It's a tale as old as time...(at least in the world of retail and food service)...the customer is always right.
Once upon a time I would have fully agreed with this statement. Even when they are so blatantly wrong in every way possible, they are still right.
Why? Because they were the life force of my paycheck. The absolute only reason I had a job. No customers, No job. Seems simple enough.
Well somewhere between the recession and social media explosion, a new breed of customer was born.
Company's began to do whatever they could to attract people in to buy their stuff. Everything from coupons to frequent buyer perks, there was no limit to what a company would do to get people back in their stores so they could make their sales.
No company did this better than Starbucks. They literally set the standard for what "legendary" customer service should look like. I should know...I used to be a partner there. Their attention to quality of product and service was the driving force behind me wanting to work there. I have actually landed jobs as a result of being associated with Starbucks and their model.
At one time it was something to live up to. Customers came in for the experience over the product. (although at the time the quality was great!) Start your day with a smile, polite convo and a cup of brew. This could turn even the gloomiest of days around.
Well, that's all changed. Dramatically.
Unbenounced to us all...corporate included...this created a new kind of customer.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce to you the CustoMonster!
This isn't your normal everyday customer...oh no...this is a customer who finds it completely within their rights to throw a tantrum over too much/little ice or too much/little room. This is the person who gets mad over the fact that they had to wait (heaven forbid) for their order to be made when there is a line to the door and they are quite obviously not the only person there. Their argument is the same everytime...
"I pay a lot of money...blah blah blah"
I credit the creation of the CustoMonster to Starbucks based off the fact that they set the precendence. They needed to bounce back like any other company and did so the best way they knew how.
And It worked well....too well.
Corporate enforced the "Just Say Yes" policy which made it virtually impossible to reason with people. For those who don't know, the JSY was something that baristas have always followed. But once it became more of a rule rather than a practice, people became accustomed to getting their way. So much so that corporate literally turned their backs on their own just to "save the sale."
I remember the beginning of the end like it was yesterday...
A couple on their way to an event came into my strore and purchased some drinks. No big deal everything went off without a hitch. They had ordered a couple of grande mochas and went off on their merry way. Next day we get a call from the couple saying that they wanted reimbursement for their drinks from the previous day. Long story short, one of them spilled the drink on their pants and inside their car. Not only were they seeking a money for their drink but for the pants that were spilled on as well. Dumbfounded, I let them know there was nothing I could do for them except give them the information for corporate. The management team at my store got a laugh at the whole thing and were amazed at how bold these people had been.
The next day, we received a call from corporate and they said not only were we going to honor their refund but they were going to reimburse the couple for the pants as well! I was in complete and utter shock. They claimed the lid wasn't on right. My questions was...How is it that these people managed to get all the way to their car without spilling the drink then? But the fact that they were getting money back for what in my opinion was a case of user error, I just knew that it was a never going to be the same. The customonster was here to stay and has only gotten worse.
Dealing with this type of person really just came with the territory. It was something we taught our green beans to accept as a part of the job.
It wasn't until recently that this became more of a daunting task. The declining working conditions in the stores make it difficult to keep it together and the rise of social media documenting every mishap that occurs has put a crazy amount of pressure on baristas. Training has become more of a joke and the slashing of benefits have made it easier for the more tenured people to leave. Add this to the recent labor cuts and it's become a recipe for disaster.
How can a company expect to grow their revenue year after year if the products quality continues to decline just as fast at their employee morale?
I have had conversations with current partners about the working conditions and I just can't imagine. Having to deal with these overly entitled people willing to sue the very company that has essentially broken the backs of its work force time and time again, over something as trivial as room in their cup (which is there for their safey anyway), is beyond me. Makes me wonder where these people are when they open a bag of chips or a bottle of soda.
Is the customer always right? No. Not at all. At least not in this day and age.
How do we rid society of the CustoMonster? I have no clue. But a good start would be creating a better environment for the employees to work in.
Maybe take a hit on your bottom line for one year and focus on the life force of the company ie its frontline employees. The ones who can give you the most accurate feedback of where you're at in business at any given time.
Or how about putting your foot down to these people. Get behind the very people who are supporting your paycheck. Focus on the quality of the product and trust that the people selling it are doing so because the WANT to. They believe in the product enough that they would sell it to their own family even if they didn't have a discount.
There's a bigger problem at hand with a simple solution...take your eyes off the money and just watch the changes occur.
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