Customer Isn’t Always Right for Your Company

Customer Isn’t Always Right for Your Company

If you run a business in the service industry, there is no getting around dealing with customers.

While outsourced call center solutions can take some of the pressure off of your staff, there are still times when that customer service is not going to make someone happy.

People tell you that the customer is always right, but what happens when they are wrong?

Here are five instances when it is better to rid yourself of a customer than to do whatever it takes to rein them in:

1. You’re Losing Money

Customer care professionals who work for your company are taught to do whatever it takes to make the customer happy.

What happens when “whatever it takes” creates a monster? There is a certain type of person who complains at every turn, simply to receive something for their complaints.

When you start giving things away to a customer time and again, you start to lose money.

If one complaint from a customer has snowballed into the constant giving away of free items or services, it is time to drop that customer.

2. Your Employees are Suffering

There is no doubt that there are employees who lack service skills, even when you are utilizing one of the many call center solutions available.

It is always better to give your employees the benefit of the doubt. These are the people who work with and for you.

If you have a great employee who has a run in with a customer, back your employee.

When a customer’s bad attitude causes your employees to become disgruntled, it is often an indication to cut your losses.

3. You Are Pitted Against Your Employees

There are customers who are skilled in causing turmoil.

When you, your co-workers and your employees are pitted against one another by a persistently angry customer, that customer needs to be written off.

There is a certain type of customer that will speak with each of your employees until he gets what he wants.

He will complain about one employee to another. He will complain about all of your employees to you.

This customer is not one that is worth keeping.

4. Customer Service is Suffering

If you consistently back your bad customers instead of your employees, morale in your company will plummet.

Studies have shown that when you put your employees first, treating them in an exceptional way, they are happier.

Happier employees have more energy, are more motivated and care about others. If it takes getting rid of a customer or two to keep your employees happy, do it.

5. The Customer is Dead Wrong

There comes a time when a customer is just flat out wrong.

It is not a matter of having a defective product or being unhappy with services rendered.

This customer is rude, offensive or, at worst, abusive. Let go of this customer immediately.

When you keep customers like this, your employees see it as a betrayal. Your business will be more successful with 10 great customers than 100 bad ones.

Do not get stuck in the mindset that the customer is always right.

Some customers are just wrong.

These customers are wrong for your employees, for you and for your business.

When you run across a customer that cannot be pleased, that is bleeding you dry, or is just plain abusive, get rid of them and remember that customer isn’t always right for your company.