Are Customers Always Right?

The quick answer to this question is: It depends.

Most consumers of course will say, the answer is always YES. Is it really?

Two possible answers to this question depend on what service you offer.

Since we are in the restaurant food and beverage industry, the most evident answer is 50 percent of a customer has the right to; complaint, raise a concern or give a comment on that specific time of their experience. Is it a legitimate argument or discussion? It is.

The other 50 percent weighs sometimes trying to try you on how you handle “a” situation. This is the thing that I want to share with you. In my 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, just like any other instance or event, you can not please every consumer. People I know will walk in a restaurant and they know what they want. In most cases, people come to dine in or order take out because they need to feed their body. 

With a trained staff or with experienced staff, they know how to handle these scenarios, however, though not all, even an employee that has 10 years or even 15 years experience can not handle a small complaint. A fresh insight from the outside will work. 

Being complacent is a work that has no growth. But, when you start feeling it, what should you do? Ask your colleagues, your supervisor or manager. Discuss it. When you do share things, they will learn from it, you will learn from it and can come up with new ideas on how to deal or answer to these kinds of “feedbacks”. 

Now, let us go back to the question: are customers always right?

To really answer this question, a customer is always right when you are a customer. When you are on the other side, it is really important to realize that it may be true that customers are always right, but as soon as they start to act up, then you and I will not agree with the definite answer of YES.

At the end, customers’ attitude defines the ground on how to turn their experience. Is it okay, mediocre or good and excellent. With this, bear in mind that, regardless if you do your best or you lack something on that specific time-You can not please each and every customer.

Next, what do you do with customers who are not happy or disrespectful?

I have written a related topic on Customer is Always right in April 2020 for more reading.