By Jaylan Edwards

The customer isn’t always right. As a retail worker, it makes no sense at all why we always have to treat our patrons like they’re never wrong. Even when they’re being idiotic and rude, we still have to kiss their feet and act like it’s a blessing that they’re shopping at our store. 

While managers and business owners might think otherwise, customer service is extremely unnecessary and a customer’s opinion on if they got good service should never matter. 

As a customer, you are not going to the store or a fast food restaurant looking for Spongebob level customer service, you are looking to get what you are spending money on and then getting out. If you receive good service along the way, then it is a plus.

Although most might disagree with this idea and claim that without good service, you won’t get returning customers or even new customers, if that were the case, why are places like Popeyes, Waffle House and Walmart still in business? Because by the end of the day, they provide the things that we as customers want, and that is all that matters. 

I remember when I used to work at Footlocker my manager always told us “We have to be the customers’ friends and make them feel important.” In reality, it shouldn’t be my job to make you feel important. I shouldn’t have to ask you “how your day is” or if you need any help to make you feel seen in the world. 

My job is to help you get the shoes in your size so you can leave. Let’s say I give the best customer service in the world. If I don’t have what they are looking for, they will just go to our competitors and spend their money there even if they are disrespectful at that store, because all that matters is that they get what they are looking for. 

Now, on the contrary, I understand why others will fight back and say that customer service is important and that it is very much necessary in the work world. As stated before, good customer service does bring in returning customers and gives you the chance to bring in new customers because of the good service. Plus, it’s all about having basic respect for other people, whether they are giving you that same energy back or not. You can’t just get mad and curse them out because they said something you don’t like. You have to keep it professional and hold your tongue even if you are having a bad day. I understand why customer service is necessary, but it still just comes off as unnecessary because if it was so valuable, then places that are known for bad customer service like Walmart wouldn’t be worth $425.89 billion. 

Still, they remain in business because no matter how much you might hate how the workers seem nonchalant and not care about you being a customer, as long as that store or even fast food restaurant still provides the product you are looking for, you will always be a returning customer no matter what.