Originally posted by eddie1960 I don't disagree that there are unreasonable customers who are outright wrong in some cases but given the power of bad reviews and bad word of mouth frequently satisfying the difficult client despite policy is less expensive than the potential loss of business.
I don't necessarily disagree but there is another perspective. Periodically I get email from a customer who will say something like, "The camera I bought three weeks ago is now selling for less. Give me the price difference or I will make it my mission and purpose in life to bad-mouth you in every blog, forum, and rate-the-retailer site I can find."
That's a threat. If a retailer agrees to the price adjustment, even if the retailer would have done so anyway, without the threat, the customer will forever believe it's possible to bully the retailer with threats. What's next? "Sell me two D300 bodies for the price of one or I will insult your honor and sully your reputation?"
Likewise, when a customer posts a review of a retailer's performance based on false assumptions or misrepresents the situation, the retailer who bows to this has forever opened the door to being the recipient of this undeserved abuse.
As I said, we respect and honor and appreciate our customers but IMO nowadays no retailer can be seen as the customer's doormat or the skinny kid for whom everyone else can kick sand in his face.
If all we really have is our reputation, defending it sometimes means owning up to and apologizing for errors and making things right. It also means setting the record straight and demonstrating we care enough about that reputation to avoid letting it be tarnished undeservedly.