The Customer is Always Right

This week, marketing guru Seth Godin had an interesting blog entry. He writes a funny little blurb about how the vast majority of people think they are smarter than average, and probably think they are righter than average, too. Customers have a very hard time admitting they are the ones that are wrong.

Has this ever happened to you? Have you had a customer that was clearly in the wrong, but insisted on getting his or her own way? I have certainly had my share. In a service business, the bigger the project, the bigger the chance for something to go wrong. Failed communication, scope-creep, bad attitudes and more can all contribute to a relationship gone sour.

Since you are never going to convince the customer that he is wrong and you are right, what do you do? Here are five quick tips to facilitate a good relationship between you and the client in a service business.

Write everything down. Details of the project, expected results, deliverables, timetables, payment terms, everything. This isn’t intended for the courts, and is not a contract. It is a little peace of mind for you and the client. The document becomes the objective party in a disagreement.
Don’t allow scope-creep. If you allow the customer to sneak in free add-ons to your project, you’re not doing anyone any favors. You are building resentment, and the customer is expecting more and more. If you give a mouse a cookie…
Communicate. If you establish a pattern of communication, the client is more likely to follow suit. If, however, you do the entire project with no emails or call to the client, expect things to turn out badly. Communication allows both parties to detect any potential problems early, before they become cancerous.
Don’t be afraid to refuse work. Forget about economic struggles for a minute. If you are evaluating a project and get a bad feeling, recommend the client to a competitor. Your business isn’t for everyone, so it’s important to recognize who you can help and who you cannot.
Give your best. By giving your best, the client will get the impression you care. If they feel you don’t care, they will end up sour even if you did the project correctly and on time. Service with a smile still helps, no matter what your service is.

Final thought: if most customers think they are righter than average, I think its safe to say most businesses think the same. Don’t be afraid to admit you could be wrong.

As is my custom, enjoy the following short video that illustrates my point (loosely). Just for fun, it’s one of those Lego-videos we hear so much about.