Heard a coworker say the customer is always right and I finally snapped

I was standing at the break room counter last Tuesday in St. Louis when Jenna said that phrase like it was gospel. She was talking about a lady who screamed at her for 15 minutes over a 50 cent coupon we don't even offer anymore. I told Jenna that phrase ends with 'in matters of taste' and people chop it off to justify bad behavior. Has anyone else had to explain the full quote to a teammate who takes abuse like it's part of the job?

3 comments

3 Comments

leo61215d ago

Have you ever tried just writing out the full quote on a sticky note and putting it by the time clock? I did that at my old job and it started a whole conversation about what we actually put up with versus what we should. It helped a few people realize they had a choice in how much nonsense they accepted.

josephl6715d ago

Start with the sticky note idea @leo612 but flip it around - maybe put it somewhere customers can see it too. My buddy did this at his shop and it actually made some customers think twice about how they treated his staff. Sort of shined a light on both sides of the coin, you know?

jennysullivan15d ago

leo612, I get what you're saying, but that full quote thing doesn't help anyone when your manager is the one saying the customer is always right. If the boss backs the customer on refunds and policies, a sticky note about taste doesn't change how you get paid. The real problem isn't a quote it's your boss not having your back, and no note will fix that.