Wayne put himself through college working in retail (if you can imagine that!) where the mantra was “the customer is always right.” Is that concept true anymore? Was it ever?
There are circumstances when a good contractor really should terminate a customer relationship. Please tune in this week as Wayne lays out the top eight reasons why you SHOULD fire a customer and the six characteristics of customers you should cherish.
We’d love to hear your stories about both good and bad customer experiences. Please provide your feedback in the comments section. Thank you.
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Hi Wayne, thanks once again for a great cameo on our relationship with the customer. If I may say so, I think you jumped straight in the deep end by going from is the customer always right, to fire the customer. There is a world of grey in between.
I have always said to my team, the customer is not always right, but if the customer demands the right to be right, then this will come at a cost. For starters it will severely limit possibilities and cross the spectrum to toxify the relationship. So things could go from bad to worse.
So we know as a company and as a team that the customer isn’t always right, but could be for much of the time. To head off the possibility of the customer placing unreasonable demands and setting unrealistic expectations, at the project kick-off meeting I say these things very clearly. I let them know what it takes from our side for there to be a successful relationship. I am 65 years old and been in business for over 20 years. I continue to be surprised at the range of responses I get when being candid with a customer ranging from insult and annoyance to warm respect and understanding. One size does not fit all. For the sake of my company, my team, and all our customers I firmly believe that being clear, polite, and above board – without being blunt, rude, or offensive – is the better approach for a more respectful and successful customer relationship.
Good perspective, Alan. Thanks.