"Rule 1: The customer is always right! Rule 2: If the customer is ever wrong, reread Rule 1!"
This inscription, carved on a granite rock, is seen by the customer entering each of the six Stew Leonard's food stores in America.
It is worth noting that this company, considered one of the best companies to work for and renowned for its quality service, has entered the Guinness Book of Records, as it has the highest sales per store compared to any other food store in America.
How it all started...
The incident that was to forever change Stew Leonard's perception of customer service occurred shortly after he opened his first store in 1969 in Connecticut, USA.
At that time, the founder of the supermarket chain bearing his name, which now counts six stores, clashed with a customer who returned some egg nog, a traditional drink, claiming it wasn’t good enough.
Stew, who knew that the drinks had been prepared the same day, questioned the customer's claims, who became angry. Without apologizing, he took a dollar from his pocket – roughly the cost of an egg nog – and gave it to the disgruntled customer. He took the dollar and left, swearing he would never set foot in the store again.
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That night, when Stew shared the incident with his wife, he was sure she would support his decision. Instead, his wife accused him of essentially calling the customer a "liar." It was at that moment that Stew realized he had made a mistake.
The next day, on his way to work, he stopped at a store and bought a large piece of granite weighing 2.5 tons. After placing it at the entrance of his store, he carved onto it the two rules of customer service.