Is The Customer Always Right in the New Covid Economy?

 

First of all, I have never believed that the customer is always right  And, I teach customer service.  I believe that the customer is not always right but always has a perspective.  

I think the first person to challenge the notion that the customer was Herb Kelleher.  Herb was the co-founder of Southwest Airlines.  His vision was a discount airline. It is important to know that Herb was already a successful businessman and billionaire.  Initially, the airline wasn't the success that Herb thought it could be so he became CEO to become more involved.  He doubled down on the discount part of his business model.  At a time when airlines were still serving full meals, Southwest was offering no in-flight service.  He also wanted the flexibility that having no pre-assigned seating would give the airline.  So, when you got your boarding pass, you got a random seating assignment.  Not only was there no "business class", there was no insistence that you must have an aisle seat or window seat.  You got a random seat.  You could ask to seat next to your flying companion but that was the only thing accommodated.  

So, although he was doubling down on the "no frills", he was still required to have a certain amount of flight attendants on each flight.  Since they didn't have the traditional duties of in-flight service, he empowered his staff to make sure the passengers had fun on the flights.  So, the flight attendants played trivial pursuit with the passengers using the microphone; they played passenger Bingo "anyone here born in Wisconsin?"; they had contests like who has the holiest sock (the sock with the most holes); and they played frisbee and other games.  The had prizes as well.  They had Southwest Airlines t-shirts and the frisbee winner would win the frisbee.  People didn't mind the lack of "frills" because they were paying less and having fun.  

Everything was great until the airline got the first written complaint.  It was from a woman who said the conduct on the flight was undignified.  Apparently, she had been on a flight where grown men and women were removing their shoes and exposing their holey socks.  She called the staff unprofessional and their behavior was appalling. She demanded that dignity be restored immediately or she was never going to patronize the airline any further.  

The letter made its way to Herb Kelleher.  The staff were literally holding their breathe.  What was Herb going to respond?  He was the one who empowered them to be silly and have fun.  Was he going to throw them under the bus?  Was he going to change their fun working environment in order to save a customer?  Was the customer always right?  

Herb Kelleher had a one sentence response.  One brilliant sentence that reflected the innovative and visionary business model of Herb Kelleher.  He said:

WE WILL MISS YOU

It doesn't sound that exciting but believe me it was.  It represented the beginning of a fundamental shift in business.  The customer is not always right.  (They always have a perspective but they are not always right.) Another successful businessman, Richard Branson, further articulated this business strategy a few decades later.  He said to treat your employees like gold and they will treat your customers like gold.  

Like I said, I don't believe that the customer is always right, but they always have a perspective.  I believe businesses, especially small business, understand that.  I wonder if the Covid economy has changed this.  

I went to one of my favorite local coffee shops this morning.  Quite frankly, I like to go on Saturday mornings to support them.  The business is struggling. I want to try and imagine a world post-restrictions so I support this business now because I want it to survive. The business has had to make many adjustments to their shop already.  They are now in the midst of their second renovation since June.  They are trying to make it as safe as possible for their customers and staff.  They have changed their furniture already from comfy cloth sofas and chairs to uncomfortable metal chairs.  The new furniture is easy to sanitize after each customer use.  They have also installed another door in order to help with social distancing.  Customers enter one door and exit using the other and that is the only way the doors work.  All of these changes have cost money.  The business is already struggling but the only way they feel they can survive is by adapting and spending money.  They really need every customer they can get.  

Another thing that I am seeing is that customers seem to be taking advantage of businesses that are struggling.  I saw a lady chose to patronize the coffee shop this morning.  She was not a fan of the two doors. In fairness to her, the new entrance adds about 20 extra steps. (My tongue is in my cheek, I don't think that is a big deal.)  She went on a rant.  It is funny how before March I never really noticed when people went on rants, and now I notice minute drops of saliva flying through the air. And, she ended by saying, "You better change that before it snows or I am never coming back here again."  

Now, I am guessing that if this conversation happened on October 10, 2019, the business would reply, "we will miss you."  But, can they really afford to lose a customer on October 10, 2020?  

I don't know.  Stay tuned.  Support local.