Disagree

by Nicholas Bond

Created on: December 30, 2011

We've all seen him or her at least once in our lifetime - or, at the very least, we've heard their inane babbling. That neighbor, relative, or friend who thinks they know exactly how things should be done, whatever the situation. Be it parenting, cooking, or even how the country is run, they're always the one with the answer - usually the wrong one.

The old adage "the customer is always right" makes a number of assumptions that form its basis. First, if we are to believe that the customer is indeed always right, we must accept that the customer is both genuinely relevant to a business' interests/appeal and more importantly, that the customer is reasonable. If neither of these two things are the case, then it can be logically deduced that the customer is not always right from a business perspective, as its ultimate goal is to make money - and certainly taking advice from customers who are unlikely to be frequent buyers or are lunatics does not assist in that endeavor.

The first assumption can, after some rational thought, be eliminated. A business catering to a specific niche market will adopt policies and products to serve that market, and will remain profitable if that market is both large and satisfied with what is offered. Specialty coffee shops, gift shops, and many other businesses fill this role, and they all share one thing in common besides their niches - they receive customers who are not a targeted demographic. The business wants to satisfy all of its customers, obviously, but has a clear demographic or group it's targeting - customers who do not fall within that group may be utterly dissatisfied with the products or services offered, and certainly (much like the person described at the start of this article) have ideas to make the business better.

The reality remains, however, that the business does not need these customers to remain profitable, and generally will not be interested in what someone totally outside of this niche (assuming it is large enough) has to say. In order to remain appealing to the group they profit off of, the business needs to cater to them and their interests - not the interests of every customer they will ever serve.

There are many other businesses, however, that try to create broad bases of appeal. In these instances, we must look to the second assumption - that the customer is always reasonable. Much like the first assumption, even brief thought on the matter will lead to the obvious conclusion - it is false. The average customer does not care about the success of a business, the fairness of its policies, or the expenses it faces. They care primarily about themselves, and will generally do anything to get the best possible deal on their end, regardless of the cost to the business. From a business standpoint, abiding by their every whim and demand is far from reasonable. Putting that aside, it is common knowledge that customers often act irrationally hostile, abrasive, and like spoiled children - and while certainly those that do are a very small minority, they comprise a portion of customers (and are arguably more vocal than their polite and respectful counterparts).

Putting these two debunked assumptions aside, it comes down to economics. Customers have the power to engage in dollar voting - "voting" for businesses by spending money at those they prefer - and exercise that power frequently. Businesses who mistreat their customers will certainly fail to gain customers' trust, and therefore fail to gain a profit. But businesses who bend to the customers' every whim will, just as quickly, alienate other portions of its consumer base and watch its profits evaporate.

The customer is important, and their opinion even more so - but they are not always right.

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