Entitlement or just a dumb assumption?
We see and read stories about guests expecting things that they have no reasonable belief to demand all the time. We always focus on how entitled they are or how incredible their request is. We see it as a one-time story, as one funny story about customer service. I think it’s more than that. When this many stories appear all of a sudden, one question starts to resonate in your mind. “Where has this type of thing come from?”
Let’s face it, things have changed a lot in the past decade, and customer service has been affected by it. Before, people weren’t this entitled, nor did they expect exceptions to be made for them rarely. What changed? Is it how the new generation has been raised? Maybe it’s because of all the stories we see online of customers getting exactly what they want and inspiring others to do the same? Or maybe this is like a trend. People are trying it, and because managers approve it, giving them what they want, they continue to do so. So, in this case, it wouldn’t be the guest’s fault, but instead the manager’s, by allowing the situation to escalate until the customer gets their ridiculous demand.
All the stories, like the one below, make me think that there is no hope. Guests are entitled, and that is never going to change. But that doesn’t have to be true. We still can make a change, demand that guests act like adults and accept when they are wrong. We can change the system, but for that we need better managers who have enough character to put up with customers and make them understand that the saying “the customer is always right” is, in fact, not true. The customer isn’t always right. They are probably wrong. So bosses, please stand by your employees and set boundaries with the entitled customers who are not only ruining the business but also mistreating your staff.
Author: Kayitsi.com
