The customer is not always right?

Double take. Whiplash. What?

Just wanted to relate something that Robert Ringer wrote about in his book I mentioned in an earlier post, Action. Robert mentions a few situations he encountered in the same week with two different young women both around 18 years old.

His first story relates how he went into a deli that he had frequented on numerous occasions and had friendly conversations with the owner many times. This particular time we went in and was served by a counter person he hadn't seen there before. Robert wanted his order to go and, as I do when in a fast food restaurant asking for something other than they're used to, he made it a point to repeat himself numerous times that he wanted his order to go. When his sandwhiches arrived they were unwrapped on plates. Calmly he says, "I had asked for those to go." Anyone versed in customer service would apologise and proceed to wrap up the sandwiches. This young women looks at him and says, "No you didn't." Double take. Whiplash. What? OK, so Robert asks for it to go, the girl returns, "You didn't ask for it to go before." Back-and-forth... Then the owner appears. Robert mentions the standard customer service motto, "The customer is always right." The owner says quite irritated, "No, the customer is not always right. I can always find a new customer, but it's hard to find a good employee." Double take. Whiplash. What?

Needless to say Robert never returned to that deli, nor did any of his friends who he related that story to.

His next story, he walks into a repair store to pick up his printer he had dropped off earlier. The young woman brings out his printer without a paper tray. Robert mentions that his paper tray is missing. The young woman says that he didn't bring it in with a paper tray as she took it when he dropped it off and remembers no paper tray. Back-and-forth... Then the service technician appears and he and Robert go to the back to look for the paper tray. The young woman follows going on that it didn't come in with a paper tray. They look and see lots of paper trays in other printers, but no other paper trays. The young woman says, See, told you so." Robert insists he brought the printer in with paper tray and is not leaving without one. The technician grabs a paper tray from another printer and Robert leaves doubting himself, "Did I bring in the paper tray? Did I ask for that sandwhich to go?"

Robert arrives home with his printer and searches the house and finds no paper tray. He then calls the service technician the next day and confirms that he didn't have another paper tray at home. The technician says, "We did find your tray up on a shelf after you left, sorry for the trouble."

Roberts actual words are paraphrased here, but you get the jist of it. I can't believe that some people can be so idiotic and so high on themselves. I'd like to chalk it up to youth in Robert's examples, but I know it's not just that. I'm sure everyone has similar stories, and if I had a better memory and could think of one of my own I would put it in. I'll come back and edit this post when I can recall one.

Feel free to add comments to this post and relate your own Double take. Whiplash. What? moments.

And be sure to look for Robert Ringer's book, Action! : Nothing Happens Until Something Moves.