You’ve heard the phrase. You’ve probably even said it before. But in this age of “everyone has a voice and a way to broadcast it out into the world,” is it really still true?
Okay, okay, I know the premise of it is true. That we are supposed to go out of our way to accommodate our customers so they will have a uber-positive experience. And positive experiences get talked about. You know - word of mouth in action.
BUT, people can be um, let’s say, “difficult.” And some of them just want to see who can scream the loudest. Some have ulterior motives. Some WANT to have a bad experience so it provides fodder for their blog or Twitter stream. And some you’ll never, ever please no matter what. Now that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try, it just means that there’s always going to be those handful of people out there that think they know more than you. And that’s okay.
So back to my point: The customer is always right. But in some instances, it’s okay to tell them “no,” or at least educate them in the nicest way possible. And sometimes the only thing you can do is say, “I’m sorry, we can’t help you.” But be sure to tell them why. They might walk away (maybe even angry), but you’ll know that you did everything you could to help. If you’re really in the game to help your customers have a great experience and a better life (yes, and make some money), then when that one guy who goes online and starts to complain about you shows up, you’ll have plenty of fans come to your rescue.
And THOSE customers - the ones that defend you - now THEY are the ones that are always right.
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