IS THE CUSTOMER ALWAYS RIGHT? - CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSPECTIVE

THE PHRASE THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT?
Are The Customers Always Right?

First Things First—Dispelling an Important Customer Service Myth

We need to address the single most popular false idea about customer service. No doubt you’ve heard the phrase, “The customer is always right.”

It’s a great slogan, credited to H. Gordon Selfridge, who passed away in 1947. Unfortunately, it’s wrong and misleading.

Clearly the customer is not always right. Customers make unreasonable requests and sometimes have unreasonable expectations. Sometimes customers play fast and loose with the truth.

Customers may not understand your company and what you can and can’t do for them. Practically speaking, you can’t operate under the assumption that the customer is always right. You can’t give each customer what he or she asks for.

So, can we come up with a phrase or two that realistically describe how we should treat customers? Yes. Here are two short phrases that fit the bill.

■ The customer always deserves to be treated as if he or she is important and his or her opinions, needs, and wants are worthy of listening to.

■ The customer deserves to receive maximum effort on the part of those serving him or her, even when the customer’s expectations, wants, and needs may be impractical.

Since the customer isn’t “always right” and it’s often not possible to give the customer what he or she wants, what are the implications for customer service?

It’s simple. Customers have other important wants and needs. Even in situations where you can’t do what the customer asks, you can contribute to the customer’s development of a positive impression about how he or she is treated. That’s what we’ve captured in the two phrases above.

We need to focus not only on what we provide to the customer, but on how we provide it. That’s the key to realistic excellent customer service.

To do that, you need to understand these other wants and needs—and that’s what we must know and do next.

MAKING CUSTOMER HAPPY IS JOB #1 - CUSTOMER SERVICE TRUTH

MAKE THE CUSTOMERS HAPPY TUTORIALS - CUSTOMER SERVICE GOLDEN RULE
How To Make The Customer Happy?

The customer is the reason you have a job. You are in the customer service business, and this should be your mantra. You may also want to add to your mantra that without customers, customer service employees are not needed.

You have learned the most common reasons for customer dissatisfaction are employees who ignore customers, don’t listen, aren’t responsible, aren’t knowledgeable, and don’t follow up.

You also learned that most of the time, customers will not even complain. They just will not come back.

The only way for you to know if you are making customers happy is to always stay on top of your game.

Performance Prompts
• You present the face of your business, so learn how to present yourself properly at all times.
• Your coworkers look to your entire team and your manager to set the level of expectation. Whatever you are willing to accept is what you are going to get, so set the bar high.
• Do not anticipate what customers need. Ask them what they need.
• Ask what you are doing right and what you can do to improve. Then, tune in to customers’ replies.
• Make sure customers are important to you. If they are important to you, they will be important to your coworkers.
• Always stay tuned in to your customers—and to your coworkers—to stay one step ahead of the crowd.

None of this is rocket science. Giving high quality customer service is really very simple. It begins—and ends—with your commitment to your customers. Learn how to do your job well.

Expect the best from yourself and from your coworkers. Nothing less is acceptable for you to build a strong and loyal customer base.

When This Happens . . .
Mrs. Jones just pulled into your parking lot. She is a customer who complains about everything. Your coworkers start making wise cracks and derogatory comments about her. They jokingly say that you will have to handle her.

Try This
You feel the same about Mrs. Jones, so it would be easy to join your coworkers in making jokes. Don’t. If you joke or talk negatively about a customer, it gives them the green light to do the same.

Show your coworkers that you are above making fun of your customers. Say something like, “Hey Guys, Mrs. Jones does a lot of business here. We don’t know anything about her personal situation, so let’s help her without judging her.

” Then step up to the plate and show your coworkers how to give exceptional customer service, even to one of your most difficult customers.

When your coworkers see how you treat Mrs. Jones, they will be less likely to make fun of her in the future.
Remember, the customer is the reason you have a job. Without customers, customer service employees are not needed.