Are fans actually usually right?

[JD]

As a former retail employee, I just want to say that the whole "the customer is always right thing", lead to some of my biggest aggravations, and more often than not pissed me off.
It led to customers throwing a fit over every little thing, and after five minutes of me trying to explain why what they wanted went against the store's policy, a manager would come over and do it for them anyway, even though it went against the store's policy, and made me look a complete asshole.

 

[dupersuper]

Fans are right when they agree with you, and wrong when they don't.

 

[Admiral2]

Yes, the idea that not kowtowing to the customer at all times

Wow, you really are incapable of understanding nobody's saying to do that.

realistically means risking becoming so unfriendly to customers that you'll lose business is a ridiculous concern to hold.

It's only ridiculous if you're running a business that can exist without paying customers. I've never seen one of those in reality.

This is clearly a very proportional response to my post.

You don't want a proportional response. You want to CHAMPION THE CAUSE OF THE WORKER AGAINST THE EEEEVIL CUSTOMER!!! Your responses make that clear.

 

[fireproof78]

As a former retail employee, I just want to say that the whole "the customer is always right thing", lead to some of my biggest aggravations, and more often than not pissed me off.
It led to customers throwing a fit over every little thing, and after five minutes of me trying to explain why what they wanted went against the store's policy, a manager would come over and do it for them anyway, even though it went against the store's policy, and made me look a complete asshole.

One of the things that I learned from 10+ years of retail is the ability to distinguish between a customer, someone who has legitimate business with the store, and a hostile actor, someone who is seeking to defraud the store at some level. Most retailers don't focus on that because they are so concerned with customer retention that they are willing to suffer small loss for long term gain, rather than establishing boundaries of what is and is not acceptable in the customer-sales relationship.

What's more frustrating for me from what I observe from customers (and fans) is the sheer amount of complaining done without any actual willingness to change their behavior. Complaints over discounts not being applicable (at my store Nike was always exempted from coupons but that wouldn't stop people from repeatedly asking) to expectations of special treatment due to longevity of patronage. That's not how business works.

 

[Sci]

Wow, you really are incapable of understanding nobody's saying to do that.

Then there is no reason to adopt the "customer is always right" maxim, even as a supposed non-literal maxim.

It's only ridiculous if you're running a business that can exist without paying customers. I've never seen one of those in reality.

It is more than possible to establish a business that is inviting to customers without embracing a "customer is always right" mindset, even in its allegedly non-literal form.

You don't want a proportional response. You want to CHAMPION THE CAUSE OF THE WORKER AGAINST THE EEEEVIL CUSTOMER!!! Your responses make that clear.

No, but you're looking for an excuse to get pissed at someone and pretend you're a victim. Yawn.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Surely there exists a reasonable middle ground where you are patient, helpful and diplomatic with difficult customers without tolerating abusive, unreasonable behavior.

 

[JD]

One of the things that I learned from 10+ years of retail is the ability to distinguish between a customer, someone who has legitimate business with the store, and a hostile actor, someone who is seeking to defraud the store at some level. Most retailers don't focus on that because they are so concerned with customer retention that they are willing to suffer small loss for long term gain, rather than establishing boundaries of what is and is not acceptable in the customer-sales relationship.
What's more frustrating for me from what I observe from customers (and fans) is the sheer amount of complaining done without any actual willingness to change their behavior. Complaints over discounts not being applicable (at my store Nike was always exempted from coupons but that wouldn't stop people from repeatedly asking) to expectations of special treatment due to longevity of patronage. That's not how business works.

Where I used to work did that, no matter how ridiculous people's complaints were, the managers would do it for them. I didn't find it until after it, but I know for a fact that they took in a "return" from a totally different store. PetsMart does annual exclusive charities plush animals, and I saw one in the store's toys go backs a couple years ago, so that means they just took it back from the customer and gave them some amount of money, even though there is no way they could have any store in that company.

 

[theenglish]

I am loving this thread! Haven't had this much fun in a long time.

