The customer is not always right. When I worked in retail we were taught to always put the customer first, which was some bullshit about communicating with them in good faith. But they could be misinformed and therefore not right.
“The customer is always right” refers to the fact that demand can be inferred by what people buy. If you own a store and you’re like “nobody is going to buy these bright yellow sweaters” but the bright yellow sweaters are selling like hotcakes, then you are wrong. People are buying those sweaters. And we call people who buy stuff customers.
Does it really, though? That’s a common unsubstantiated claim on random forums but I’ve never seen any real evidence that that is the original phrase and not something that was later added. Edit: Though the addition probably is closer to the intended meaning, customers obviously can be wrong at times.
Hmm, after a little cursory research it seems like you’re right - I can’t find any obvious evidence that what I quoted was ever the original phrase.
Though it does seem like the intention was more to tell the customer they’re right so they’ll buy something, rather than the customer just being able to demand whatever they want.
![The customer is always righteous [Roonie the Rabbit]](https://cdn.masto.host/comicstown/media_attachments/files/112/825/545/737/651/879/original/fffe215d63951094.png){kind=link}
The customer is not always right. When I worked in retail we were taught to always put the customer first, which was some bullshit about communicating with them in good faith. But they could be misinformed and therefore not right.
“The customer is always right” refers to the fact that demand can be inferred by what people buy. If you own a store and you’re like “nobody is going to buy these bright yellow sweaters” but the bright yellow sweaters are selling like hotcakes, then you are wrong. People are buying those sweaters. And we call people who buy stuff customers.
I’ve had multiple horrible customers tell me “the customer is always right” for whatever purpose that suited them.
Yeah because the original meaning of the phrase has mostly been overshadowed by the more self-serving definition
Ironically, this means they’re wrong both in the interaction and their misunderstanding of the phrase. They’re wrong twice.
Conveniently, the quote always misses out the second half. “The customer is always right in matters of taste”
Does it really, though? That’s a common unsubstantiated claim on random forums but I’ve never seen any real evidence that that is the original phrase and not something that was later added. Edit: Though the addition probably is closer to the intended meaning, customers obviously can be wrong at times.
Hmm, after a little cursory research it seems like you’re right - I can’t find any obvious evidence that what I quoted was ever the original phrase.
Though it does seem like the intention was more to tell the customer they’re right so they’ll buy something, rather than the customer just being able to demand whatever they want.