"The Customer Is Always Right"

[MGibster]

I mainly posted this because my wife had a bad day at work. Customers screaming at her, as usual; she works for a large retail chain. I don't have any power to help that situation, but I will damn well make sure that nobody who works with me will have to feel like that. I value my co-workers far more than I value any customer.

It's frustrating when a loved one is having a difficult time and there's not much you can do but offer comfort. I wish more people were willing to fire bad customers.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

My sincere sympathy to your wife. Customers can be real *****.

I've never worked in retail but I imagine it's extra hellish this time of year.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

People being rude are common enough that, if shops decided not to serve them, it would leave a lot of people without suppliers, probably the large majority of customers, actually (not to say that people are mostly rude, but most people can be rude sometimes when they have a bad day). It could also push quite a few businesses (those who can't afford to lose any customer) to fail, while others would be able to survive (because they make enough profits to select their customers).

So, naturally, a business-savvy person would open a shop targetting specifically at this mass of customers with money & need to buy things and nowhere to buy, saying "my motto will be customers is always right". And they would hire employees, knowing full well they'll have to interact with these rude customers. Logically, they'd need to pay more for their workforce (since presumably, employees would accept a lower wages to work in "employees-first" shops, and look for jobs in "customers-first" shops only if they can't get a job in the former), but they would fill the vacuum anyway, unless the wage differential is so great that they'd lose money overall.

Barring a strong aversion from the workforce to work in such environment (and demanding very high wage for doing that), any significant attempt by shops to select their customers would result in a return to the current situation after some time.

The latter (usually, not always; if you're buying limited or exclusive product it magically reverses; gosh, why? Try buying a new Rolex and see how far 'Karen' gets you) is more like a reasonable dynamic between two people exchanging goods/services.

High-end shops are doing "the customers is always right" better than most, but not in the sense you're thinking.

The customer being always right thing doesn't necessarily mean one has to be rude. It's taking care of the need of the customers. Let's take an example in the middle-range shops (not Rolex-level): for some unfathomable reason, an hotel where I am often staying at for work isn't having roasted potatoes at the breakfast buffet in their executive lounge, despite potatoes being available in the main restaurant. I enjoy roasted potatoes for breakfast, and I politely conveyed my distress about this situation, to the staff and to the satisfaction survey. As the result, when I get breakfast there now, they send someone to the main restaurant to fetch roasted potatoes for me. That's the meaning of "the customer is always right": if I want potatoes, they should endeavour to serve me potatoes. Contrast to the number of places where filling in satisfaction survey doesn't prompt any change down the line! The price of the product entails a margin for entertaining the common whims of the customers (in this case, quite easy to satisfy), and their desire should be satisfied. Possibly by offering them to pay for something out of the ordinary: if I wanted to have champagne each morning, the correct answer would be "sure, we can get you champagne for € XX at breakfast" (the customer is always right) and not "we don't care about what you want, there is only coffee and OJ at breakfast" (the customer is wrong, noone should be having champagne for breakfast). The former attracts loyalty, the latter makes the client look elsewhere for a place where they'll accept to sell him the champagne he wants.

EDIT: To get back to Rolex-type shops, you can afford to be a Karen much more as a customer (and again, without needing to be rude about it, because you get what you want without having to "speak with the manager"). If you want to try a suit, and get to an off-the-hook store, you'll have to move to the store, try the outfit, and be happy with it. Most Savile Row tailors, on the other hand, will accomodate you if you want your measures taken in the comfort of your own home or office, get back to you for trying it out at the time and place of your choice, and not require you to lose your time visiting their shop. They practice "the customer is always right", and it's part of the reason people still buy bespoke suits instead of getting mass-market clothings, which are generally much more affordable.

I guess the whole Karen situation is occurring more because shops say "no" instead of "sure, we want you to be our customer, here is the price tag" -- which would shut most Karens up, since they'd get an offer to get what they want, and can decide whether to go through with the deal.

 

[Morrus]

People being rude are common enough that, if shops decided not to serve them, it would leave a lot of people without suppliers, probably the large majority of customers, actually (not to say that people are mostly rude, but most people can be rude sometimes when they have a bad day). It could also push quite a few businesses (those who can't afford to lose any customer) to fail, while others would be able to survive (because they make enough profits to select their customers).

So, naturally, a business-savvy person would open a shop targetting specifically at this mass of customers with money & need to buy things and nowhere to buy, saying "my motto will be customers is always right". And they would hire employees, knowing full well they'll have to interact with these rude customers. Logically, they'd need to pay more for their workforce (since presumably, employees would accept a lower wages to work in "employees-first" shops, and look for jobs in "customers-first" shops only if they can't get a job in the former), but they would fill the vacuum anyway, unless the wage differential is so great that they'd lose money overall.

On the other hand, the customer being always right thing doesn't necessarily mean one has to be rude. It's taking care of the need of the customers. For some unfathomable reason, an hotel where I am often staying at for work isn't having roasted potatoes at the breakfast buffet in their executive lounge, despite potatoes being available in the main restaurant. I enjoy roasted potatoes for breakfast, and I complained, politely, about this situation, to the staff and to the satisfaction survey. As the result, when I get breakfast there now, they send someone to the main restaurant to fetch roasted potatoes for me. That's the meaning of "the customer is always right": if I want potatoes, they should endeavour to serve me potatoes. The price of the product entails a margin for entertaining the common whims of the customers (in this case, quite easy to satisfy), and their desire should be satisfied. Possibly by offering them to pay for something out of the ordinary: if I wanted to have champagne each morning, the correct answer would be "sure, we can get you champagne for € XX at breakfast" (the customer is always right) and not "we don't care about what you want, there is only coffee and OJ at breakfast" (the customer is wrong, noone should be having champagne for breakfast). The former attracts loyalty, the latter makes the client look elsewhere for a place where they'll accept to sell him the champagne he wants.

