The customer is always right no matter what...Have you ever exploited this, knowing full well you were wrong?

I have never knowingly exploited that dictum.

Most of the time, people don’t. It is not worth it to businesses the small percentage of the time someone is exploiting the system.

I believe you are right, most people dont do that. But, there are those that will go out of their way to do so. This is what I am trying to understand. In this case, this woman now truly believes that whenever she spills her drink, she can get a new one, free. If she has a working brain cell, she will soon get that she doesn’t even have to spill it, she just has to claim so. She will probably bill us for a car wash too someday. I am afraid that reinforcing this behavior will only make it get worse..(it worked once, it’ll work again..)

I have customers who abuse a retail product we make and it is appalling the audacity of some of the returns we get. Flat out stealing in my book! I would never take advantage of a manufacturer but I will press for satisfaction if there is truly and issue with my purchase.

I think the people that do that routinely have a life that is empty of choice, purpose and power. Same as people who abuse those who work in the service industry. If the only way you can feel powerful is to abuse those who’s job it is to help you, then your life is sorry indeed.

Who knows, maybe she just lost her job, the house is in foreclosure, her kid is sick and she really just wanted a second cup of coffee. Probably never know.

You are never wrong. Just misinformed. ;-)

Never.

As an aside, my mother (95) fell Monday night; yesterday I took her to four different medical facilities. Everyone bent the regulations and helped with wheel chairs in order to get a quick diagnosis of a small pelvic fracture. She was in a lovely rehab facility by 4:00 PM. (I was ready to take the bed next to hers.)

Kindness such as we received yesterday must be paid foreward as much as possibly

No. In fact there have been many times when I probably should have taken something back, but I didn’t. Other times, the business denied my request. I usually stop using these businesses.

Absolutely not and I utterly abhor people who do. If I happen to be there when someone tries this crap on a clerk who is not allowed to talk back I damn well make it my business and administer a verbal flaying/shaming.

I never have, but my Father In Law used to embarrass the family every time we went out by being as obnoxious as possible, and then leaving an insultingly small tip. I always made sure to cover the tip. He also told my son to lie about his age to save money on admission tickets, but when I found out about it, I gave my son his own money to buy his own ticket.

This only happens where trashy people hang out.

Low end places like McDonalds and KMart.

And ultra-high-end places too, like celebrity clothing stores in Beverly Hills and New York.

We had this in my customer service class last week. My teacher told us that the customer isn’t always right, but we should let them think they’re right. I think that’s how it went.
I know there are people who will take advantage of this, but I prefer not to. I don’t see a reason to.

In my book, the customer is always right until he runs into company policy. I am not above gently encouraging them to use trash cans instead of leaving their litter everywhere, and to this day have successfully refused every tip ever offered.

—We also routinely employ what amount to roadblocks – pallets of merchandise, strategically-placed carts, and so on – to keep them the customer from going where he shouldn’t.