What If the Customer Is Lying?

One of the hardest things we taught our restaurant managers was this:

Always act as though the customer is telling the truth.

That statement triggers people. I understand why. Because sometimes the customer is lying. They really did get the extra sauce. Their fries weren't cold. They ate most of the burger they now claim was terrible.

But here's the problem:

You don't know which customers are lying

And the truth is, most of them probably aren't.

Over the years, I had plenty of assistant managers tell me they could always tell when a customer was lying. My response was simple: "If you can really do that, quit working for me and move to Vegas. You'll make a fortune."

The rule wasn't just for the customer

Some managers thought this philosophy meant I cared more about the customer than I did about them. The opposite was true. I was trying to protect my managers.

I never wanted a 19-year-old assistant manager standing across the counter from an angry customer trying to make this decision: Is this person lying? Should I stand my ground? Should I argue?

We took that decision away.

Don't argue. Act as though they're telling the truth.

We had a simple phrase that could de-escalate almost any angry customer encounter. Say these 9 simple words:

"I'm so sorry. Let me fix that for you."

That's it. No argument. No investigation. No trying to prove who was right. Replace the order. Refund the money. Do whatever is reasonable to solve the problem. Then move on.

Don't let two minutes ruin your day

An argument with one upset customer can steal your attention from every other customer in the restaurant. Worse, it can stay with you for hours. You replay the conversation. You tell your coworkers about it. You tell your spouse about it when you get home.

You win the argument, and lose the rest of your day.

Decide before the next customer gets upset

Don't wait until you're angry to decide how you handle complaints. Create the rule now. Train your team now. Give your managers permission to fix reasonable problems without an argument.

The next time a customer says something you're not sure you believe, don't investigate. Don't try to catch them in a lie. Don't argue. Say nine simple words:

"I'm so sorry. Let me fix that for you."

Fix the problem. Then move on. Because I learned a long time ago: even when I know I'm right, I just might be wrong.

Paul

P.S. Watch the two-and-a-half-minute version: How I Handled This ANGRY Customer