1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,520 Hello and welcome to the Lawn Hustle, season number one, episode number eight. 2 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:29,480 I asked a few days ago on social media for some ideas for a podcast. 3 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:38,600 My nephew that lives in Pensacola, Florida, messaged me on Messenger and said, 4 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:46,760 Hey Uncle Andy, I have an idea for your podcast. 5 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:52,000 He said you should tell a joke. 6 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:58,200 So Roman Butterfield, this is for you. 7 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:09,000 God did one I say to the other I just between me and you. 8 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:14,240 Something smells. 9 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:19,200 Thank you for joining the podcast today. 10 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:25,560 In this podcast, I want to ask you a question. 11 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:32,400 Is the customer always right? 12 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:40,920 Now we would want to answer that question immediately and say yes. 13 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:51,760 But I believe the question deserves to be looked at a little deeper and maybe with an 14 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,200 open mind. 15 00:01:55,200 --> 00:02:01,160 With that being said, let's get started. 16 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:08,480 There was a man by the name of Harry Gordon Selfridge. 17 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:15,000 He is credited with coining the term. 18 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:22,360 The customer is always right. 19 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:36,000 The term and its original frame of reference meant to treat every customer with respect 20 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,600 and dignity. 21 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:49,920 That was something not very common in that timeframe. 22 00:02:49,920 --> 00:02:59,280 Selfridge founded the department store called Selfridges in the United Kingdom. 23 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:16,520 Early on in his business, he realized that their business depended on happy customers. 24 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:28,160 The staff of his department store was told to treat every customer as if they were always 25 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,560 right. 26 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:42,560 Even if it was obvious they were wrong. 27 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:49,560 It showed the customers they were special. 28 00:03:49,560 --> 00:04:01,040 The change in the employees attitude brought shoppers into their store. 29 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:11,600 The more foot traffic in a store means more sales, which means more profit, which means 30 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:18,160 more success. 31 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:32,880 While it is true that customers deserve to be treated with respect, with dignity, with 32 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:41,440 kindness, the fact is the customer is the customer. 33 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:50,320 Is not always right. 34 00:04:50,320 --> 00:05:01,880 Here's some reasons the customer is not always right. 35 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:12,760 If you have that mentality in your business that no matter the situation, the customer 36 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:16,920 is always right. 37 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:28,880 It can be demoralizing to your team because in every situation and no matter what business 38 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:40,320 you are in, we're all going to have situations where the customer becomes unhappy, becomes 39 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:43,640 frustrated. 40 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:53,920 And if they're right no matter what, it's demoralizing to your team. 41 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:56,400 It's frustrating. 42 00:05:56,400 --> 00:06:06,960 It can pit management against employee because the employee will start thinking that management 43 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:10,960 is always against them. 44 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:20,640 Your team members will start thinking management or my crew leader, they don't have my back 45 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:29,760 in any situation and it can become frustrating for team members. 46 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:39,400 With the idea that the customer is always right no matter what, it becomes a culture 47 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:43,400 killer. 48 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:57,920 It can kill a working environment and destroy cohesiveness and destroy the attitude of 49 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:07,400 we're working together to make this business successful. 50 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:23,600 Number two, when your team members are spread to thin trying to satisfy that one customer 51 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:35,480 that has unrealistic demands or unrealistic ideas about their property and all we're doing 52 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:42,600 is running around like firemen trying to put out all of these little fires from this one 53 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,960 customer. 54 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:54,200 It consumes all of our time and we don't have the time or the energy to concentrate on other 55 00:07:54,200 --> 00:08:07,120 clients and give them the same effort that we give this one client. 56 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:17,520 I would say to you don't be a fire fighter. 57 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:26,680 Learn how to realize maybe this customer is wrong. 58 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:37,320 Number three, the phrase the customer is always right even if they're wrong was never meant 59 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:44,280 to be taken literally. 60 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:52,640 It was never about letting the customer get whatever they wanted no matter what. 61 00:08:52,640 --> 00:09:03,240 It was meant to give the employees the chance to listen with empathy in a time when customer 62 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:13,320 protections were virtually non-existent. 63 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:22,040 Employers today have more options, more choices. 64 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:34,680 They can take their business elsewhere if they are unhappy with the services they receive 65 00:09:34,680 --> 00:09:44,400 because in the lawn care business you will always have the chuck with a truck or the 66 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:51,040 $20 guy. 67 00:09:51,040 --> 00:10:00,240 Sometimes customers are just wrong. 68 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:12,960 No one, I repeat no one can be right 100% of the time. 69 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:15,560 That includes you. 70 00:10:15,560 --> 00:10:18,160 That includes me. 71 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:24,880 That includes our clients. 