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What is a Customer? (EVERYONE should read this!)

by Morten V
22 replies
I know a lot of you already know all this, but it might be helpful for those who don't. I want to share what a successful international company said about their customers, it's something everyone that run a business should read and learn from, it might help you get far.


What is a Customer?
  • Our Customers are the most important people ever in our office, emails, or on our telephones.
  • Our Customers are not dependent on us. We are dependent on them.
  • Our Customers cannot interrupt our work, they are our work. We are not doing them a favor by serving them, they are doing us a favor for allowing us to do so.
  • Our Customers are not outsiders to our business; they are part of it.
  • Our Customers are not cold statistics - names file, cards or ledger sheets. They are flesh and blood human beings with needs and emotions like our own.
  • Our Customers are not people to argue with; nobody ever won an argument with a customer.
  • Our Customers are people who bring us their wants. It is our job to fill them effieceintly and courteously.

- AVIS Car Rental
Thank me later!
#customer
  • Profile picture of the author Silentkiller1
    Customer is god in business. Nice share...
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    • Profile picture of the author Morten V
      Originally Posted by Silentkiller1 View Post

      Customer is god in business. Nice share...
      Or you could say; Your customers are your business.
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  • Profile picture of the author shane_k
    "Our Customers cannot interrupt our work, they are our work."


    Love this one.

    There are a few places that come to mind immediately where I had the experience of the employee acting like I am interrupting them when I need help finding a product, or wanting to order something.

    I might just print this out and go and give it to the manager's of those stores, lol
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    • Profile picture of the author iRunThis
      Originally Posted by shane_k View Post

      "Our Customers cannot interrupt our work, they are our work."


      Love this one.

      There are a few places that come to mind immediately where I had the experience of the employee acting like I am interrupting them when I need help finding a product, or wanting to order something.

      I might just print this out and go and give it to the manager's of those stores, lol
      I was thinking the same thing!

      I need to drop this list off to a few businesses by my place!

      JaVaun T
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      "Grammar: The difference between knowing your sh*t, and knowing you're sh*t." -A Wise Man
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      • Profile picture of the author Timi Lindeman
        Nice share!
        The points Avis is bringing up are so true, unfortunately we all seem to forget about how important the customer is.
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  • Profile picture of the author bhmseoservices
    Ad another one in there.

    The customer is ALWAYS right.
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    webdesign company| seo services | Search engine optimization company
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    • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
      Originally Posted by bhmseoservices View Post

      Ad another one in there.

      The customer is ALWAYS right.
      How long have you been in business online?

      The reason I ask is the customer is not always right. I know in some SEO services we used to run the customer was seldom right. They had bought the newest silver bullet SEO product and would want us to do things that we knew from experience would be detrimental to their sites.

      The problem was .. if we went against better judgment and followed their orders they were back in a couple of weeks bitching because they had dropped off the Google planet.

      The customer is not always right. What is best for your business in the long haul is what is always right.
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      • Profile picture of the author Morten V
        Originally Posted by Troy_Phillips View Post

        How long have you been in business online?

        The reason I ask is the customer is not always right. I know in some SEO services we used to run the customer was seldom right. They had bought the newest silver bullet SEO product and would want us to do things that we knew from experience would be detrimental to their sites.

        The problem was .. if we went against better judgment and followed their orders they were back in a couple of weeks bitching because they had dropped off the Google planet.

        The customer is not always right. What is best for your business in the long haul is what is always right.
        You're correct, but if you can make them feel like they are right you can easily solve this problem.

        When they asked you to do the things they wanted why not just inform them that you will do what they ask, but give them a warning that this will most likely hurt their SEO instead of helping them. Then ask if they would like to proceed.

        You probably did this though, or something close.
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        • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
          Originally Posted by Morten V View Post

          You're correct, but if you can make them feel like they are right you can easily solve this problem.

          When they asked you to do the things they wanted why not just inform them that you will do what they ask, but give them a warning that this will most likely hurt their SEO instead of helping them. Then ask if they would like to proceed.

