“Our customer, our master” (“customer is king” in English) is a phrase that you have certainly heard many times and that you may apply to some extent in the relationship with your customers. But really, what does that literally mean? It means that the sales person, the one who offers the services, is a simple slave or a robot who does anything trying to satisfy its master, the customer. Do you consider that okay?
No, it’s not okay. You don’t want to do all your customer asks you to do!
What can you do instead? Change the motto “Our customer, our master” into “Our customer, our partner”.
Customers trigger our business’ success, so we must show them respect and availability, offer them a pleasant atmosphere and an easy buying process. The customer is important and their satisfaction must be a priority, but in a context of mutual respect. The respectful customer is a business partner who will appreciate not only what you sell but also your involvement. You are the expert of what you sell – a product or a service – and the customer trusts your expertise.
Have you ever seen successful businesses where the customers are doing whatever they want, assuming they are the masters? On the contrary, those who are successful are sought after by clients who are waiting for the expert’s availability to advise them, and even sit in line to pay.
So, in the customer relationship, respect must be mutual. Be empathetic and treat your customers the way you want them to treat you. If the respect is not mutual, consider a polite separation from it.