# Customer is always right. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 6, 2011, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-is-always-right/588044 "2011-07-06T15:52:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-is-always-right/588044/101 "2011-07-09T02:07:46Z")
> [@nashiitashii](#): > > …Eye contact makes a BIG difference between flirtation and friendliness for a lot of men. Having worked in customer service as a female of a very female build, I can tell you that 40% of the male customers I greeted in a friendly manner thought I was flirting with them. Occasionally, this would be in the form of “so, would you like to go out for coffee sometime?” and similar requests for dates/phone numbers that had to be rebutted with “I’m sorry, I’m married/have a boyfriend/don’t date customers” to get the point across… I’ve worked with alot of single women (including managers) who wore fake wedding rings for similiar reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-is-always-right/588044/102 "2011-07-09T03:06:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Eye contact makes a BIG difference between flirtation and friendliness for a lot of men. Having worked in customer service as a female of a very female build, I can tell you that 40% of the male customers I greeted in a friendly manner thought I was flirting with them. Occasionally, this would be in the form of “so, would you like to go out for coffee sometime?” and similar requests for dates/phone numbers that had to be rebutted with “I’m sorry, I’m married/have a boyfriend/don’t date customers” to get the point across. There are a lot of folks who are dumb about what counts as a signal of flirtation and what is just someone being friendly. And some guys will take a “no” gracefully, but others will get downright pissy about a refusal. Generally, if they’re clueless enough to mistake friendliness for flirting, they don’t know how to handle a refusal except to get offended. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-is-always-right/588044/103 "2011-07-09T12:32:52Z")
“There are two essential rules to management. One, the customer is always right; and two, they must be punished for their arrogance.” – Dilbert ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-is-always-right/588044/104 "2011-07-09T12:44:37Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > “There are two essential rules to management. One, the customer is always right; and two, they must be punished for their arrogance.” – Dilbert 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-is-always-right/588044/105 "2011-07-13T17:33:58Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Look at it this way if you like. > > Go to West Point and get a degree in Military History, and you tend to automatically get commissioned into the Army. That is the equivalent of getting your MBA. > > Once you have your commission, you are a fresh hire in the Army. In the real world you now get to run shit. In the Army you are the bottom of the running shit totem pole. You have a hierarchy of enlisteds to make sure you do not fuck up. In the business world it is money and jobs, in the army it tends to be lives. Thinking about this analogy, it occurs to me that the Army has unwritten rules that generally limit the damage done by clueless second lieutenants, but too many businesses don’t have similar reins on clueless management grads. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-is-always-right/588044/106 "2011-07-13T17:36:15Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > I decided Julliard must offer an MBA for Broadway Producers - but you decided to go a different direction after graduation. 😃 That would explain that Spider-Man musical… ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-is-always-right/588044/107 "2011-07-13T18:03:31Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > I’ve worked with alot of single women (including managers) who wore fake wedding rings for similiar reasons. > [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > And some guys will take a “no” gracefully, but others will get downright pissy about a refusal. Generally, if they’re clueless enough to mistake friendliness for flirting, they don’t know how to handle a refusal except to get offended. I’ve encountered situations where “no” coupled with a dirty look has encouraged a guy to try to push my boundaries further in the hope that I’ll concede to let him get me out of my pants. It’s really not fun. This is part of why I will be pleasant, but will not actively try to veil displeasure when necessary. A well-placed :dubious: is very useful when dealing with actively clueless folks who flirt with those who serve the public. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-is-always-right/588044.md?page=5)