Customer Experience Articles
Contact Vox to discuss how we can help you create a comprehensive Customer Experience that drives bottom-line results dramatically higher.
| ‹ ‹ Previous Article | Article Index | Next Article › › |
The Customer is Always…Right…?
Erica Falkner
October 1, 2008
Why the old adage doesn’t always hold true
We’ve all heard the saying “the customer is always right.” Meant to express a company’s commitment to put customers first and act in their best interest, today the phrase is often met with skepticism and doubt from both companies and customers alike.
Anyone who has ever dealt with a difficult and seemingly irrational customer will take issue with this phrase, as will any customer who believes they have been treated poorly or unfairly. The truth is, in business, there are no absolutes. Much depends on perception, the cost involved and, fairly or unfairly, the type of business or company you’re working for or dealing with.
Take for example the restaurant industry. If I’m a customer and complain about my food there’s a good chance I’ll receive an apology and some sort of compensation. Whether I receive money off my bill or a discount on my next visit, the restaurant industry has learned that, in most cases, it’s more cost-effective to offer customers compensation than to lose them and then have them recount their bad experience to an additional 9-12 people. As a customer, we feel empowered as the restaurant experience is straightforward and easy to understand and evaluate. Case in point; I went to a nice restaurant and found a hair in my pasta. I have the hair as proof and can safely say the experience did not live up to my expectations. The restaurant would agree, apologize and, most likely, there would be no dispute that I deserve some sort of compensation.
But what about say your doctor’s office. You are their customer. You could seek medical treatment elsewhere, but you’ve chosen, for whatever reason, to do business with this practice or office. I recently needed my doctor’s office to complete some time-sensitive insurance forms. The forms had a firm date by which they needed to be completed. Yet when I asked my doctor’s office if they could work with me to meet this deadline, they firmly replied no. The forms needed to be completed within 5 business days. My doctor’s office said it would take 7-10 business days and that there would be a $50 fee to complete the forms. I pled my case and was met with no apology or “let me see what I can do,” but rather a firm “it will take 7-10 business days.” Luckily, my insurance provider was more understanding and gave me an extension, but I’m still angry and disappointed that my doctor’s office was so uncooperative.
Will I, because of this bad experience, switch to another doctor? Probably not, and that’s part of the reason they can get away with treating their customers (patients) this way. There are certain industries that historically ignore “the customer is always right” rule. Typically they tend to be highly regulated, deal with serious and often confusing subject matter and involve lots of red tape. Industries that come to mind are healthcare, insurance, government and transportation.
Why do these industries continuously provide such notoriously poor customer service? Because they know they can. From a customer’s perspective, the hassle of changing providers or switching services is too great, and customers, while unsatisfied, often opt to just deal with the poor service and mistreatment. Also there are no real alternatives. These industries and companies are often monopolies that have gotten away with dictating terms to customers and treating them poorly for years. Sadly, these customers have come to expect an unpleasant and confusing experience. Lastly, many customers don’t deal with these companies or industries often enough to have a clear picture of what to expect so they often feel too insecure and intimidated to question the process or how they’re being treated.
I’m calling on customers to unite. These companies and industries aren’t going to change how they conduct business or treat customers unless customers start demanding better service. Let them know you’re unhappy by offering feedback, even if it’s unsolicited. For any of you companies out there that realize you may need help in this area, please call us. We know lots of customers that would gladly switch to do business with a company or agency that provides a more pleasant, helpful and less confusing experience.
Erica Falkner is Marketing Manager at Vox, Inc., a customer experience research and consulting firm. Contact her through the feedback form on our Contact Us page. Copyright 2008 Vox, Inc. All rights reserved.
| ‹ ‹ Previous Article | Article Index | Next Article › › |
