Is the customer always right?
October 19, 2004Return to blog homepage
Any business owner knows the golden rule of customer service: the customer is always right. Is this adage always true or should the line be drawn at some point?
Strained client relations
We had a situation with a client where an individual was being difficult to work with. Put succinctly, we had a very simple solution to a problem, but the person at the company dismissed our idea in favor of a much more difficult method. No doubt pride came into play on both sides. It got to the point where going through this person was both essential and problematic.
It's never a good situation when you as the contractor are clearly correct, and the client is clearly wrong, and you have to find a tactful way to divulge this information. In most cases, quick, smart solutions save the client money. The crux of this problem is that a difficult individual on the client's side can potentially smear your good name with the higher-ups. Not an ideal situation!
In the end, I was able to smooth things over by speaking both with the individual and their manager. This is not a scenario I'd like to repeat. On the other hand, lack of experience played a big role in this instance. Being familiar with this type of situation will help me recognize the next occurrence so I can take appropriate action at an early stage. Definitely a lesson learned!
