoposted 12 years ago

    Perception is more important than reality.

    In Sales, no matter how good you deem your products are, it is the customer that will judge if indeed it is a good product. More customers or buyers mean you have a better product. You have to adjust to the taste of your customers not the other way around.

    In customer service, you have to listen feedback. Some might be absorb but by just listening to them, you can learn more about their problems and find the right solution.

  26. Traffic Creator profile image60
    Traffic Creatorposted 12 years ago

    I think customer is always right when they know the product or service very well otherwise not.

    1. Teresa Schultz profile image65
      Teresa Schultzposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      That's a great answer! It's terribly frustrating for eg for web designers or graphic designers or logo designers etc who really want to help their clients, but what the client really wants and insists on, the designer knows will not help the client so much with the marketing or exposure of their (the client's) business. The client doesn't wasn't to listen to what can help, even though the designer tries to nicely explain the benefits of doing something a different way. Some designers just give up and give the customers what they want. The customer wasn't "right," but is at least happy they got what they wanted.

      1. Teresa Schultz profile image65
        Teresa Schultzposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        typo, sorry, not "doesn't wasn't," but rather "doesn't want."

  27. wwriter profile image77
    wwriterposted 12 years ago

    Yes, the customer is always right, like little brother is always right! (Most folks who had a younger sibling would attest to this). In other words it is important to humor the customer.  Putting it more bluntly the one with the wallet in his hand is always right! But of course this rightness is not to do with morality as much as with expediency. I sympathize much with front-line customer service  people. They have a tough job.

  28. alishadb04901 profile image60
    alishadb04901posted 12 years ago

    Perhaps as little as 10 years ago the customer was always right. Why do I say this? Up until recently, a customer might ask friends, do research, shop around before purchasing goods and services. Now, the customer is lazy. Customers go for what is cheap, easy, and fast. Also, the customer feels more entitled than ever. Here's why I say this: I am a customer service representative in one of America's "big four" wireless carriers. Since first becoming employed for this company, things have changed drastically in the business and with the customers. The company used to strive for the best customer experience, to save our customer money, and to ensure they stay the customer for many years to come. Since the decline in the economy (and the human race in my opinion) The business has changed gears 110%. There are much stricter policies against a customer paying their bill late, against a customer getting credits for services because they used them but can't afford it now that the bill came in, etc. In short, the goal is to resolve whatever question or concern the customer has and sell them something on the way out, all in under five minutes. Thinking back, this change happened not long after seeing a talk-show episode where a woman spoke about how to save money and get what you want with your wireless carrier. "Well, I'll take my business elsewhere if you won't give me this credit/free phone/service for less/deal/promotion/etc." Now, this is not an exact quote per se, however I hear this on a daily basis because people have figured out that is the way to get to the retention department where the company will bend over backwards and kiss your rear end to keep you from taking your service elsewhere. When did the human race start to feel so entitled to everything without having to work for it? In my opinion, all businesses should crack down and start holding the customer responsible for not doing the proper research. Would you call your power company next month and scream at someone you don't know and have never met because they won't waive the extra charges on your bill because you left for the weekend and left the lights on in the house? No! Because you know regardless of if you were in your home while the lights were on you still have to pay for the service. So why not just crack down and say 'no ma'am, I will not waive the $32.00 for the 12 minutes spent on your device calling India last month because you allowed your 2 year old to play with your cell phone!' I say, if you're an adult, and you are allowed to obtain goods and services you should be held responsible if you didn't hold up your end of the bargain by researching, shopping around, and reading contracts. *steps off soap box*

  29. catsimmons profile image82
    catsimmonsposted 12 years ago

    The customer is not always right..sometimes they're just not aware of the facts until they have them politely pointed out to them

  30. healinghands1668 profile image66
    healinghands1668posted 9 years ago

    I work in health care. The customer is most certainly NOT always right. When I am your massage therapist, there is absolutely NO cellphone use during our sessions, I will NOT massage you in your first trimester of pregnancy, and I will NOT discuss my personal life, or other clients. (All situations I have encountered). Also, as the receptionist at a doctor's office, I get a lot of patients insisting that I am trying to cheat them when I send them their bills.

  31. rachel rose10 profile image60
    rachel rose10posted 9 years ago

    Of course, customer is not always right. People who are selling know all the info about service or products and customers sometimes have only heard something but don't know precisely the product. Even more customers know what they want to get, but not always aware about the details. And this part can be frustrating. And here is where a sales person should step in. Educate customers, communicate with them, don't just tell them they are wrong. Try to paraphrase sentence so it doesn't sound impolite.
    E.g. I want to buy a BMW F300
    We don't have it because it doesn't exist.
    Avoid such situations. Of course, it was just an example, but still in such situation you should tell something like "Let me explain...", "I will help you to understand..." etc. My main point, never tell customers they are wrong, even if they are, just teach them!

    My company AUTOXLOO, DMS provider for Car Dealerships, is a client centric organization, our main goal is to satisfy our customers in the best possible manner. On daily basis, we communicate the progress of  dealership business and look forward to receive feedback from our customers.

  32. Sed-me profile image79
    Sed-meposted 9 years ago

    The only reason "The customer is always right" is even a thing is b/c of our fear that the customer will choose our competitor over us, if not satisfied.

    My friend was telling me this morning that in Germany things are completely different. The cashiers are not on their feet 8 hours a day. The customer bags their own groceries and there is no customer service... if you don't like it, take your business elsewhere.

    I'm moving to Germany.

  33. KBEvolve profile image67
    KBEvolveposted 9 years ago

    The right customer is always right.

  34. carrie Lee Night profile image80
    carrie Lee Nightposted 3 years ago

    No.  Simply said.  However, NO one is always right.  Were human smile

  35. profile image55
    Jade Sulaimanposted 3 years ago

    The customer is not always right. An informed customer, however, is always right. Here is what I mean:

    A chap walks into your place intending to pick up an item or enlist your service. But he is not a professional. He only knows what he knows from what other people or you have told him about the product or service.

    If he acts on the cureent information, he is right. If he does not, that is his choice.

  36. Oliver Wright111 profile image58
    Oliver Wright111posted 3 years ago

    Writing a dissertation is difficult , because the amount of work is large, and preparation for work and other procedures related to the protection of such a complex work are not very simple. That is why writing dissertation to order from http://bestresearchpaper.com company  is what you need. Experienced specialists work with they and satisfied customers speak about them.

  37. Christopher Latoja profile image42
    Christopher Latojaposted 3 years ago

    We are always right because we are all customers. As a supervisor In the customer service industry, I always tell my agents in order to provide excellent customer service, they should need to set high standards on ways they would also wanted to be serviced or treated because once they step out from the building where we are all working, we are all back again as customers. If you have spare time please check this out https://christopherrlatoja.wixsite.com/kvas. Thank you.

  38. profile image54
    clairemcmposted 3 years ago

    While we are, of course, courteous and professional over at our pool cleaning service, it is imperative we do not perform and sell our customer short when they are misinformed about something. We are the SMEs on this and thus, a customer is not always right.

 
working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)