Every store wants a customer to walk away with good things to say about their customer service. How they meet expectations changes from one store to another. For some, it means much expense and personal attention. But sometimes a store takes second-guessing customers so seriously they wind up imposing their own expectations on anyone walking in.
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I’m very much into music on vinyl. Every weekend I’m at my favorite dealer playing records. One afternoon I was buying a new turntable; I sat in a special room for serious listening trying to decide. Then a customer entered and walked around with his open-back headphones turned-up real loud.
My dealer is knowledgeable and normally a pleasure to talk to. Unsurprisingly for people in our hobby, he’s a perfectionist with strong opinions. Interrupting an audition was a crime in his. My dealer and the customer exchanged words. It got heated to the point other customers walked out.
Soon enough, the customer posted on an online forum. His story was one-sided and inaccurate, but he got what he wanted. The thread was busy for weeks and the store’s reputation suffered. The customer is always right, people shrugged.
What happened was unfair, but my dealer made a mistake. He made it a point to look after longtime customers and I was one of them. But he hadn’t asked my opinion before going after the other person. I would’ve told my dealer to forget it. But he’d made up his mind.
Often the best form of customer service is simply communicating. If it appears one customer is bothering others, always confirm by asking. Don’t leave anyone staring uncomfortably without learning what’s wrong.
But don’t jump the gun on complaints and provoke people if it can be helped. Letting someone unreasonable get away with it sounds unfair, but customer service isn’t about teaching others manners. All that’s asked is we keep ours.
