Is the Customer Always Right? No, But the Customer Experience Always is

We've all heard the golden rule: "The customer is always right." It’s a phrase that has been pierced into us for years now. But is it actually true?

Placing your customers as a priority is vital, but blindly following this idea can be harmful.

Just like employees, customers are human and can have bad days, misunderstandings, and can simply just be wrong. They can misinterpret certain policies, have unjustifiable demands, and can also appear to be offensive. Pretending they’re always right in such situations can be misleading and can undesirably impact your team; just like a negative employee experience can certainly have a ripple effect on your customers.

Claiming customers are always right in these situations is not only misleading but can also result in:

• Disengaged Employees= Unsatisfied Customers: Making your team feel indebted to endure unfair treatments can result to resentment and burnout. When employees feel undervalued and unsupported, their performance can be affected, which can in return impact the overall customer experience. They become disengaged, less empathetic, and less willing to go the extra mile.

• A Culture of Privilege (on both sides): Normalizing giving in to unjustifiable demands can create a sense of entitlement among some customers, which could also encourage them to push boundaries further in the future and have higher expectations. On the other hand, neglecting employee needs can create a culture of resentment where employees feel entitled to apathy.

• Compromised Business Integrity: Sometimes pushing back on certain demands is necessary to protect your business, your employees, and even other customers who are part of your loyalty pool, or potential loyal customers. Bending over backwards for every impulse can damage the image of your service and create an unsustainable business model.

So, if neither the customer nor the employee is always right, what is? The experiences of the right customer and your employees behind the journey are; they encompass every interaction, from initial contact to long after any purchase. They are two halves of a whole, and both require your deserved attention.

This means identifying, attracting, and retaining the customers who value what you offer and align with your brand. It also means recognizing that not all customers are created equal, and focusing your energy on those who contribute most to your business. Here's why focusing on both is essential:

• Define Your Ideal Customer: Before you can prioritize the right customer experience, you need to know who that is. What are their needs and values? Understanding your target audience allows you to tailor your services and messaging to resonate with them.

• Focus on Solutions, Not Token Apologies (for both): Instead of emptily agreeing with a customer, even when they are not right, shift your focus on understanding the need and finding a reasonable way of tackling it, while at the same time supporting an employee who may be dealing with such a difficult situation. This might involve explaining policies clearly, offering a compromise, and providing your employee with the tools and support they need.

• Empower Your Employees (and trust their judgment): Provide your team with the needed mentoring and authority to handle situations with professionalism and empathy. Show them you trust them enough to make sound judgments that prioritize both the customer experience and their own well- being. And if you don’t trust them enough just yet, provide them with the appropriate tools and resources for both of you to reach this level.  A happy and empowered employee is far more likely to create a positive customer experience.

• Set Clear Expectations (for everyone): Be transparent about policies and procedures for both customers and employees. This helps prevent misunderstandings and sets the stage for smoother interactions.

• Remember the Long Game (for both): Building a loyal customer base and a dedicated team is about consistently delivering positive experiences over time. This means focusing on the overall journey for both, not just reactive actions and isolated incidents.

In short, the old saying needs a triple revamp. It's not about the customer always being right, but about always striving to create positive and valuable experiences for your right customers and your employees. By focusing on empathy, solutions, empowering your employees, and understanding who your ideal customer is, you can build a business that thrives on loyalty and respect from all the right sides. The experiences of your right customers and your employees are your true norths, and those are things you should always get right, together.