Comments on: Harbor of Learning http://www.fireflyoftheearth.com/2009/10/28/harbor-of-learning/ I've only got a finite amount of time, to reach equilibrium... Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:23:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Deinera http://www.fireflyoftheearth.com/2009/10/28/harbor-of-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-2536 Deinera Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:04:18 +0000 http://www.fireflyoftheearth.com/?p=369#comment-2536 I think you're missing my point. Treating a customer AS THOUGH they were right is different than a blanket statement of "The customer is always right." The customer is NOT always right. They can't be. No one can be ALWAYS right in their lives. Now if the statement on the quiz had said, "You should always treat the customer as though they were right" then without hesitation I would have answered yes. You're right. This isn't about priorities. It's not even necessarily about grammatical inconsistencies. It's about the fact that a statement like that is archaic and old fashioned. Word the statement in a way that reflects the views you want your employees to have and they will act in a way that is a reflection of those ideals. I think you’re missing my point. Treating a customer AS THOUGH they were right is different than a blanket statement of “The customer is always right.” The customer is NOT always right. They can’t be. No one can be ALWAYS right in their lives. Now if the statement on the quiz had said, “You should always treat the customer as though they were right” then without hesitation I would have answered yes. You’re right.

This isn’t about priorities. It’s not even necessarily about grammatical inconsistencies. It’s about the fact that a statement like that is archaic and old fashioned. Word the statement in a way that reflects the views you want your employees to have and they will act in a way that is a reflection of those ideals.

]]> By: Dave http://www.fireflyoftheearth.com/2009/10/28/harbor-of-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-2534 Dave Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:39:18 +0000 http://www.fireflyoftheearth.com/?p=369#comment-2534 You are missing the point here. "The customer is always right" is about business. If you treat the customer AS THOUGH they are always right, you tend to keep them as a customer. Just ONE time of explaining to them how wrong they are, and they are gone. It's not about you. It's about your employer trying to run a business. That keeps you employed. Get your priorities straight. You are missing the point here. “The customer is always right” is about business. If you treat the customer AS THOUGH they are always right, you tend to keep them as a customer. Just ONE time of explaining to them how wrong they are, and they are gone.

It’s not about you. It’s about your employer trying to run a business. That keeps you employed. Get your priorities straight.

]]> By: Deinera http://www.fireflyoftheearth.com/2009/10/28/harbor-of-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-2524 Deinera Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:26:11 +0000 http://www.fireflyoftheearth.com/?p=369#comment-2524 Alas, I'm going to have to disagree with you with regard to the "collective whole" as well. Mostly because bad information spreads like wildfire, especially when it comes to medical information. Example: H1N1 vaccine can cause Autism. Uh, False. If 400 people walked in and refused the H1N1 shot because of this, it still makes each and every one of them wrong. I'm willing to accept that I need to be empathetic and sympathetic to their view, but that does not automatically make anyone or "the customer" right. Ever. Just because "the customer" has more voting power, or larger numbers does not automatically give them the "right" alignment. It never will in my book. You have to earn that. Individually and collectively. Alas, I’m going to have to disagree with you with regard to the “collective whole” as well. Mostly because bad information spreads like wildfire, especially when it comes to medical information. Example: H1N1 vaccine can cause Autism. Uh, False. If 400 people walked in and refused the H1N1 shot because of this, it still makes each and every one of them wrong.

I’m willing to accept that I need to be empathetic and sympathetic to their view, but that does not automatically make anyone or “the customer” right. Ever.
Just because “the customer” has more voting power, or larger numbers does not automatically give them the “right” alignment. It never will in my book. You have to earn that. Individually and collectively.

]]> By: rob http://www.fireflyoftheearth.com/2009/10/28/harbor-of-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-2519 rob Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:38:01 +0000 http://www.fireflyoftheearth.com/?p=369#comment-2519 The customer is always right? The phrase doesn't work when you are talking about individual customers. For me it only really works when you are talking about "the customers" as a collective entity. In the end they are always right, they vote with their dollars and if they decide to cast their vote with someone else, pretty soon you no longer have a business. So you do need to always consider the customer's view and realize sometimes they (as a group) are gonna be right even when they are wrong. On the other hand, individual customers are frequently wrong. Anyone that has ever worked in any kind of customer service position is well aware of this. I've deal with my share of them both as an employee and a manager. The customer is always right? The phrase doesn’t work when you are talking about individual customers. For me it only really works when you are talking about “the customers” as a collective entity. In the end they are always right, they vote with their dollars and if they decide to cast their vote with someone else, pretty soon you no longer have a business. So you do need to always consider the customer’s view and realize sometimes they (as a group) are gonna be right even when they are wrong.

On the other hand, individual customers are frequently wrong. Anyone that has ever worked in any kind of customer service position is well aware of this. I’ve deal with my share of them both as an employee and a manager.

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