The Customer is Always Human

Harry Gordon Selfridge, an American retail magnate, dealt customers everywhere a real blow when he coined the phrase: The customer is always right. While Selfridge may have said this out of respect for customers, he overlooked basic human nature. First and foremost, customers are human beings.

All human beings, yes, customers, too, crave connectivity and being heard — not being told to have a nice day multiple times in one conversation or being placated with emoticons. If companies assume customers are always right, there is no reason to listen or to even have a conversation.

Processes and the rise of automation have removed empathy from our relationship with customers, and companies can save a lot of money by setting up automated ways to tell their customers that they are “right”. Listening, thinking and following up is far more difficult, expensive and time consuming than phone scripts and implementing automatic processes. Real customer service requires a human being to understand another human being, and human beings just don’t scale.

My old boss once said that the best way to diffuse anger is to listen. This advice remains powerful even today. A disgruntled customer is likely to appreciate your attention far more than a coupon or refund. Love your customers? Stop telling them and start showing them. They know the difference.

Originally published at www.lizasperling.com.