I can’t think of many places which will serve you champagne for breakfast. I can’t think of any place which will give you roast potatoes for breakfast. I don’t think that’s a reasonable request. I suspect that if you were my customer, you would not be for long.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

I can’t think of many places which will serve you champagne for breakfast. I can’t think of any place which will give you roast potatoes for breakfast.I don’t think that’s a reasonable request. I suspect that if you were my customer, you would not be for long.

It is an item that is served in their main breakfast restaurant, so my request was to have this item served in area B while they offer it only in area A. I don't think there is anything out of the extraordinary there, it's probably not more inconvenient that delivering the potatoes to a room as part of the room service. Our appreciation of what is reasonable is probably extremely different, as is our hotel experience.

Potatoes is quite a common item to find at breakfast buffet. Googling it gave me as a first result this:

Potato/veg selection on the breakfast buffet : image de Gran Canaria Princess - Tripadvisor

Gran Canaria Princess, Gran Canaria Photo : Potato/veg selection on the breakfast buffet - Découvrez les 4151 photos et vidéos de Gran Canaria Princess prises par des membres de Tripadvisor.

www.tripadvisor.fr

And it doesn't seem to be a special place (with rooms in the EUR 150 range) in a country where English breakfast is probably not traditional.

Edit: quoting a website called hotelsandhoteliers (4 Main Types Of Breakfast In Hotels - Hoteliers)

American breakfast is a bit lighter than the traditional English breakfast but it does have warm dishes. This type of breakfast usually includes eggs, bacon or sausage, toast or pancakes, and sometimes potatoes like hash browns. It’s a big, filling meal often served with coffee or juice. It may also include sides like butter, jam, syrup, or even fruits like bananas or berries. The meal is filling and provides energy to start the day.​

It seems to be quite a standard fare, and has been in my experience. Edit: Admittedly, the websites says "sometimes", but I have found potatoes in a majority of places offering full breakfast. I am honestly quite surprised of your experience! Especially since you mention champagne: I can't think of a place that would have champagne on offer but not potatoes at breakfast time.

 

[Smackpixi]

The attitude is based on the premise that when exchanging money for goods or a service, the person with the goods or service needs the person with the money more. Therefore, it's OK to be abusive to that person, and if they resist, or complain, or don't grovel enough, you can 'punish' them by not purchasing their goods or service. Or, if they work for a larger company, you can punish them by trying to have them disciplined, or fired.

I think it’s weird you went right to this. “The customer is always right” is a business philosophy about giving people what they want, rather than what you want to provide. Adapt to the desires of your customers. It has nothing to do with tolerating a-holes.

Now, it’s true that out in the wild the idea has morphed and been adopted by customers to believe they get whatever they want…and to an extent, accommodating those desires can be worked with. You want your customers to be happy, if it’s feasible. But again, doesn’t mean tolerating a-holes.

A business can tolerate big spender a-holes as a choice, but has nothing to do with “customer is always right”. That’s about dealing with jerks with money who believe they are alway right, or believe thay spend enough to own you.

Really, ‘the customer is always right” has nothing to do with OP. OP is really asking for people to stop being jerks cause there is no justification for it.

 

[BookTenTiger]

Sorry your wife had some rough interactions today Morrus, that really stinks. A roommate of mine worked for Starbucks and would regularly tell me horror stories of customer entitlement. I really wish folks would prioritize treating each other like human beings rather than prioritizing their own self fulfillment.

It's one of the reasons I prefer to work in public education rather than at a private school. Some parents can be tough cookies, but at the end of the day they're not my customers, and they don't pay my salary (other than through taxes of course). If I don't like the way a parent is treating me, I'm really not required to interact with them face to face more than once or twice a year.

Luckily 99% of my parents have been a pleasure to talk with.

 

[Cordwainer Fish]

st. I can’t think of any place which will give you roast potatoes for breakfast.

It's a basic staple at hotel breakfast buffets over here, though usually fried not roasted, and with onions and (bell) chiles.

 

[Smackpixi]

ignore, mispost.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

I think it’s weird you went right to this. “The customer is always right” is a business philosophy about giving people what they want, rather than what you want to provide. Adapt to the desires of your customers. It has nothing to do with tolerating a-holes.

True.

Now, it’s true that out in the wild the idea has morphed and been adopted by customers to believe they get whatever they want…and to an extent, accommodating those desires can be worked with. You want your customers to be happy, if it’s feasible. But again, doesn’t mean tolerating a-holes.

Indeed. And the keyword in the saying is "customers". If someone wants X, and doesn't want to pay for it, the saying doesn't mean you should give it X for free: then the person wouldn't be your customer but a freeloader. A customer is someone paying. So the saying doesn't mean "tolerate any abuse from a customer" but "if someone wants something, let him be your customer by selling him what he wants" (and you'll get rich).

Ritz, one of the purported author of the motto, did quite well doing just that. I don't think he was confronted to abuse or tried to cover this case: I can't picture the Prince of Wales (future Edward VII), probably his most famous customer, actually behaving like a Karen...