B2C: Is the customer always right?

Insurance Insights | August 10, 2018

B2C: Is the customer always right?

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Is the customer always right? Let’s take another look at this most iconic of customer service debates.

Essentially, saying the customer is always right is a reactive mode of being as opposed to proactive. A business is proactive when it sets expectations with its customers in advance. Being proactive helps avoid “the customer is always right” type situations.

Businesses are forced into the “customer is always right” mentality because there was a breakdown in communication between the two. Typically, the very first interaction was not conducted properly and that creates a ripple effect. There must be a robust and honest dialogue between business and customer. A clearly articulated set of expectations makes things more workable for both sides. If something is offside, both sides must be comfortable raising the topic.

So is the customer always right? There is something in there to acknowledge, but that idea must be reframed to work properly. If the customer is always right, there’s no accountability. Every customer is still responsible for reading the terms and conditions for whatever product they purchase.

This means customers can’t just blame the broker because “they didn’t tell me.” On the other hand, brokers cannot blame customers for challenges caused by lack of clear expectations. Accountability and expectations set the rules of the game. When done properly, both sides play the game at a much higher level and both benefit.

What do you think? Please feel free to reach out and let us know your thoughts!