The business world sometimes seems to be a war zone. Customers and clients feel that companies do not respect them. Workers gossip about the treatment of customers, co-workers, supervisors, or employers. Employers complain about employees and customers or clients. Everyone seems to be mad at someone else. Let’s pick a battlefield and examine it: the relationship between sales reps and customers (which includes customers). The old adage still exists somewhere that the customer is always right.
Ms. Smith was smoking when he left the store. If the door wasn’t automatic, she would have slammed it behind her. “Fifteen minutes I stayed there while those employees visited. Don’t you know that without customers, you wouldn’t have a job?” complained to her friend. That business probably lost a customer.
At another business, the receptionist tried to keep a smile on her face when a customer scolded her because the person she wanted to see was not available. “I’m sorry, sir. Mr. Moore had a meeting across town and hasn’t returned. I’ll be happy to take a message.” She smiled widely. “I’m sure he’ll get back to you as soon as possible.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I really don’t know what else I can do unless you want to talk to someone else.”
The angry man stopped and looked at the young woman. “I’m sorry. There’s nothing you can do. I’m sorry I took out my frustration on you.” He gave her a half smile. “Is there anyone else who can help me?” That business probably kept a customer.
At an ice cream parlor that makes its own ice cream sandwiches, a woman ordered one of the sandwiches. The clerk informed him that the ice cream hadn’t had time to solidify yet, but if he waited about ten minutes, the sandwiches would be ready. The woman looked at her before saying, “I want one now. I don’t want to wait ten minutes.”
“If I give you one now, ma’am, the ice cream would drip everywhere. I don’t think you’ll be satisfied.”
“I don’t believe you. Now are you going to give me an ice cream sandwich or not?”
The employee glanced at her supervisor, who nodded briefly. The young clerk went to the freezer and pulled out a paper-wrapped sandwich. He took the woman’s money and gave her the sandwich. The woman left the store and returned moments later, ice cream dripping down her blouse. “Look at the mess. I want my money back,” he yelled.
The clerk hesitated, not knowing what to do.
“I said I want my money back, and now,” the woman insisted.
As the clerk opened the cash drawer, her supervisor joined her. He patted her shoulder. “Give him the money.” Then he turned to the woman on the other side of the counter. “You owe this young lady an apology. She told you, very nicely, that the sandwiches weren’t ready, but you insisted she sell you one. You have no right to talk to her like you did.” He took a deep breath and continued calmly. “Please take your business elsewhere if you can’t or won’t treat my employees better than you treated Marsha.”
That business could have lost a customer, but the supervisor was right to support his employee since in that case the customer was wrong.
The customer is always right? No, but many times she or he is. People who trust customers or customers to have a business need to treat customers with respect. If employees are being mistreated by a customer, a supervisor must step in and protect the employee. Personal conversations and personal matters should wait until the client’s needs have been met. Many times a smile and a respectful speech can change the attitude of a dissatisfied customer. Most of the time, the customer has to be happy for an employee to have a job to keep.