          You probably did this though, or something close.
          I would warn them but because the latest product headline said their way worked .. very few would change their mind. Then when their site dropped off the charts they were contacting us through twitter or face book and complaining.

          WE fixed the problem rather easily. If they decided to demand it there way we decided they needed to go somewhere else.

          I understand about making them feel they are number 1 but also found that most appreciated the fact our results were more important than them being right.
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          • Profile picture of the author Morten V
            Originally Posted by Troy_Phillips View Post

            I would warn them but because the latest product headline said their way worked .. very few would change their mind. Then when their site dropped off the charts they were contacting us through twitter or face book and complaining.

            WE fixed the problem rather easily. If they decided to demand it there way we decided they needed to go somewhere else.

            I understand about making them feel they are number 1 but also found that most appreciated the fact our results were more important than them being right.
            Of course, without good results the customer gets disappointed and think you do a bad job. So I understand you put your results before them being right.
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    • Profile picture of the author Anonymous Affiliate
      Originally Posted by bhmseoservices View Post

      The customer is ALWAYS right.
      What a bunch of cr@p. A customer is not always right, and not every customer is worth your time.
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      • Profile picture of the author Morten V
        Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate View Post

        What a bunch of cr@p. A customer is not always right, and not every customer is worth your time.
        That depends on the business you're in.
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      • Profile picture of the author andrewkar
        Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate View Post

        What a bunch of cr@p. A customer is not always right, and not every customer is worth your time.
        True, they are not always right... no one is always right. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that you makes them feel like they are right

        And EVERY single customer or client or whatever how you call him, is worth your time. Because they are your business...
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        Do what you want to do!
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
    The irony of it all is that a few years back, I had a horrible experience with Avis!
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    • Profile picture of the author cashp0wer
      Nice post and very, very true. Who are we without our customers? We are nothing without them. Everyone should read this.
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      My Internet Marketing Blog - Warts And All!
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    • Profile picture of the author Morten V
      Originally Posted by shane_k View Post

      "Our Customers cannot interrupt our work, they are our work."


      Love this one.

      There are a few places that come to mind immediately where I had the experience of the employee acting like I am interrupting them when I need help finding a product, or wanting to order something.

      I might just print this out and go and give it to the manager's of those stores, lol
      Every single store should have them!
      Originally Posted by Timi Lindeman View Post

      Nice share!
      The points Avis is bringing up are so true, unfortunately we all seem to forget about how important the customer is.
      Yes, that's why I wanted to share it. This is something that never should be forgotten.
      Originally Posted by bhmseoservices View Post

      Ad another one in there.

      The customer is ALWAYS right.
      That's true. They kinda said it just in another way; Our Customers are not people to argue with; nobody ever won an argument with a customer.
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  • Profile picture of the author Yadira Barbosa
    Actually I know customers are the most important asset and the reason to get a successful business, but there are some customers you don't need and you don't want.

    That's the reason some important business per-qualify the individual before even start the selling process.

    Some times you really need to fire your toxic customers.
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  • Profile picture of the author cjinthecloud
    A reminder to everyone on how to grow your business ... service your customers ...
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    • Profile picture of the author Laura Stevens
      put a smile on your customers and they will send you back profits
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  • Profile picture of the author MarkJa
    Nice share!
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  • Profile picture of the author Vincent Garner
    nice share! We must understand the importance of our customer.

    m going to stick this in my office.
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    • Profile picture of the author Morten V
      Originally Posted by Yadira Barbosa View Post

      Actually I know customers are the most important asset and the reason to get a successful business, but there are some customers you don't need and you don't want.

      That's the reason some important business per-qualify the individual before even start the selling process.

      Some times you really need to fire your toxic customers.
      Good point there! By pre-qualifying a individual you can easily save yourself a lot of trouble later.

      Originally Posted by Vincent Garner View Post

      nice share! We must understand the importance of our customer.

      m going to stick this in my office.
      Do that!
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