The Franchise Customer is Not Always Right

“The customer is always right” may be an old slogan, but it’s one most franchises still adhere to. And it’s easy to see why.

Customers bring franchises money, and happy customers tend to represent repeat business. With that in mind, it only makes sense for franchises to bend over backward to keep consumers happy. Unfortunately, blindly putting the customer first in all situations can come at a high cost, often in the form of reduced employee morale.

This isn’t exactly news; if there’s one thing most service workers can agree on, it’s that having to deal with rude customers is one of the worst parts of their job. Feeling like they work for an employer who is always on the side of abusive customers only worsens the situation.

Not only can this mindset create resentment among franchise workers, it may also lead to poorer customer service overall. Think about it: If employees are feeling unappreciated, do you really think they’re going to go above and beyond to provide exceptional customer service? It may be true that happy customers tend to be repeat customers, but it’s also true that happy employees are better workers.

Letting online reviewers rule the roost
This conundrum has only gotten more complicated in recent years, as the rise of smartphones and social media has made it easier than ever for unhappy customers to bad mouth businesses online.

Many a franchise owner has woken up in a cold sweat at night thinking about how one jilted Yelp reviewer could impact their bottom line.

No one is saying franchises should stop doing all they can to deliver an excellent customer experience. However, it is important for business owners to know when to draw the line and support their staff.

Take the recent story of the Boston restaurant owner who decided to turn the tables on a pair of difficult customers.

Michael Scelfo, owner of Alden & Harlow, claims two people entered his eatery without reservations, mistreated staff and then threatened to trash the restaurant on Yelp unless their demands were met. Scelfo’s response? He took a picture of them and posted it on Instagram with the hashtag #wedontnegotiatewithyelpers.

Scelfo told Boston Eater that his decision was meant to call attention to what he sees as flaws in how restaurants are currently reviewed online, as well as what he described as some consumers’ entitled mentalities.

It was a risky gambit on Scelfo’s part, but public goodwill seems to be mostly on the side of the restaurateur, with some Internet commenters going so far as to say that they will now be eating at Alden & Harlow as a show of support of Scelfo’s actions.

The point is this: Knowing that sometimes the customer is wrong, and taking a stand, isn’t necessarily bad business.

Should all franchise employees start snapping pics of rude customers or refusing to serve people who mistreat them? Of course not. But franchises should also be aware that always putting the customer on a pedestal may not be the wisest course of action, either.

Sometimes the customer is wrong, and that may mean that standing up for employees or a brand’s reputation is the right thing to do.