Totd: The Customer Gets Away With Murder

Today's thought of the day is, in my opinion, a common phrase which has today been extrapolated to mean something entirely... absurd.

The common phrase being: "The customer is always right."

You don't have to be a business student or even business associate to have heard this phrase, but for those who are in any way 'in business,' this phrase has come to mean much more.

Nowadays, if you are my customer (in any way), I must do things that I would not normally do if we were merely friends or perhaps even strangers; I must not argue with you. I must admit that I am wrong or failing you, even if I am correct. I must give you all that you want or sometimes more, simply to appease you. I must do anything I can to make you happy so that I may maintain our dreadful relationship.

Take for example a common soap store (I'm not going to name names): The store policy is that if you do not like the product that you've purchased for any reason, you may return or exchange it. At this particular store, one woman brought in a rather large candle that she had obviously burnt. She told a store associate that she would like to exchange it for another scent. The store associate happily told her that she was more than welcome to at no charge of course, and so she did. The next day, the same woman returned to the store to find a different store associate. Again, she said I don't like this scent, may I exchange it for another? Again, a store associate happily told her that she is more than welcome to do so at no charge of course, and so she did. Every day the woman comes in, returns a candle that has been burnt for about one day and picks a new one. She never has to pay for a candle that she exchanges, and yet everyday the store accepts a large burnt candle which they must discard and pays for her to get a new one. The woman does not see anything wrong with this behavior, and because the store is bent on keeping all of it's customers happy, the managers at that store will continue to lose revenue to a woman who bought.... one candle.

 

These customers can get away with murder.

Today, parents of a spoiled child made it very clear to me that when they pay someone money, they expect the world and I should be treated like a servant. (Ironic if you're intimately familiar with what I do.)

So, Seller Beware! 

Think twice before asking: "May I help you?"