The customer is NOT always right

As the CEO of a start-up, every week I spend some time answering customer service emails. One of the things that continues to surprise me is just how many people write to us filled with vitriol and anger, without any provocation. A few times a week, I read emails like these ones:

• I hated your site. What a sham! Remove me immediately from any other list or I will report this site. 
• You guys are a bunch of asshats. I will be deterring all o my contacts from using your service.
• Take me off your mailing list. I think you are disgusting.
• Have you folks lost your minds, or just hired new, incompetent people? You stupid #%?&@

Is the customer always right? Should we have to put up with this kind of verbal abuse? In our case, we're a hard-working, small company that provides a free service. And yet the anger from people over email seems to have no bounds. I can only surmise that the anonymity of the web provides a safe-haven for people to act differently than they would if they walked into our office and spoke to us face-to-face.

And yet, this kind of behavior happens a few times a month to me over the phone too. In fact, the only customer service phone number listed on Punchbowl.com is my cell phone number, with the following disclaimer:

As an internet-based company, we don't offer customer support by phone. However, if you can't find the answer to your question on this page, and you've already emailed us at support@punchbowl.com and you really, really need customer support by phone, you can call the Founder & CEO of Punchbowl (Matt Douglas), directly at 650.814.3393.

While Matt is happy to provide quick phone support and loves to talk to customers, please remember that he might be between meetings, out walking his dog, or taking care of his daughter (her name is Maya). Matt is available to offer help with issues that are specifically related to Punchbowl and he'll assume that you are very comfortable using the Internet. Before you call, upgrade your membership and then mention to Matt that you are a paying member of Punchbowl. That's a sure way to get on his good side.

You would think that with this friendly description, the people who call this number would be respectful. That's not always the case. In fact, this past weekend I got two calls from people who were angry -- and they didn't care that I answered the phone on the weekend. In one case, a woman started yelling at me, swearing up a storm. In another case, some random guy named Jose from Costa Rica told me that he was going to hire a lawyer and that "we're going to trial at the Supreme Court." (Yes, I laughed out loud).

I don't subscribe to the ridiculous notion that the customer is "always right." In fact, I think that customers have an obligation to treat companies with dignity and respect. It's the old adage: treat others how you would expect to be treated.

If you're a customer, and someone has sent you this post to read, it's because we think you acted poorly. You were over the line, and you failed to show us basic respect. Remember: a company is simply a collection of people. People who are real, and who have emotions. As a customer, your job is to treat every individual of the company with respect, and you should expect the same kind of respect in return. Yes, we want to help you solve the issue you're having, but we're not going to put up with your abusive behavior.

SWAMI SAYS: I don't agree with the phrase "the customer is always right" because it's simply not true. Sometimes, customers are wrong. And no one should have to put up with an abusive customer, regardless of the circumstance.

It's not a fucking democracy

Those who have worked with me at Punchbowl, know that I have a phrase I like to throw around now and again: "It's not a fucking democracy."

Now before you jump all over me for swearing, please let me remind you of a few things:

1. When I started this blog, I promised I would be authentic. This is what I actually say. Sorry, I'm from New York. 
2. Even though I'm the CEO of Punchbowl (and I draw inspiration from my daily work) I started this blog so I could have an independent voice that's not formally affiliated with the company. 
3. In this specific case, using a swear is very intentional -- when I say this phrase, I want to get people's attention

So when do I use this phrase and what do I mean?

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood... make a decision!

I believe that one of the competitive advantages of a start-up is the ability to make rapid decisions. As the CEO, one of my responsibilities is to listen to various input and guide discussions towards the best decision. Often, there are competing priorities and the team can't reach a consensus. In those situations, I'll try to help the team see the issue through a different lens or I'll re-state our current priorities as it pertains to the issue at hand. But sometimes, we reach the point where a decision must be made and there is no consensus, someone has to make a decision. In those cases, I remind everyone that it's 'not a fucking democracy.'

It's important to note that when I utter this phrase it's after I believe that everyone's point of view has been heard and we've discussed the issue for some time. With a smile on my face, I remind everyone that it's 'not a fucking democracy' and I do one of two things:

1. I ask someone else to make the final decision (usually the subject-matter expert)
2. I make the decision myself

Regardless of who makes the decision, it's final and we all have to live with it. That's how we make rapid decisions and put execution above endless discussion. As I like to remind everyone: a good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan that is never executed.  

At the large companies where I've worked (MetaCreations, Adobe, Bose) the prevailing philosophy is often ad nauseam discussion. I've wasted too many hours of my life sitting in meetings where it was clear that there were multiple good decisions. The problem was often that the leader of the group didn't grab the bull by the horns and make a decision. That the beauty of my phrase: it reminds people that hierarchy exists for a reason and that speed of execution is one of the most important factors for business success.

If you're reading this and thinking to yourself "well, heck -- I like discussions and I don't like to be told what to do," then I have a few suggestions for your career path. Either start your own company, or join one of these places where you can discuss things to your hearts content (e.g it IS a happy democracy):

1. A university setting: more often than not, universities promote debate and discussion as an important method of learning. If you want to be involved with discussions for the sake of discussions consider taking some university classes or becoming a professor
2. Non-profits: from what I've heard, non-profits love to discuss plans and ideas whether or not they are actually ever executed. One hallmark of non-profits is that they often have very large Boards. Try making a decision when you have that many chiefs in one room!
3. Government: You ever wonder why Congress gets so little done? Tune into C-Span and you'll see endless procedures, discussion, and debate. Once in a while they actually vote on something of substance.
4. Big company marketing departments: Since I've sat through so many of these meetings, I'll add it to the list. You can discuss ideas for marketing your product or service until you're blue in the face at some companies. And very few of the ideas ever get executed

One other note: my phrase has become popular enough at Punchbowl, that one of the guys now simply refers to it by its acronym: NAFD (hat tip, Ryan).

SWAMI SAYS: Next time you are sitting in a meeting that seems to have endless discussion with no end in sight, look at the leader of the group (or become the leader) and say "It's not a fucking democracy" (or just NAFD!) and make a decision. Then get on to the business of executing -- that's where real work happens.