But, They Are ALWAYS The Customer.
The other night, I watched the Celebrity Apprentice. Gene Simmons, of KISS fame, had just triumphed as Project Manager and was given the opportunity to lead the women. He took the chance.
Their task was to introduce a new printer for Kodak. Gene established that he was in charge, and that their theme was to be “It’s a Kodak World. Welcome…” They did a really good and professional job of presenting the product.
But, they lost.
Gene’s answer to Donald Trump was, “The customer is wrong.”
The problem was that Kodak knew what they were trying to accomplish. They weren’t wrong – this time. AND, they were the Customer.
We have heard, “The Customer Is Always Right” over and over again. The concept is correct, but the statement is not. The Customer isn’t always right. Taking that attitude literally can lead to some interesting consequences.
For example, it can lead to a company Returns policy that accepts tires or anything else NOT SOLD by that store. It leads to a hypocrisy for the salesman who hears that the Customer’s. “NO” is just the beginning of selling – keep closing… It can lead to designing products by poll or focus groups only to have them fail miserably in the marketplace.
The reality is that the Customer is King or Queen is the right attitude. Everything we do needs to be aimed at the customer. We treat every customer with courtesy and respect. We go the extra mile in seeing that their needs are met. We over-deliver so the customer gets a WOW experience every time they come into contact with us.
The Customer isn’t always right, but the Customer is ALWAYS the Customer!
What do you think?