Never Make a Customer Wrong

It should go without saying that you should never tell a customer he is wrong. Yet, this is done by companies large and small on a regular basis. From the untrained employee to the pompous boss, customers are told in many different ways that they have erred.

All Sales Are Final
For instance, a customer tries to return an item after 30 day purchase date. The clerk recites a policy that states that all sales are final after 30 days and no returns are allowed. What the clerk really communicates is that she really doesn’t care.

Dinging the Customer
In another example, a customer purchases a chair mat through Amazon and is sorely disappointed. After using the mat for one week, she notices several cracks in the mat. She calls the company and after 45 minutes is finally told that a shipping tag will be emailed to her which will cover the price of shipping it back to the supplier, but she will have to pay for the new cardboard packing box ($15.75). What is communicated, is that the only thing the customer did wrong was to purchase the chair mat in the first place.

Insulting Comment
Still another example of making the customer wrong is illustrated by the man who purchases a pair of shoes from a discount retailer, and after taking them home, and trying them on again, is dissatisfied with how tight they feel. He takes them back to the store and asks for a refund. Upon completing the refund, the manager of the store makes the comment, “You shouldn’t be surprised, they are a cheap pair of shoes!” What is communicated to the customer is that he shouldn’t be so tight with his money.

The irony of making customers wrong, is that these policies, and how they are communicated, only serve to alienate customers and drive them permanently away. My recommendation is to rethink the lifetime value of your customers, and to rewrite your policies in favor of the person that ultimately signs your paycheck, the customer.

If you are interested in a better career in customer service visit www.customerservicejobs.com


Tom Borg is president of Tom Borg Consulting, LLC. He is a business consultant, speaker, coach and author. He helps companies and organization become more successful and profitable by helping them attract and retain their customers and clients.