bucky wrote:
I'm going to disagree with the poster that said the customer is always right. There are a lot of fools out there ladies and gentlemen. I often tangled with employees who stated that their job was to make a customer happy. That is not the case. Their job was to take the customers money and making them happy was but one of the tools needed to accomplish that task. A business exists for one
reason only, and that reason is money money money. Look at the Evergreen case that is being beat to death here this week. They made people happy, but didn't make any money. Bye bye Evergreen. Sorry, but money is king except to the very very rich that can afford to give it away. Bill Gates etc.
Kudos to the OP, he rarely fusses but when he does some fool has pushed him too far. I enjoy his perspective.
Yours is a very shortsighted and ultimately self defeating philosophy of which most successful business people will heartily disagree.
While the exchange of cash for goods and services is the goal for sure, one has to keep in mind the best way to reach that goal. The more customers you have that leave happy, satisfied and with a positive feeling the more good word-of-mouth you get, the better reviews, and the more repeat business.
And you better believe that my employees have always known that treating the customer with respect and keeping them happy was no 1 priority. I also would make it clear to those that worked with customers that their goal was also to SELL.
And a happy customer will usually willingly spend more than an unhappy one.
As in the case of any business that fails there can be many many reasons that have nothing to do with "Happy" customers. Don't confuse the ACQUIRING of customers with the keeping and satisfaction of customers and don't confuse under-capitalized, over burdened with debt and a VERY competitive market with keeping customers happy. These things can sink a business regardless of customer attitudes.
But with unhappy customers you are just sure to fail faster.
And I will repeat; The customer is always right...wven when they are wrong. (that is what I posted)
Meaning: even if the customer is wrong you don't treat them or make them feel that they are wrong. You just solve their problem without pointing fingers which is a useless waste of time anyway.
