Is the customer always right?????

I'm curious about the relationship between the retail customer and the retail store.  Is it true that the customer is always right?  Does the customer have the right to lie and be overwhelmingly rude?

So my curiosity led me to open a conversation with a couple of my favorite retailers about how this plays out for them.

One store with several decades of experience had a situation with a mother of the bride that left me speechless.  She had a couture dress made and the day of the final fitting arrived.  The wedding had been called off and mother had gained 5 kilos.  Needless to say the dress did not fit and she flew into a rage, blaming the dressmaker and the store.  She decided to take the store to the small claims tribunal to get a full refund.  After all, she no longer had a need for this garment.

The store attempted negotiation on several occasions and she refused initially until she was made aware it was a crucial part of the process.  She raised her voice at retail staff, pointed her finger and refused to make eye contact.  The store took the high road and gave her a credit in the store for the value of the garment.  Why?  Because they are fierce about protecting their reputation in the area.  They know they can't afford the negativity because of the perception that the customer is always right.  Was the bride's mother right?

The other store retails shoes.  One Monday morning, a woman in her 60's entered the store to return the shoes she had purchased two weeks ago for an event.  She claimed that she had not worn them and had changed her mind.  The shoes were clearly scuffed on the bottom and had heavy indentation marks of where her toes had been.

When the manager kindly pointed this out the lady became angry and threw the shoes at her, yelling loudly that she will make sure her friends NEVER enter the store.  The manager thanked the customer for her promise and wished her a good day.  Well, customers like that you don't want back do you?  Seriously, what was this woman thinking???  Was this customer right?

The retailers that I work with are among the most brilliant merchandisers and stylists I have ever seen.  Their customer service skills are outstanding and they manage to retain generations of clientele in the same family.  They work hard and they live to serve.  They actually love what they do and see it as a fabulous career path.

My daughter works in retail.  She's 22 and at times is treated atrociously by customers, especially at Christmas time.  After each shift she works, we play a game of Hi/Low.  What was the high and what was the low of the shift.  It always revolves around a connection with a customer.  It's never about the product.

One of her favorite experiences was a famous Essendon footballer coming into the store with his pre school daughter to choose a gift for Mum.  He empowered his young daughter to ask for what she wanted for her Mum.  He encouraged her to find her own voice.  At the same time he was respectful towards Gab, trusting her to connect with his daughter.  She felt privileged with the task.

One the lows (and it's a regular one) is when a customer enters the store, they are greeted "Hello, how's your day been?"  When the reply is snapped "I'm JUST looking - I'll call YOU if I NEED you" it makes me wonder, what the hell?????  Where do some people get off?

So this Christmas people, please consider that the retail team member you are about to snap at is someone's mother, someone's beautiful husband or my daughter.  Play above the line and BE NICE!