Why Is The Customer Always Right?

By Author: Janet Wong (www.mypewterart.co.uk)
Total Articles: 14
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When people say "The customer is always right," it can be looked upon with great skepticism and even as totally absurd by some. Of course, technically, the customer is proved to be wrong on many occasions, but the phrase has a lot of wisdom behind it.

So as not to in insult everyone's intelligence, as I am sure most, if not all, at least you understand it's meaning, I shall assume that at least one person may not, or that you may know of someone who doesn't.

The theory is quite simple really. If the customer leaves your premises and has been made unhappy by being proved wrong, when they come to talk to anyone about the incident, they will swear on the bible that your company has done them a disservice and that no-one should do business with you ever again. They most certainly will not say that they have been a fool and admit their mistake to friends and acquaintances. Therefore, this bad publicity will cost much more that the cost of rectifying your customer's mistake at your expense and as politely as possible.

Here's an incident; one of my lady customer came to pick up a pewter tankard ...
... Upon looking at it, she pointed out that I had spelt her name wrong as her name was spelt Anne, i.e. Anne with an "e". It was spelt "Ann" on the tankard. I was sure I had spelt it according to the customers request and pulled out the order which she herself had written. Sure enough, the lady had spelt her own name wrong. She said that she would take it as it is, but I refused to let her take it. I told her that I would do another one at NO EXTRA COST. I did this and she was ever so grateful.

A lot of my friends asked me why I didn't charge her and I said: "If she had left with the faulty pewter tankard, she would have shown her friends and probably blamed me for the error, bad publicity can be very costly even if it is unjust.

Even if she didn't, her friends would certainly not assume that the woman would spell her own name wrong. She left happy with a pewter tankard that she was very pleased with and that is what everyone else will see.

You can never put a price on such good customer service as this. Get it wrong and it could cost you more than you will ever know.

Janet is an expert in giving wording advice for engraved tankards and engraved goblets. If you need more information then Janet can help you. Visit Pewter Art UK for more pewter gifts idea. http://www.mypewterart.co.uk