Normally I write gaming articles, but I’ve decided to branch out this time and write something different. Halloween is now behind us and, with Thanksgiving on the horizon, many of us will be heading to the stores, intent on acquiring presents for the upcoming holiday season. As we embark on our journey down through the danger-filled dungeons of the department stores and set out on the tattered trail of televised toy technologies, many of us go forth armed with the belief that the customer is always right. But what does this actually mean? For many, this statement is simply an old promise made in the days of horse-drawn carriages. For a select few, however, these words are considered an unspoken iron-clad statement of power and entitlement. We’ve all heard the headline stories about irate customers who filed charges against various companies for failing to give them the deal they wanted. What’s shocking is how often it actually takes place. A mislabeled sign, a misread coupon, an out-of-stock item — these are all real occurrences in retail. Sometimes these are to the benefit of the customer, other times, to the customer’s detriment. For the customer, a key point of awareness should be the reality of the situation, not one’s own perception of how it should be.

Armed with the promise of “the customer is always right” as their validation, many customers walk into a store and expect to be waited on — often without delay — regardless of reality. For example, the fact that Sears sells a Kenmore bottom-mount French door refrigerator with ice and water in the door doesn’t mean that a similar store, Best Buy for example, sells it, too. Before becoming hostile about the lack of a great deal on an item, a customer should consider the available alternatives. There’s clearly no value in telling the Best Buy salesperson that if they don’t get what they want, then they’ll just go to Sears instead if Best Buy doesn’t even carry the product. That the customer expected Best Buy to carry the same models as Sears, and is irate that they do not, does not change the fact that Kenmore is a brand exclusive to Sears and is not carried by Best Buy.

If given the chance, however, most sales people will gladly work with the customer to find a comparable item or satisfy their needs, and that’s what many customers fail to remember. The reality is this: every customer is not always right, and some customers approach their retail experiences with the wrong attitude. When reality fails to meet the expectation, customers sometime become irate and take their frustrations out on the nearest employee regardless of that employee’s involvement with or control over the situation.

With these thoughts in mind, here are a few pieces of advice to keep in mind as the holiday season approaches:

Work with the salesperson, instead of trying to make him/her work for you. That’s not their job and most of them will resent your attempt at domination. The distinction can be subtle, but it’s important to be aware of it. Asking “Can you help me find this item?” is working with the sales person, while telling the sales person “Go get this item for me.” is making the sales person work for you. The point goes to discussing the item in question with the sales person as well. If you’ve already done a lot of research on a particular product but still have questions, avoid becoming confrontational with the salesperson about it. Making statements such as, “Well, according to consumer reports…” multiple times in a conversation may make the salesperson defensive because it seems like you are attacking their credibility. If you’re not certain about what they are saying, ask them politely for clarification.

Instead of: “Consumer reports rate this oven poorly because the split design cuts the usable cooking space down.” Try: “What advantage am I gaining by going with the split oven design over a traditional one?”

Give the salesperson a chance to actually do his or her job. It’s best not to walk up to a Best Buy employee and say, “I want this Toshiba laptop and don’t waste your time trying to sell me an extended warranty. That’s just a scam.” The only thing you will succeed in doing is alienating the salesperson. The vast majority of high end hardware does not turn a high profit for sellers. For instance, a $400 laptop may net $2 in profit for the retailer, while the accompanying $75 service agreement might return $40 in profit. Likewise, if that same $400 laptop is later returned, it then has to be marked down and sold as an open box item, costing the retailer more money.

In reality, there are no hard and fast rules to dealing with people, no blanket rules of engagement for handling salespeople or products. As the consumer, you need to understand the limitations of the products you purchase and how the items will be used. For example, if you’re buying an Energy Star rated washing machine, research the washing machine’s uses, its limitations and its warranty coverage. Consider not only the product but what accessories and additional warranties it may require. If you don’t know this information, you must give the salesperson a chance to explain why something like a service plan is a value to you.

And finally, don’t assume that the end goal of the salesperson is just to make money. While that may be the company’s end goal, many salespeople genuinely want to be helpful to customers and feel annoyed when they are denied the opportunity because of the customer’s negative perceptions.

By: Michael Cividanes

Stay updated by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.