72 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:36,040 So when there is a situation where it's obvious the customer is wrong, it could be they're 73 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:41,600 wrong because they are misinformed. 74 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:50,600 And it becomes our job to explain our position. 75 00:10:50,600 --> 00:11:04,200 It becomes our job to educate the customer as to why it needs to be done this way. 76 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:15,920 Number four, to say the customer is always right leads to unrealistic expectations and 77 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:23,520 it sets you up for failure. 78 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:33,240 And in this business, failure is not an option. 79 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:44,080 So when the customer is obviously wrong, what should you do? 80 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:50,280 Number one, show empathy. 81 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:55,880 Sometimes they just want to be heard. 82 00:11:55,880 --> 00:12:04,680 And if you give them an ear, it can defuse the situation. 83 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:07,800 Listen. 84 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:11,240 Put yourself in their shoes. 85 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:15,200 Focus on their concerns. 86 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:23,760 Not just focusing on whether or not you think it's a valid concern. 87 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:31,960 Number two, be kind. 88 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:37,400 Help the customer help themselves. 89 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:52,000 Give explanations as to why you do and how you do what you do. 90 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:57,720 The actual quote was right or wrong. 91 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:01,800 The customer is always right. 92 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:09,400 In other words, we're going to treat that customer with kindness, empathy, we're going 93 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:11,040 to listen to their concern. 94 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:18,040 We're going to try to come up with a solution together and we're going to work through this 95 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:29,800 and we're going to find a common ground for both of us to stand on. 96 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:33,440 So let's be real. 97 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:38,400 The customer isn't always right. 98 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:47,720 But they're not always wrong either. 99 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:57,480 So in the lawn care business, a few examples of when a customer could be wrong. 100 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:10,400 When I started my business, most of my clients were used to mowing their yard themselves 101 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:18,280 and they would drop their deck down to the dirt and mow. 102 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:20,760 And the yard looked terrible. 103 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:29,200 But when they hired me, I had to explain to them, I do not cut my grass. 104 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:36,920 This short, I leave my grass three to four inches. 105 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:41,200 And then I would educate them as to why. 106 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:46,720 Number one, longer grass is healthier grass. 107 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:50,640 Number two, longer grass chokes out weeds. 108 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:56,840 Number three, longer grass stripes better, looks better. 109 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:02,480 You have better curb appeal for your property. 110 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:10,840 And as I educated them and they saw the result of my work, they would come back to me one 111 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:11,840 by one. 112 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:14,320 You know, we agree with you. 113 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:19,280 The yard does look better like this. 114 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:27,040 Another example, I want you to put mulch down, but you need to put a weed barrier down under 115 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:30,520 the mulch. 116 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:34,320 Back the train up. 117 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:39,040 We don't put barrier down under mulch. 118 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:44,600 Because all the weed needs just a little bit of dirt to germinate and grow right through 119 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:47,960 that mulch. 120 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:52,720 We need to sell them on good weed control. 121 00:15:52,720 --> 00:16:05,480 Add them to your weekly or monthly schedule for bed maintenance, de-weeding beds. 122 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:09,440 There's money to be made. 123 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:17,720 So when you educate them and they see why you do what you do, they come to realize 124 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:29,160 you know what, he's right. 125 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:34,200 So educate your clients on your position. 126 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:36,200 Explain. 127 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:40,600 But hear them out. 128 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:44,240 Let them talk. 129 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:53,520 Show empathy, show kindness, be respectful. 130 00:16:53,520 --> 00:17:02,840 I have never lost a customer because I educated them on my position. 131 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:12,240 And I would say you probably have never lost one either. 132 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:16,080 So the customer's not always right. 133 00:17:16,080 --> 00:17:19,280 They're not always wrong. 134 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:21,840 You're not always right. 135 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:24,800 And you're not always wrong. 136 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:29,800 There's going to be situations where we're going to have to come to an agreement and 137 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:36,440 work together. 138 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:47,000 Customer satisfaction is the number one goal of a good business. 139 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:51,840 You want your clients to be happy. 140 00:17:51,840 --> 00:18:00,520 And that means you might have to explain your position. 141 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:03,920 Thank you for joining the Lon Hustle. 142 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:07,360 I hope you enjoyed this episode. 143 00:18:07,360 --> 00:18:11,320 Leave us a comment, a like, a review. 144 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:15,800 Smash that subscribe button or the follow button. 145 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:17,360 I appreciate it. 146 00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:34,720 Join us again next week.