Customers, You’re Not Always Right

Why is this so hard for some businesses to say?  Some business owners say “Yes! The customer is not always right!”  While others go around the topic and let the customers walk all over them.  It’s okay to fire your customers, you actually should fire your bad customer! 

I talked with a lady the other day that had been a business owner for over 15 years and she never really knew you could fire a customer.  I told her “yes you can!”  Customers that take up your time and cost you money are not worth doing business with.  Great customer service is a must but not when they are taking advantage of you.  If you let the customer take advantage of you it’s your own fault and they will keep getting away with it. 

The other day I was sitting in a restaurant while two older men sat behind me talking about an electrician he hired to come out and do some work.  The total was suppose to be around $1300 while the older man said to the other “well I made him come down to $750 because that was just ridiculous for me to pay that much.”  He also says “if you know how to work them and make them think you’re always right then you can make them come down on the price.”  So he kept talking about the poor electrician he screwed over and then the waitress brings him the check and he replies to her “my food was terrible! I want it complemented!”  The waitress says “well sir you ate all of your food, how could it have not been that good?”  His friend tells the waitress “well he said the whole time he was eating it that it was terrible.”  By the time the older man finished with the waitress she was about in tears and the manager came over to talk with him.  He told the manager that he wanted the meal free so the manager gave both the men their meals free.  The older guy also says “well I want a few complemented meals for the next time I come here as well for all the trouble you put me through.”  The manager said he could not do that and that the meals were on the house for that day (good for you manager!). 

I rarely easedrop but they were so loud behind me I could not help but overhear what was going on.  This is a prime example of why customers are not always right.  A bad customer is a bad customer everywhere.  What’s bad is even the good customers can’t stand the bad customers, now what does that tell you?  Sorry customers, you’re not always right.  It’s a new day and Business Beware is here to stay my friend!

Also catch us every Saturday from 11am to Noon (est) where we talk about business/consumer relationships and why the customer is not always right.  For more information visit the radio site.