I’m going to lay this on the line for all of you out there:

If you’re in business, any business, the WORST excuse you can ever give is…

…blaming the customer for your mistakes.

And this brings me to an incident that occured at the grocery store that will remain nameless. Here’s what happened:

I’m at the store to buy my favorite beer, New Belgium 1554 Black Ale.

I get to the register and it rings up $7.57. So, I ask the cashier (we’ll call her D.), “Why is it $7.57?”

“It’s because has $.58 tax.”

“But the sign said it was $5.99.”

Not wanting to bicker, I suggested we go have a look at the sign, which is a few feet from the register. We can do this because the store is dead.

“See, the sign says $5.99.”

Now the fun begins.

D. exclaims, “No, I think you are looking at the wrong sign.”

“You mean the one that says 6 pack 1554 Belgium Black Ale for $5.99?”

Rather than be defeated, D. continues pointing to another beer sign that says $6.99 and insisting that the lager beer is the one I’m really trying to buy.

Pointing to the six pack in my hand, I say, “No, it is the 1554 beer that I am buying, not the lager.”

“Oh, I see,” D. says.

I breathe a sigh of relief…

…a little too early it seems.

“But these are for the 8 ounce bottles. Your beer bottles are bigger than that.”

“It says 8.32 cents per ounce! $5.99 for the 6 pack!”

Finally, D. relents and gets the price changed.

Here’s the thing: I think everyone who reads this blog has had a similar experience. Businesses of all sizes can make mistakes. And when you do, don’t make excuses. And never ever blame your customers for your mistakes.

One bad experience can turn a customer away from you for life. And that dissatisfied customer will tell 10-12 of his good buddies. Believe it. It happens like that.

But luckily for the unnamed grocery store, I thought the little exchange I had with D. is was funny, and since I have never had that kind of experience at this particular grocery before it won’t affect my business with them.

But D. does get my excuse-maker of the week award.

Hoping for a “no excuses” weekend,

Carlon Haas

Topics: Marketing Archive |

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