So, here's my fan rant. Xolo Maridueña is cast as Jaime Reyes. Sure, he has the right background but he's in his early twenties, not a teenager--and he has apparently been told to get more "buff" something Jaime Reyes is not.

So I am going to call foul on this one, and beg everyone not to see the movie because it is not respecting who the character is, and based on that, I know it is going to suck.

 

[fireproof78]

So, here's my fan rant. Xolo Maridueña is cast as Jaime Reyes. Sure, he has the right background but he's in his early twenties, not a teenager--and he has apparently been told to get more "buff" something Jaime Reyes is not.

Since when is Jaime Reyes a 20 something? And when did they start casting for a Deus Ex movie/show?

 

[theenglish]

Since when is Jaime Reyes a 20 something? And when did they start casting for a Deus Ex movie/show?

I know right. The studio is destroying a character I love. I feel like it has ruined my thirties.

 

[fireproof78]

I know right. The studio is destroying a character I love. I feel like it has ruined my thirties.

Depends on who they cast as JC Denton

 

[Admiral2]

Then there is no reason to adopt the "customer is always right" maxim, even as a supposed non-literal maxim.

Yet in your very next statement you establish the reason.

It is more than possible to establish a business that is inviting to customers without embracing a "customer is always right" mindset, even in its allegedly non-literal form.

Creating a business that is inviting to customers is the point of adopting the mindset in its non-literal form.

No, but you're looking for an excuse to get pissed at someone and pretend you're a victim. Yawn.

So you're saying it's impossible for a employee to be abusive to a customer? Ever?

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Fans tend to be, are sometimes made fun of for being, hostile to a new sequel or adaptation coming out, expect that it will be really bad, and the producers and others fans beg give it a chance, you always hate something before it's released and then are won over.

But how often does that really happen? I think actually very few times. The only times that that has happened on a large scale are The Wrath of Khan

I do not recall that happening with TWOK at all; after 1979's Star Trek: The Unwatchable Picture's disaster, the announcement that another film would feature one of TOS' most charismatic villains generated serious buzz amongst Trek fans. Remember, they were the "insiders"--meaning, they knew TOS inside and out, and wanted any new movie to capture and build on everything that made TOS a classic. I do not recall anyone predicting the then-unnamed film was destined to follow in TMP's footsteps. They did not know what to expect frame-by-frame, but the idea of Khan returning--and played by the same actor--made TOS fans very anxious to see how the film would turn out.

 

[Kor]

Wasn't there some early backlash over the rumor that Spock would die in TWOK?
So that led to insertion of the fake "death" in the Kobayashi Maru scenario.

Kor

 

[Awesome Possum]

It depends on the situation, but most of the time fans are just entitled and complaining about pointless minutia that has no bearing on the story. There are some times when the fans are dead wrong and actively causing harm to other people and their own fandom.

 

[Reverend]

The whole thing is a moot point, since the question presupposes that there is any such thing as fan consensus on literally anything ever. There is not.

All you tend to get are little bubbles of opinionated loudmouths convincing each other that their attitudes are the prevailing ones based purely on the proverbial decibel level.

Add to that the reality that most people don't really know what they want, all they know is what they liked before, and generally prefer to stick with what they know (even if they don't even really understand *why* what they like works in the first place.)

 

[suarezguy]

The whole thing is a moot point, since the question presupposes that there is any such thing as fan consensus on literally anything ever. There is not.

Never complete consensus, often positive or negative buzz.

 

[Maurice]

@JD and @TREK_GOD_1
Youse mugs' quote tags be busted. Your replies be mixed in with what ya be quoting!

 

[Maurice]

Wasn't there some early backlash over the rumor that Spock would die in TWOK?
So that led to insertion of the fake "death" in the Kobayashi Maru scenario.

Kor

Oh hell yes. Fans posted an ad in the trades.

 

[JD]

@JD and @TREK_GOD_1
Youse mugs' quote tags be busted. Your replies be mixed in with what ya be quoting!

Woops, fixed.