The Customer Is Always Right?

We’ve all heard the phrase “The customer is always right.” But how often do we actually see that adage put into practice? Sure, there is the occasional customer that oversteps the boundaries – we’ll get to that soon- and needs to be dealt with in a slightly more creative manner, but what about the rest of us? We wait in line. We say “please” and “thank you.” So why are we so often treated badly by the very people that expect to receive our hard-earned cash?

Picture this: There you are standing in line at your favorite movie rental establishment. You’ve spent twenty minutes combing through the picked-over DVDs, finally settling on two movies you don’t have much desire to see. But not wanting to leave empty-handed, you wait your turn and then head to the counter, membership card in hand. The employee glances in your direction and mumbles something about needing your card as you hand it to him. He is mid-scan when the phone rings. You hold your breath, hoping to hear him end his customary greeting with, “Can you please hold?” But no, of course not. Instead he asks, “How can I help you?” You stand there in silence as he ignores your transaction and begins telling the caller all about the newest releases, the store’s rental policies and hours of operation. Your frustration grows as he sets down the phone after saying the much-dreaded words “I’ll go check.” You consider leaving, but he has placed your card just out of reach. You’re stuck. You are forced to wait…

But really, why should you have to wait? You are a paying customer. You are not calling the store for random information that could probably be found online. You have come to the store to do your own legwork and are prepared to pay actual money for a product. Sure, the caller is being resourceful and using the telephone instead of gasoline, but does that mean he deserves priority treatment? No! Whatever happened to the ol’ “First come, first serve” mentality? By all means, let the video store employee earn his wages by running around to see if certain videos are in-stock. But he can do so after helping the customers who are waiting in line. And who knows? Maybe one of those customers, after being treated nicely, will let him know that the fancy screen in front of him can be used to look up the availability of every movie in the store.

But what about those times when you are the only customer in the store? The times you walk right up to the register with your one item in hand? You know that your transaction should take less than a minute to complete. Yet you stand there waiting for the only visible employee as she talks on the phone. You know full well that it is not a work-related conversation. As you stand there staring at the worker, repeatedly clearing your throat loudly, you learn from her side of the conversation that a new movie is coming out this weekend. But as you make a mental note to put it on your must-see list, you become more and more aware of the time you are loosing by standing there. She finally gets tired of your throat clearing, hangs up and begrudgingly does her job by taking your money and stuffing your item in a plastic bag. You leave and vow to never return to that store. But after using the experience as a humorous anecdote, you forget all about it… until you are once again made to feel bad about giving the same store your business a month later.

Now obviously not all customers are model examples of how to treat store employees. Some enter stores with a certain sense of entitlement that leads them to act badly. And others return merchandise that has obviously been used, causing a fuss when the employee asks questions. But just as those customers are the exception to the rule of somewhat courteous shoppers, shouldn’t the employees that offer bad service be just as few and far between?

Anyone having worked in a retail environment knows that it can be a fast-paced, stressful and thank-less job. That having been said, perhaps customer service-related jobs aren’t for everyone. Yes, people need to make a living. And yes, even employees have bad days. But by choosing to work with people you are – or should be- agreeing to represent your company well by adequately servicing its patrons.

So maybe in today’s society the customer isn’t always right…

But shouldn’t we at least be more than tolerated?