The Customer is on the Endangered Species List

If we don’t take care of the customer, they will become extinct.

 

Remember these Golden Rules!

Rule #1 :  The Customer is always Right

Rule #2 :  When in Doubt, refer to rule #1

Rule #3 :  The Customer may not always be right, but he must always be SATISFIED

In virtually all businesses, these rules are applicable.   Especially in tourism and hospitality, these are the cornerstones of the business.   Providing the highest level of service to garner satisfaction among customers is what we train and strive for every day throughout our careers.   From very early days, these rules are molded and ingrained in our minds and behaviors.  They represent the objective and goal that lead to our success.   We not only believe but are guided by these rules with each customer we meet.

However, have you noticed that whenever something goes wrong, the customer, at first, is almost always told it is his fault.   Think about the last time or anytime you were faced with an issue, and you brought it up as a comment or a complaint.   Immediately, you are wrong because you did not understand the policy, follow the rules, or the terms and conditions.   For a long time, I looked upon this as a defense mechanism because if there is an issue, defend yourself first.   That is a lot better than admitting to the alternative.     Perhaps it is because the best defense is a good offense, so attack the customer in defense.     It happens every day, at least initially.

Perhaps these rules are not so Golden after all?   

If we believe in these rules as we all say we do, how does this happen?   Why is this scenario so common?     All businesses rely on customers, so alienating a customer this way cannot be appropriate.   This is why these rules were established.   Do I hear any objections?

There is nothing more important than a customer.   It is difficult, and we work so hard to find a customer and work even harder to retain one.     If we do not practice these rules, we will not be able to find new customers or keep existing ones.  Businesses will not grow or survive without customers.  

The moral of this story is that we must believe in the Golden Rules and be guided by them every day.   A dissatisfied customer is a “lost” customer.   We have many opportunities to satisfy a customer, but we also have many opportunities to do otherwise.   Which do you prefer?

In my next article, I want to share with you a recent experience with a happy ending.