"The customer is always right." Having worked in high volume, high end retail on a handful of jobs, I struggle with this particular notion. I do believe that great service is a must, and if a customer has not received a desired standard of service, a complaint is not unfounded. In that aspect of business, sure, the customer should get what they want. There is, however, a moral aspect that continues to be in issue for me: if the customer is always right, does it then make it socially acceptable for a customer to treat those who are serving them with disrespect and rudeness? My Libran trait of being a fierce advocate of fairness amongst all people immediately yells, NO NO NO! Condoning disgusting behavior from a customer is not acceptable! Customer and customer service employees aside, we are, at the end of it, all human beings, and regardless of social standing in professional contexts, we all deserve to be treated as such.
One of the actualities of being in show business is that it is a very cyclical profession; one day you could be in your final rehearsal before opening night of a major show whereupon you will be photographed and admired on the red carpet, and a few months down the line, you could be back on the audition circuit, unemployed, waiting (and praying) for the next contract to roll around. To tide me over when I have been in such circumstances, I have had the pleasure of selling wedding gowns in a lovely London boutique, selling delicious dark chocolate in a Disneyworld for chocolate lovers in the West Village, and selling fine teas (miracles of nature, I staunchly believe!) in a beautiful SoHo space. The common factor of all of these is the huge amount of face-to-face customer interaction. I have been lucky enough to adore each "survival" job. Watching a bride's face when putting her in a wedding gown that turns out to be "the one;" Indulging the sweet tooth of someone who looks in amazement at the slabs of chocolate laying out before them; Conducting a tea tasting for someone who is reduced to smiling a copacetic tea smile. These moments are quite lovely, and as someone who, if I could choose any other profession if my soul not demanded that I dance, would choose to be a psychologist, for me they are moments of true human connection. 90% of the time, helping customers is a real pleasure. Of course, I'd rather be doing 8 shows a week, but life is give and take, so I am okay with "doing time" off-stage before I receive the next gifts of the chance to dance again. This point is something that some people to not understand about those of us in customer service. In my experience, the majority of us are artists and performers, biding our time in a semi-flexible job until we are given that opportunity to express ourselves in our chosen career. The fact that we have to support ourselves through retail work or bar work does not make us stupid, nay, it makes us committed to our goals, dreams, and desires that we would rather work in a flexible customer service position than at a more stable office position with better financial opportunity but less flexibility to pursue our true passions. And yet, to some, we are merely seen as uneducated, low-ranking members of society who cannot possibly be more complex.
Would you believe that, sometimes, when I eagerly greet a customer into the store by genuinely saying, "hello, how are you?" that they look me right in the eye, then proceed to look away without so much as a smile because in their eyes I am not worthy of a basic greeting? Would you believe that, whether it be wedding gowns, chocolate, or tea, when I have used my knowledge (I have been quite adequately trained in selling these products, after all) to make a suggestion, I have been met with a look of disgust which is meant to imply that I have no idea of what I am talking about? Would you believe that I have been made to cry on the floor by a customer who, because she disagreed with store policy and I was very politely but assertively not bending the rules for her, actually said to me, "are you trying to get yourself fired? shut-up, don't talk to me?" I am a confident, happy person, and that strangers can make me feel so degraded and inadequate is NOT acceptable, even if the customer is always right. From my moral standpoint, it's just not. The truth is, the majority of people whom I've had the pleasure of working with on these various "survival" jobs are smart enough to choose a more stable career path. Call me arrogant if you like, but if I really wanted to hold down a "better" job I do believe I could, so it is infuriating to me when I encounter a customer with an "I'm better than you" attitude. You see people from all walks of life when working high volume retail, and I have come to learn that, you can have all the money, good-looks, and education in the world, but none of that buys class when you are rude for no reason to the person who is serving you. Most of us are not in awe of the self-entitled yuppie who walks into the store with the air of, "I have everything that I want, aren't you jealous?" (these people exist) then proceed to treat us like servants. On the contrary; they walk out of the store and we discuss the moron that just came in with the awful attitude.
When I was doing 8 shows a week, whether it be as a member of the ensemble or the leading role, I treated everyone equally. From my co-performers, to the dressers, to the choreographer, to the stage management crew, I never made a distinction. When I walk into a shop or into a restaurant or am on hold with a customer service representative, I hope that I am always polite and good-natured. No one deserves to be made to feel not good enough, no matter how bad of a day you may be having, or whether or not you agree with store policy. Because if you disagree with store policy and believe that the customer is always right, therefore, store policy should be changed just for you because you are more important than the thousands of other customers who walk in and out of the shop/restaurant/bar every year, then I believe that you have no class and no etiquette, and, quite frankly, that you are an idiot. So, the customer may always be "right," but that certainly doesn't mean that the customer is always considerate and courteous. I know which type of customer I'd rather be (and wait on).
copyright (c) 2010-2011 Celia Mei Rubin
The customer is NOT always right. The customer is always the customer. That's pretty much where it ends. And in this day and age of "entitlement" - it's even worse. The Customer Is Always Right doesn't is a notion and throwback to a time before people were so self involved.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Craig on this. To add to that, and it is much easier said than done, you can only control yourself and your emotions, so TRY to not allow those customers dripping with the sense of entitlement, to ruin your day. The customer is NOT always right, and don't stoop to their level or even give them the pleasure of seeing their effect on you. Like I said, easier said than done. I've been there and in this case, I truly understand that it is so hard to practice what I'm preaching.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you and THANKS for reading!
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