Comments on: The customer is not always right http://blog.seb.me.uk/2007/07/02/the-customer-is-not-always-right/ thoughts. ideas. ponderings of an internet entrepreneur Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:23:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Don http://blog.seb.me.uk/2007/07/02/the-customer-is-not-always-right/comment-page-1/#comment-337 Don Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:00:36 +0000 http://blog.seb.me.uk/2007/07/02/who-should-support-you/#comment-337 When I was with marketing one of the things I learnt was that the important lesson to be learned was not trying to sell my product, but to listen and establish the customers needs. You hope that you have a product that will match those needs and if not tell them so. If you do match their needs successfully and most importantly your customer is aware that you are focuses on their priorities you are usually in the position to keep the business long term. Where I would disagree with your assertion that the customer is not always right is the fact you are basing that assumption on your perceptions. It may well be that a customer is on an ego trip and wants bells and whistles when they are not needed in a functional way, but may well be needed emotionally for some reason. Some people shop at Harrods, pay well over the odds for goods and the buying motive may well be because they want to be seen with the Harrods bag as they walk along.;-) Not advocating selling up, but a customer's buying motives are they key, give them the info to make a informed judgment, and then if they want 3 bells and 4 whistles, so be it, the customer is right. When I was with marketing one of the things I learnt was that the important lesson to be learned was not trying to sell my product, but to listen and establish the customers needs.

You hope that you have a product that will match those needs and if not tell them so. If you do match their needs successfully and most importantly your customer is aware that you are focuses on their priorities you are usually in the position to keep the business long term.

Where I would disagree with your assertion that the customer is not always right is the fact you are basing that assumption on your perceptions. It may well be that a customer is on an ego trip and wants bells and whistles when they are not needed in a functional way, but may well be needed emotionally for some reason. Some people shop at Harrods, pay well over the odds for goods and the buying motive may well be because they want to be seen with the Harrods bag as they walk along.;-)

Not advocating selling up, but a customer’s buying motives are they key, give them the info to make a informed judgment, and then if they want 3 bells and 4 whistles, so be it, the customer is right.

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