The customer is not always right...

taylor5877
taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
in Chit-Chat
In fact sometimes they're just a dumbass...

Having trouble bridging the gap between what they are telling me they need and what they have in their mind that they need.
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Replies

  • corn63
    corn63 Posts: 1,580 Member
    Yup.


    But in the interest of making sales, keeping a customer and the gossip train.... they're always right.
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,779 Member
    i've been in customer service for over 10 years. I have trained customer service and technical support, and most of whom i have trained came in with the incorrect notion that "the customer is always right." It's not the case, and no company I have worked for ever advocated that we take that approach. I have always stressed courtesy, a willingness to assist and educating the customer, but not blowing smoke up his/her *** to make them think they were right.

    as a customer, i know i am not always right, and most people think this, too. In fact, in my experience, if you have a customer that says "the customer is always right" to you, they are the ones who know they are the most wrong. because they are quoting some outdated mantra as their sole defense.
  • dandaninc
    dandaninc Posts: 392
    i've been in customer service for over 10 years. I have trained customer service and technical support, and most of whom i have trained came in with the incorrect notion that "the customer is always right." It's not the case, and no company I have worked for ever advocated that we take that approach. I have always stressed courtesy, a willingness to assist and educating the customer, but not blowing smoke up his/her *** to make them think they were right.

    as a customer, i know i am not always right, and most people think this, too. In fact, in my experience, if you have a customer that says "the customer is always right" to you, they are the ones who know they are the most wrong. because they are quoting some outdated mantra as their sole defense.

    I agree!! Nothing irks me more than an irate customer being abusive and quoting "but the customer is always right" line of crap.
  • AlphamaleBAMF
    AlphamaleBAMF Posts: 373 Member
    In fact sometimes they're just a dumbass...

    Sometimes?

    Every time I worked in retail I hated the customers. HATED THEM!
  • stevehomoki
    stevehomoki Posts: 68
    I work at a finance company. You can imagine the quality of calls we receive if funds aren't being sent or items are being charged back.
  • S1NN3R
    S1NN3R Posts: 452 Member
    In fact sometimes they're just a dumbass...

    Sometimes?

    Every time I worked in retail I hated the customers. HATED THEM!

    I hated working retail!!! Never again!
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    I owned my own business for a while. I had a higher-end business that catered more to people with money. What I learned about all this is that often there is a mis-match between what a company offers, and the expectations of the customers. This typically happens a lot in retail, since any dub@$$ in the world can walk in. I have experience with retail, but it seems like it would be difficult.

    For other businesses though, they sometimes bring it on themselves. I paid for a one-year hosting solution based on an add that they set-up for you and it's easy. After I paid on-line because that's how you had to do it, they started asking me for this really heavy technical information. I was like, WTF are you talking about. They really didn't want to explain, and acted like I was an idiot because I don't know what a DNS redirect means, or whatever. I got so pissed off with them, I demanded my money back. It wasn't easy, it wasn't friendly, it sucked and was a little bit demoralizing. When a place advertises, they need to stand behind it. If it's a bare bones operation, don't advertise like a full service, customer friendly place, and visa versa.

    Companies often set themselves up for failure and make the cusomter support job difficult becasue they just try to get cusomters in the door, rather than work hard to get the RIGHT cusomters in the door.

    One day, remind me to tell you my fish story. it's perfect for this.
  • PattieCakes23
    PattieCakes23 Posts: 336
    I've worked in retail and I now work at the front desk of a resort.

    They are NOT right. In fact, it bothers me when they come in and try to tell you how to do your job. Like they know more about it. I'm always like "fine, if you know more, then you can do it yourself!"
  • stevehomoki
    stevehomoki Posts: 68
    I owned my own business for a while. I had a higher-end business that catered more to people with money. What I learned about all this is that often there is a mis-match between what a company offers, and the expectations of the customers.

    Why? Salesmen seem to open that gap.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    I owned my own business for a while. I had a higher-end business that catered more to people with money. What I learned about all this is that often there is a mis-match between what a company offers, and the expectations of the customers.

    Why? Salesmen seem to open that gap.

    That's what I said. What businesses should focus on is closing that gap. The more narrow your market, counter to popular belief, the better off your business is.
  • katamus
    katamus Posts: 2,363 Member
    Amen. To all of this. I work in retail. Some people... >.<
  • kairisika
    kairisika Posts: 131 Member
    http://notalwaysright.com/
  • jonwv
    jonwv Posts: 362 Member
    I have worked in retail also and thought they were bad

    then I got into the broadband business...lol boy was i wrong about retail..lol
  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
    -
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    It's a small part of my job, and not the one that pays the bills, so I refuse to sell stuff to customers that will be of no use.

