Hell no!
We know it, they know it, people around them know it! Everybody knows it!
There are reasons why we use this saying and we get taught this in the customer service oriented jobs and the consequence is a lot of entitled bitches.
We are told that the customers are making our business, which is definitely true. You can not make money if you don’t have guests. But this doesn’t mean you have to let them be jerks. There are unwritten society rules that people should keep in mind, like how not to whistle at a waiter or making fun of them, or how not to tell a busy bartender how was your holiday and that you want that drink that you had one time in your trip to Bali that you can’t remember the name of!
Be customer friendly and make everything that it is in your power in order for them to feel better, but if you see one of your team members having problems speak up.
A lot of businesses are fearing the “power” of backlash. Bad reviews, bad publicity can kill your business, BUT there are always two sides to that story. Here is important to have a good online presence and don’t fear defending yourself.
There is a restaurant in Milan, Italy where the owner is doing just that. The service is good, the food comes quick and he also puts on a show, but we are not discussing this now. Check the reviews of this place, even though they are vulgar, the message is that the owner of this place will not just stand and take it. The place is called Ristorante Papa Francesco, and you can find it here. Also give it a Google search or TripAdvisor and read some of his come backs, it is hilarious.
This might not work for every location but a polite answer to a mean can always be given.
The customer might not always be right, however being careful in your approach to their experience will always serve your business well.
Reason why customers are not always right
1. It makes your employees unhappy.
Instead of training your people to feel less than the customers, make them equal, not better, not less, but equal. They will work happily and will give their best not feeling inferior.
Train your employees not to be slaves, but to be their own person and explain to them that their job matters. Make sure they know how to react if one of the guests is making a scene or has a complaint.
2. Better treatment for worst customers
The worst acting customers are getting better treatment. It is unhealthy for society. You will get frustrations from both sides, your employees and the guests. Treat all your guests the same, at the highest standards. If the frustrations are not justified then to hell with them, they have a toxic behavior, usually if ignored they start to behave nicely.
3. Affects service experience
If you treat your customers like gods and your team like(from lack of a more suggestive world) shit, you will see negative consequences. Put them on the same level and see how your team will put the guest first and give them the best experience they can have in your location.
Basically the whole idea is to connect with then not to be their slaves.
You build a relationship. I believe more in the saying “ the customer has a reason” and you need to find that reason, is the drink that he doesn’t like, ask why and make a new one after the feedback. Have the same actions with the food, ask if everything is OK with their choice and the order they got. If the answer is “no” ask what is wrong, find the reason that creates an unpleasant feeling and act on it.
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