1. Trust
If the customer says something is broken, trust them. From a commercial perspective, there is often nothing to be gained from accusing a customer of being wrong or exaggerating the truth. For example, many retail brands will except returns on a no-questions-asked basis in order to impress customers and build brand value.2. Perceived Problems vs Problems
If a customer sees a problem with your products or services, it's a problem to them. It is often counterproductive to argue that it's not a problem. For example, a restaurant server might simply apologize that a customer's food is too cold even if they secretly believe it was served at the right temperature.3. Respect
Customers want you to respect them as individuals. It's often more productive to respect your customers without judgement. This includes treating them with politeness and respecting their intelligence by listening to them with intent to understand. For example, a technical service representative may listen intently to a customer's description of a problem, even if the customer describes the problem in difficult to understand non-technical terms.4. Feedback Loop
It's typically impossible to incorporate every customer suggestion into your products or processes. However, it's often useful to consider each suggestion with the assumption that it could be helpful.5. Product Design
It's easier to sell a product that customers already want than to change their minds about something. If customers are convinced that pickup trucks are great, give them pickup trucks.| Overview: Customer Is Always Right | ||
Type | ||
Definition | A business principle that suggests that businesses treat customers with respect and value their perspective. | |
Origin | Popularized by successful retailers such as Harry Gordon Selfridge in the late 19th century. | |
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