    There are enough horror stories about the water treatment business without another one of us harassing someone or selling them some equipment that has no scientific merit.
  • dirtydmvkid
    dirtydmvkid Posts: 184
    HA! That statement is equal to saying "I'm a prick and don't give a *kitten* what you say. Give me what I want."
    I work at a help desk for IT... If they are an idiot, I make sure they realize it. Worried about losing customers? Nope. This is the military haha! I'm all they've got!
  • brenpope
    brenpope Posts: 93 Member
    unfortunately they are always right, even when they are wrong :) That's a hard thing to take, especially when you do what I do for a living, decorating cakes. Some people can be really picky, but they have a right to.
  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
    swing.jpg
  • mysilentundoingx
    mysilentundoingx Posts: 5
    Remember, the customer is always right... (Except when they are wrong, which is ALWAYS)
    I've worked in retail since leaving Sixth Form and it's made me lose all faith in humanity...
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    I think for crimes requiring community service, they should make them work the return counter at walmart on Dec. 26th until service time is up.
  • StoutGirl09
    StoutGirl09 Posts: 73 Member
    TO keep your job, their right lol
  • PerfectAndi
    PerfectAndi Posts: 36
    I work as a bartender (in fact that's where I am right now. On break of course!) and you would be surprised how many dumbass teenagers/underaged people try to pass themselves off as 21 and then attempt to suduce me or pay me off. Just for a flipping drink! Its like "Hey dumbasses, I'm not gonna lose my job because you want a freaking drink!"
  • BSchoberg
    BSchoberg Posts: 712 Member
    In fact sometimes they're just a dumbass...

    Having trouble bridging the gap between what they are telling me they need and what they have in their mind that they need.

    It's almost as if they are speaking another language - and when you finally figure out they needed a widget when they've been asking for a thing-a-ma-bob, they're like, "Yes, that's what I've been trying to tell you, you idiot!" And it's not just customers... it's bosses, too!
  • violetta88
    violetta88 Posts: 117 Member
    I have no problem with a customer being wrong. As long as they're polite about it.

    Now, the ones that are rude, disrespectful, think I deserve to be spoken to like I'm beneath them, make snide comments about my intelligence/appearance/attitude, threaten to report me to some higher power simply for doing my job, think they know my company's policy better than I do ...

    Ahem. Sorry.

    Retail. Left it a year ago, will never go back :)
  • hebenn01
    hebenn01 Posts: 43 Member
    Customers challenge me on a daily basis. As if I have no idea what I'm talking about.

    "can I get an estimate on a paint job?"

    I'm sorry we don't do complete paint work.

    "are you sure?"

    or "do you work on campers/trailers/motorcycles" No sorry but you can try this place.... "oh are you sure? because I could have sworn you did"

    UM YEP I'M SURE!!! I feel like Helen the waitress in Tommy Boy. "Sorry the grills closed. We only have cold stuff and dessert."

    "Are ya sure? Some chicken wings would really hit the spot."

    "Let me check. (she remains standing there) Yep it's closed."

    LOL
  • ksavy
    ksavy Posts: 271 Member
    http://notalwaysright.com/

    I love this website :)
  • Xstitcher74
    Xstitcher74 Posts: 124 Member
    My Aunt owned a bar. The sign hanging over the register- "The customer is always right, but WE get to decide who is a customer." :drinker:
  • jynxxxed
    jynxxxed Posts: 1,010 Member
    Hahaha, agreed! I'm in quality control so I listen to a wide array of customer service/sales calls from different companies daily (geeksquad, telemarketers, derma wand, sensa, etc.) and it's extremely amusing to listen to some of the customers and their demands.

    I feel for all of you having to actually deal with these people either via telephone or face to face!
  • redder2
    redder2 Posts: 30
    Some good points made. Plain and simple to me the customer is not always right. However they are still the customer, and they are the life line of businesses. They deserve respect until they get out of hand, then I do not need their business. If they are jerks they are going to be jerks with just about everyone. I do agree though some are really............
    In fact sometimes I can be a jerk as well, but I try not to be.
  • BARBY1956
    BARBY1956 Posts: 51
    And the customer usually doesn't even listen to what you are saying. I answer the phone for a public water department with,"Logan City Water Department", I get "Is this the water department"? On one occasion after I gave my usual greeting on the phone, the person on the other end ask, "Do you have my brother in jail"? WTF. Really? How do you get county jail from water department?
    Here's your sign!!

    Also with being a government run water agency, If a customer doesn't like an answer, I also get the old "Well, I pay taxes so I pay your salary." Really? Then I must pay myself too cause I also pay taxes.

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