Can the Customer be always right?

One reader (NV) wrote in to ask "What if the diner should make it a habit to complain about the dishes being served." Yes, that would be a problem, wouldn't it. Imagine the diner comes five times and five times he complains about the food! (Actually, if the diner complains twice in a row, he would probably not ever return to the restaurant. I would not.)

Well, the manager will now have to decide whether he wants to achieve customer satisfaction without profit. If he is interested in profits in the long run, as he should be, he will probably make the "like-to-complain" diner feel unwelcome. The next time he comes, the waiters will make him wait and then wait again. And if he gets tired of waiting, they will apologise profusely. But if he is smart he will not come back again.

Incidentally, one day I was at a restaurant with some friends. Someone in the group complained about something, I cannot remember what, only that it was less than tactful. The waiter appeared flustered, but he still was polite. His manager must have been proud of him, for learning so well the lesson he taught them all, that the customer was always right.

When the waiter was out of hearing range, someone else in the group remarked: "We should not come back again, because we can never be sure what the waiter will do to our order before serving it to us."

When I asked, he explained: "If he spits in your food or something worse, you would not know." If the "super fussy" diner had heard what he said, he would surely not dare to return a sixth time for the two alternatives would both be unacceptable: either the waiters would snub him again or spit in his food before serving it to him.

But I think such diners are rare. If they like to complain for the sake of complaining, no restaurant will welcome them. Remember, in "Is the customter always right?" I also mentioned that a small restaurant owner who got too many complaints would react differently. He would likely say "This kind of customer I do not need!" Since a big restaurant also wants to make money, the manager will probably feel the same way.

As NV pointed out, there are "super fussy" employers who think they are always right. But, like the fussy diner, such "super fussy" employers are rare - or will be. You see, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) knows about them. But MOM does not call them "super fussy". MOM feels that they lack understanding and would say to them, "Sorry madam, we cannot accept your application for another work permit for an FDW because in the short space of only one year you have hired and fired four maids! But we will consider it if you will kindly attend an Employer's Orientation Seminar so that you will be better able to manage your domestic worker."

This Orientation thing takes up so much time, the Employer will not like it. So the next time around, he will probably not be "super fussy" for he will not want to re-do the Orientation.

NV wondered how an FDW should behave in a tense situation. Sometimes when one does not know what to do, the best advice is "don't do". Haven't we heard so many times, "When you are angry, count to ten before you say anything"? Only when one has had some time to consider the pros and cons should one act. If the diner complains one time, he is right. If complains 5 times in a row, the situation is tense. The manager will still speak softly but conclude that the restaurant will benefit if he does not return.

When FDW finds herself constantly under stress for whatever reason, then she must consider if she wants to keep the job at any cost. But the choice is not necessarily between constant stress and joblessness. There is at least one other way: seek the help of the agent. If the agent takes pride in his work, he will offer to mediate between Madam and FDW. And if a stressful situation cannot be rectified, he may advise the employer to let FDW transfer.