This is undoubtedly the phrase that every frontline employee loves to hate... Everyone knows it but what they don’t know is who coined the phrase and why.
"The customer is always right" is the phrase in question, the paternity of which is claimed by several people, most notably the pioneers and highly successful retailers Harry Gordon Selfridge, John Wanamaker and Marshall Field. All we can say is that these three men embraced this philosophy and that the phrase was first used sometime in the first decade of the 20th century.
Its most famous variation was "The customer is never wrong", which is attributed to César Ritz, who excelled in the hospitality and catering business, who said that "if a guest complains about the food or wine, we immediately withdraw it and replace it, no questions asked".
However, all these big businessmen knew that this phrase was not literal, but was intended, on the one hand, to motivate staff to make an extra effort to ensure that the customer left satisfied and also to manage complaints effectively so that the customer did not feel misled or cheated. All this at a time when the practice of 'misleading descriptions' and intimidation of the customer was thriving...
In addition, the phrase "The customer is always right" acted as a "decoy", reminding the consumer that he is important to the business and that he will receive very good service.
Related articles to read: When to respond ''I don't know" to a customer {alertInfo}
However, the literal meaning of the phrase in question is completely wrong and misleading, as, as early as 1914, there was research showing that many customers had unreasonable demands or expectations, were malicious and dishonest, with fraudulent motives and were seeking to take something for nothing, while warning that its literal application would make companies unprofitable.
Indeed, many have argued that its faithful application could damage customer service itself, as it would create disgruntled employees who feel they are second-class citizens, while at the same time giving customers with unreasonable demands an unfair advantage.
As Gordon Bethune, CEO of Continental, once said: "Just because a customer buys a ticket doesn't mean they can talk badly to our staff. Of course we will stand in solidarity with our people when a fool demands a free ticket because we didn't offer him nuts."