Ep 41 The Customer Is NOT Always Right!

The Customer Is NOT Always Right: The Real Origin of the Rule (And What to Use Instead) | Locally OwnedIn this mini episode of Locally Owned, the host argues that “the customer is always right” is misunderstood, explains its origins in the late 1800s/early 1900s as a marketing strategy to protect customers in an era of inconsistent goods and no return policies (often attributed to Marshall Field by 1905), and offers a better rule: “right is always right.” He shares lessons from running a service business, including a complaint-handling policy of empathizing first, giving a cooling-off window, investigating by talking with employees, and making things right only when a mistake actually occurred. He contrasts respectful, legitimate customers with those seeking freebies, encourages owners to stand their ground when needed, and urges businesses to create clear, company-wide policies for handling unhappy customers while giving both customers and employees the benefit of the doubt.00:00 Customer Always Right00:32 Show Welcome Update03:05 Rule I Disagree With04:05 My Better Rule05:46 Origins Of The Phrase09:41 Early Mistake Story11:45 Complaint Handling System14:47 Spotting Good Bad Clients19:15 Trust And Takeaways20:40 Policy And Wrap UpIf you would like to be a guest on the show please email me at [email protected] #8 in Million Podcasts Top 100 Small Business Podcasts in the UShttps://www.millionpodcasts.com/small-business-podcasts/Ranked #5 in Million Podcasts Top 20 Main Street Business Podcasts in the UShttps://www.millionpodcasts.com/main-street-business-podcasts/Check out Million Podcasts here: www.millionpodcasts.com