Is The Customer Always Right?

Is the customer always right? It’s a pretty common question when you enter the world of customer relations. And the correct answer is absolutely – even when they are wrong.

But when they are wrong, that’s where your customer service skills are really put to the test. How do you tactfully redirect them?

The slogan is typically attributed to Harry Selfridge, founder of Selfridges department store in London, England in 1909. The full phrase was, “The customer is always right, in matters of taste.” That latter part got lost along the way, and it was a pretty significant qualifier.

There is a well-known story of another department store known for its “customer is always right” motto where a salesperson accepted the return of a set of car tires, even though the store did not sell tires. The salesperson might have gone too far, but what would have been a better way to handle it? How do you draw the line, while still aiming to please the customer?

In this case, the store could have assisted the customer in finding the right place to return the tires. But that department store got far more free publicity out of this transaction than the refund cost was for those tires. It solidified their reputation as the store with the best customer service.

Building Trust
As I’ve noted many times, marinas are part of the hospitality industry, just like a hotel. As such, having good customer service is essential, and having great customer service is one of the elements that can really take your business to the next level.

So how do you get there? Like many things, it must start at the top, but it must reach down to every level and facet of your operation, from the person answering the phone, to the dockhand who’s pumping gas, to the mechanics servicing your customers’ boats. Perhaps especially the mechanics.

It also has to be taken seriously. It’s just not enough to say be nice to the customers. You have to provide the training and the tools your employees need in order to be nice, especially for the mechanics.

So, why am I picking on the mechanics? In part it’s because at many marinas they haven’t been included on the facility’s customer service radar, and in part because in interactions between customers and mechanics there tends to be a higher probability that the customer isn’t right, which makes it all the more critical for mechanics to skillfully point the customer in the right direction.

It’s also worth noting that at times mechanics may be so used to customers being wrong that they don’t listen quite as well as they might and miss what can be important clues to what’s really wrong. Encouraging longer conversations with customers can also be quite useful in the diagnostics and will often end up increasing the overall scope of work as the boater recalls other issues that could be addressed so long as the boat is in for work.

Such conversations can also work the other way, particularly once the mechanic has taken an initial look at the boat, with the mechanic noting additional work that would make sense to undertake at the same time, or proactive measures that could be undertaken to prevent likely upcoming problems. Direct conversations between mechanic and customer allow for better explanation of the needs and answers to customer questions, increasing trust and the likely pursuit of such additional work.

Think Long Term
In all cases one is cautioned about the value of upselling for the sake of upselling – it is one of the quickest ways to ruin customer trust. A case in point is a recent experience at my car dealership. Dealership service departments have become increasingly associated with upselling practices, which are typically the job of the service manager, and you the customer do not have access to the mechanic. In this case I was in for service on a small issue. The service manager gave me some additional work suggestions, all of which sounded like upselling for the diagnosed issue. When the service manager got diverted to a lengthy phone call, I went to get something from the car and the mechanic was still there. So, I asked him about the suggestions from the service manager. The mechanic smiled and said they are options, but you really do not need them – just don’t say that I told you. But he then went on to say there is another issue that you might want to take preventative action on, and he explained the cause and effect of acting now or not. I passed on the service manager recommendations but added those of the mechanic.
Instilling confidence in your staff is not only the key to a desirable relationship but a more profitable one as well. Think long term not short term.

In fact, longer customer conversations are worth encouraging just about everywhere, providing you have set the example and reviewed the types of conversations that are appropriate. A more engaged customer is often happier, more loyal and more willing to spend money. And those conversations are also among the best ways to find out what your customers want, so you can provide the right products and services and do it in the right way. When the marina and its customers are in sync, good things usually happen.

Instilling Policies
In addition to making it clear what boundaries your employees should set in their customer interactions, it is important that your employees know the limits of where the customer is always right, and that you will back them up when it is the customer crossing a line. An abusive customer is never right. At the same time, you don’t want your employee to get into an argument or potentially escalate a bad situation, but rather take the approach where they call in a manager to deal with and hopefully diffuse the situation.

A customer who is creating a safety hazard also is not likely to be right. Again, your employees should always endeavor to be polite, but firm in explaining the need to correct an unsafe condition. If the employee fails, they again should be comfortable to bring in the boss while doing their best to keep calm.

To help minimize such conflicts, it’s imperative that both your employees and your customers know what the marina’s various rules and policies are, whether we’re talking about returns at the ship’s store, keeping the docks free of trip hazards, quiet hours and so on.

Of course, it’s also imperative that your employees know whether or not you sell tires! As a marina, chances are you don’t, unless we’re talking boat trailer tires.