One of the age old questions when it comes to running a business isn’t it? Do you know who actually coined this phrase which has turned out to be quite a nightmare for many an entrepreneur? This phrase was actually coined by Harry Gordon Selfridge, the founder of Selfridge’s department store in London in 1909. If you running a business, or have experience in running a business or even been in the customer service line if your company you’re bound to come across this phrase more than often during management and escalation meetings. I personally have heard this phrase way too many times and it more than often irritates me than anything else. Listen – the customer is NOT always right! Face it.

I have been facing customers in my line of work for the past decade and recently been running my own business too. I’m amazed how I manage to restrain myself given the potent combination of my short temper and the jerks I meet as customers. The reason I tend to believe that the customer is NOT always right is because some of them can be really disruptive for your business and can actually be bad for your profits too. You need customers to make money, but if they’re going to suck you dry you don’t need them. It is even worse when you have a bunch of employees who have to face such jerks and eventually their morale is going to be pulled down as well.

The phrase “Customer is always right” is being used indiscriminately these days. It was initially coined to give the customers a sense of security that the business will provide their best services for them and to also motivate employees to provide excellent customer service. But there are so many customers who take advantage of this and think they are some kind of “God” and deserve to be kissed in the ass. Sorry that’s not going to work. Yes, you will bring money to my business but if you’re going to be disruptive you can take your money elsewhere. Also think how unfair it would be to more “gentle” customers when you start giving in to abrasive customers. Something that you would not like to promote as a precedent in working with you or your business.

It’s definitely not wrong to say that the customer is wrong at times. Stand up for yourself and your employees – they will be motivated to work for you and in fact will improve your customer service in the future. You take care of your employees and the customer service will be taken care of by itself! Let there be a more professionally relationship between you as a vendor and the customer and things will fall in place. If you made a mistake – own up and fix the mess. If you are being taken for a ride stand up for yourself and stop being so spineless. After all money without dignity is nothing in life.

So you tell me – Is the customer always right?