When Customers are not “Always” Right: My Experience

June 14, 2021

Monday

Have you heard the saying “the customer is always right”?

I have come across this saying since I was young. I’ve heard of this at school and even at home. It’s kind of popular, and I never disagreed about it before. Not until I am placed in a situation facing some circumstances that I might not fulfill what the saying means.

As I shared here in my life story-based articles, I am a two years college graduate. And I am a hospitality student before.

I am a graduate of Hotel and Restaurant Services Technology which means I am part of the Hospitality industry.

And as hospitality student, we were taught to be always considerate when it comes to facing our customers, in hotels or the restaurant, or wherever we are while working. We were taught to always put our best smiles and happy tone of our voice in talking with our guests.

It was easy for me to do that all, I am a happy person and smiling is one of my best assets. I always smile and can’t let the day passed without smiling.

As I graduated from college, I looked for a job in the city. It was away from home and I have to live on my own. And as expected I worked in line with my course, I was hired as a dining staff. You can read my journey here: (A Dining Staff)

And as for dining personnel, my work is to serve and greet people as their waitress, and simultaneously, I’ll be also placed in the cashiering area. And as it's my new and very first job, I did my very best just to apply what my professor told us to do while in college. I smiled, and be respectable as I could.

However, there were times that I am faced difficulties with the customers I dealt with.

And here's one that I couldn't pass over.

It was afternoon when some male professors of a well-known university here in Iloilo entered our restaurant and I was the dining staff assigned. I just knew they were all professional teachers only when my manager told me about them. They’re not wearing uniforms so I thought they were just common civilians.

There were 5 of them and they ordered a bucket of alcoholic beverages and also they requested to turn off the light at the top of them. Maybe so they can't be seen outside from the glass pane. I asked my manager about it and he nodded as a sign of approval.

For almost an hour, four girls came by and seated beside each of the men. So the other one doesn’t have a partner for only four girls came in. He suddenly called me and I come close to him as I am expecting an order for a new menu. But I was shocked when he asked me he wants me to sit beside him.

I refused and told him it’s not my duty to do that and I immediately came back to the counter area. Then my manager saw what happened and he told me to ignore them and he’ll be the one to take their orders.

And I am surprised that the customer consulted my manager and insisted to let me sit with him. My manager calmly talked to the guy that it’s against our work ethics and it’s not part of our duties there. I felt relieved when my manager persuaded the drunk customer to leave me alone and let them finished their drinks.

It was a terrible experience, I can’t think of any but he’s only a pervert customer taking advantage of his profession, I guess.

Even I worked only as a dining staff in a restaurant I am not the kind of lady who will do such things he wanted. Even I am only paid below minimum wage, I still have dignity and respect for myself. That’s why my hatred for pervert guys is build up even more because of that kind of people.

That time I can say customers will not always be right. If you’ll encounter such an act, never hesitate to say no, speak yourself but still with respect. I know it’s hard to stay calm in that kind of situation especially when your customer is forcing you to do what he wants. But still, your customer is just a human, after all, so respect must never be forgotten.

I had this one experience too when I landed a second job as a cashier at the mall. I worked in a family arcade located at a huge mall here in the city. And it’s quite different from the first job that I had. I am now dealing with a vast number of people daily in a noisy and busy workplace. Yes, the arcade was too noisy and loud so I need to make my voice as louder as I could.

I already dealt with a lot of customer problems during their stay in the arcade. I even faced various foreign people too, mostly Koreans. But I had this unforgettable incident with these fellow Filipino customers.

There’s a group of students came in and asked for a free karaoke room. I was assigned to the redemption area (claiming prizes from the tickets). I was sitting beside the cashier and I entertained this group of students. I told them that there is no available room currently and if they want to do karaoke they need to wait in line here beside the cashiering area but there's a first customer in line waiting before them. I even pointed the first customer to them.

Without my notice, one of the students waited outside the karaoke room and when the people inside the room went out, the student who waited outside immediately stepped inside the room and called his friends.

I have no idea that those students were now occupying the room.

I handed the songbook to the customer who's patiently waiting for her turn. She went to the supposed to be a “vacant” room but she ended up returning to the cashiering area and made a complaint.

I called our male crew on duty and asked him to inform the students that there's a first customer is waiting before them.

The students went out of the room and went to the cashiering area and reproached me. They were all on fire and spurting with anger. I can’t remember that I told them to wait outside the karaoke room and they insisted it was my fault. They’re all pointing their fingers at me and I answered them reasonably. But still, they’re arguing and they just won’t listen to me. So I just shut up my mouth to ease my mood ‘coz I’m starting to lose my temper and so things won’t get worst.

I let them said all they wanted to say and I am just there listening and responding to their crooked allegations.

They left and I took my lunch break. It was an intense scenario, but I was shocked when I went back to the arcade after my lunch.

My manager told me that there’s a group of students who wanted to report and complained about me. So, it’s them, the students that made a scene.

They went back when I’m out for a break and they even reported me to the manager. They complained about everything and how unfavorable I am.

My co-worker told me everything happened inside the office while I’m out. And she even can’t handle what the students were telling about me. And she was shocked when one student said that she took a photo of me secretly and she said she will post me on Social Media.

I’m not scared of what my co-worker shared with me, but I just laugh and find it too ridiculous. I never did wrong to those students, they were just not listening to me. It’s just a misunderstanding after all.

My manager told me about the incident and I told her my side. She listened and I explained. She’s convinced that I never did anything wrong against those customers, and she said it’s not my fault. Even she found those students annoying and unruly. She just told me to ignore what those students told about me and just stay focused at work.

I’m quite lucky to have understanding managers all the time. They listened to both sides and put up things after. And I don’t have any idea if those students posted me on Facebook. Well, it’s been years and I just can’t forget the incident.

So far, it’s the worst incident I’d encountered when I was working.

Dealing with customers is not that easy, we can never know what’s going on inside their minds. We might meet nice and cheerful customers or we can be unlucky to come across mad and chaotic customers too. Yet we can always not make the situation worst by ignoring their negativities.

Deal with them with respect as much as possible, even they’re not nice towards you it doesn’t mean you can’t be civil to them. That’s what I did and thinks when I was in the situation. As long as you know you’re standing with the truth just stand up and speak with it, customers will not always be right. When you know they’re hitting you below the belt, handle them with your honesty and decency.

Don’t be terrified to fight for your right and dignity. Just like these customers, you too have a right and that must be respected and recognized too.

Written by: @eommaZel ✍🏻🥀