Is the customer always right?
Okay, so after getting reamed by my boss for not taking care of a customer, I came up with the following thoughts.
A Retailer is Like a Friend
A retailer is like a friend, this is my philosophy on customer service. As retailers, we are so worried that if we don't take care of our customers to their liking, they will automatically go to the competition. Yes, there are always other choices, but this is not entirely true. A lot depends on the details of the situation.
If your friend says something you don’t like, or does you wrong once or twice, are they no longer your friend? No, they still are, and you may be a little bitter, but you don’t turn your back on them and get new friends. Sometimes, moving on is the end result, but we are all human, who make mistakes, talk out of line, and do things that others don‘t like. Retailers aren’t void of this, because businesses are ran by us (humans).
This is not saying that we shouldn’t take care of our customers, but we must also stand our ground in certain instances to protect company assets and minimize losses. Instead, we're asked (by the powers that be) to bend over and take it, even if we know we're getting taken advantage of. We’ve conditioned our customers that the louder they scream, the more likely they are to get their way. At my job, just a mention of the Customer Care Line can make me take back everything I said, and un-stand my ground, in fear that my job is at stake for making a decision I thought was best for my store.
I’ve heard customers say, “Well, I work in retail too and…” Great, we’re in the same industry, so we should be even closer friends, and understand where the other party is coming from. But, instead, they feel like it’s a trump card that automatically entitles them to get their way. Too many times I wanted to say, “I don’t give a sh**, that's my decision and it's final.” But no, I usually have to backpedal and say, "Well, I'll take care of you this time, but be aware that this is our policy for next time." In reality, the next time I'll be saying the same thing, so why even have policies if they will be broken every time someone starts to scream.
If it all boils down to a customer (friend) turning their back on us after one incident, then they probably aren’t a very good friend (customer) to have anyway. Friends look out for one other, and they scratch each others back. But, if I don’t want to scratch your back every time you ask, then that’s my perogative, and there shouldn't be any hurtful feelings. In a friendship, it’s give and take, not just one or the other.
The days of free-thinking, independent retailers are over, so now we must tranform into corporate robots who only do what they're told, and never think outside of the box. Corporate America is another subject I may touch on later, but my question is, "Is the customer always right?" And, has Wal-Mart ruined it for us all?
If only it was (still) as easy as a Tom Petty song, "No I won't back down, and I'll stand my ground..."
A Retailer is Like a Friend
A retailer is like a friend, this is my philosophy on customer service. As retailers, we are so worried that if we don't take care of our customers to their liking, they will automatically go to the competition. Yes, there are always other choices, but this is not entirely true. A lot depends on the details of the situation.
If your friend says something you don’t like, or does you wrong once or twice, are they no longer your friend? No, they still are, and you may be a little bitter, but you don’t turn your back on them and get new friends. Sometimes, moving on is the end result, but we are all human, who make mistakes, talk out of line, and do things that others don‘t like. Retailers aren’t void of this, because businesses are ran by us (humans).
This is not saying that we shouldn’t take care of our customers, but we must also stand our ground in certain instances to protect company assets and minimize losses. Instead, we're asked (by the powers that be) to bend over and take it, even if we know we're getting taken advantage of. We’ve conditioned our customers that the louder they scream, the more likely they are to get their way. At my job, just a mention of the Customer Care Line can make me take back everything I said, and un-stand my ground, in fear that my job is at stake for making a decision I thought was best for my store.
I’ve heard customers say, “Well, I work in retail too and…” Great, we’re in the same industry, so we should be even closer friends, and understand where the other party is coming from. But, instead, they feel like it’s a trump card that automatically entitles them to get their way. Too many times I wanted to say, “I don’t give a sh**, that's my decision and it's final.” But no, I usually have to backpedal and say, "Well, I'll take care of you this time, but be aware that this is our policy for next time." In reality, the next time I'll be saying the same thing, so why even have policies if they will be broken every time someone starts to scream.
If it all boils down to a customer (friend) turning their back on us after one incident, then they probably aren’t a very good friend (customer) to have anyway. Friends look out for one other, and they scratch each others back. But, if I don’t want to scratch your back every time you ask, then that’s my perogative, and there shouldn't be any hurtful feelings. In a friendship, it’s give and take, not just one or the other.
The days of free-thinking, independent retailers are over, so now we must tranform into corporate robots who only do what they're told, and never think outside of the box. Corporate America is another subject I may touch on later, but my question is, "Is the customer always right?" And, has Wal-Mart ruined it for us all?
If only it was (still) as easy as a Tom Petty song, "No I won't back down, and I'll stand my ground..."
posted by K-Fleet at 9:32 PM
2 Comments:
Bitch and moan, bitch and moan. Take your balls out of your pocket and lay down the law. It's YOUR store. The corporate shills pay YOU to run it because YOU are supposedly skilled enough to make decisions that benefit the store and the division. If they no longer respect your decision, tell them to kiss your ass and walk away. See how well they find someone else to run the store that you have conditioned to operate your way.
If nothing else, abuse someone under you in retaliation. Shit flows downhill, and picks up speed as it goes!!
Yeah, it seems like my opinion doesn't matter anymore. There have been several procedures and programs I've questioned over the years, and sadly enough to say, it's doubled over the past year. Not sure where our new vp is headed, because the road right now is really rocky, and my shoes are getting holes in them. I think this Christmas will be the determiner if our company sinks or swims.
And trust me, all 50 of my associates get to feel a little of my disgruntlement.
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