Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Doobie
"The customer is always right" is a shit rule. No one should have to sacrifice their self-respect to earn a living.
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Having worked much of my adult life in retail as either a sales associate or as a retail manager, I identify with much of what you said. I was always happiest when I worked for bosses or district managers who were supportive of not letting customers walk all over you.
No business actually believes "the customer is always right" is literally true, even though they parrot it back to the customers and quote it to their employees as if it's a philosophy. I've actually confronted district managers with the line, "So, if customers are always right, when they tell us that we should sell them everything for half price, we should just do it?" And they say, "No, of course not. Be reasonable." And I say, "Well, using the word 'always' in saying the customer is always right is the unreasonable part." So that's when you get a clarifying statement about the phrase just meaning trying to convey a very customer friendly service environment.
But it ends up in practice as being a license for businesses allowing customers to treat employees rudely, as if they were subservient beings. That's why I admire greatly places that don't actually promote that "customer is always right" line.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema recently made some headlines because they have a rule that customers are not allowed to talk on cell phones or text message while watching a movie in their theaters (as it is a distraction to other customers), and after giving a young lady two warnings, on the third offense they kicked her out of the theater WITHOUT a refund! She called their office back and left an angry rant on their voicemail, and they made a PSA announcement out of her rant to show on screens before their movies. Clearly, this customer was WRONG, and the general public ate it up when Alamo displayed her shameful behavior.
Nearly 2 million people have watched this video, and almost all of the comments in all the places I've seen it posted show the general public take the businesses side, not the customers. I'm posting the video here ... you should watch it. It'll make you feel better.
Don't Talk - Angry Voicemail (Uncensored) by Alamo Drafthouse