PSA: The "customer is always right" phrase gets thrown around way too loosely

I work at a coffee shop in Denver and the other day a lady screamed at me for 10 minutes because her latte was too hot. She kept saying "the customer is always right" like it was some law. I finally snapped and told her that phrase actually ends with "in matters of taste" which means she can pick her syrup flavor but not dictate our brewing temp. My manager backed me up which was nice. But it got me thinking about how many people abuse that saying to be jerks. I swear half my bad days come from someone quoting that phrase wrong. Has anyone else dealt with customers who think that gives them permission to be rude?

2 comments

2 Comments

piperwhite17d ago

idk, maybe it's just me but I feel like some customers really do know their stuff and the phrase gets used as an excuse for bad behavior. You handled it well though, glad your manager had your back on that one.

eva90817d ago

Wait, your manager actually backed you up on that? I've been in retail six years and I think I've seen that maybe twice. Most managers just tell you to "find a way to make it work" even when the customer is dead wrong. Glad somebody out there has a spine. That's so rare it almost sounds made up.