A lot of people believe that the customer is always right… it’s an old saying that seems to have gained momentum.

However, I’m not so sure that I would agree with it. I think it’s a little dated for our current business environment. I’d agree that the customer is a lot smarter nowadays. Many of our customers travel and experience things around the world, all of which shape their perceptions and expectations.

Plus, they can access a ton of information on the internet which makes them a well educated customer. Often, more knowledgeable about their specific requirement or product/service they want than the people we have helping them. But does that make them always right?

I’m not advocating total anti-customer anarchy… what I’m talking about is focusing on the business rather than the customer. Sometimes, it may be in the best interests of the business to look at the customer as right, sometimes not.

Sam Walton, the late founder of Wal-Mart once said “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”

While this is very true, it can be misleading as not all people can be your target customer. And this is where the “what’s in the best interests of the business’ strategy comes in to play.

Sometimes, the employee is right, or sometimes its the Manager that’s right and not the customer.

So, I’d suggest that anybody who believes the customer is always right, should rethink their stance.