--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whoever had coined the phrase, ‘the…" description: "\"“Whoever had coined the phrase, ‘the customer is always right,’ had clearly never worked in retail or customer service. And if they had, well, then the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/293/william-d-arand-70335_customer-service_whoever-had-coined-the-phrase-the-custom_2047714.jpg" --- # Whoever had coined the phrase, ‘the customer is always… ![“Whoever had coined the phrase, ‘the customer is always right,’ had clearly never worked in retail or customer service. And if they had, well, then they’d need to be hauled out into the street and beaten to death with plastic spoons.” quote by William D. Arand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/293/william-d-arand-70335_customer-service_whoever-had-coined-the-phrase-the-custom_2047714.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/293/william-d-arand-70335_customer-service_whoever-had-coined-the-phrase-the-custom_2047714.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/293/william-d-arand-70335_customer-service_whoever-had-coined-the-phrase-the-custom_2047714.jpg) > ““Whoever had coined the phrase, ‘the customer is always right,’ had clearly never worked in retail or customer service. And if they had, well, then they’d need to be hauled out into the street and beaten to death with plastic spoons.”” [William D. Arand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-arand/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques the outdated maxim “customer is always right” by noting its impracticality in frontline retail, where workers face abuse and unrealistic expectations. **In simple terms:** The phrase ignores real challenges faced by retail workers. Key Takeaway Respect and protect frontline staff. Themes customer service workplace safety rights humor Mood cynical wry Type social humorous When to use this quote - store management - training programs - policy reforms - customer education Key Concepts service industry dynamics employee empowerment consumer expectations Questions to Reflect On - What policies protect workers without alienating customers? - How can businesses shift culture toward mutual respect? A Different Perspective Balancing customer satisfaction with employee well‑being is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coined Phrase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coined-phrase-558975/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Customer Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer-right-289844/) [Customer service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer-service/) [Phrase Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phrase-customer-3843609/) [Retail Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retail-customer-3066972/) [Worked Retail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worked-retail-1716318/) ## Related quotes > [“Here’s the thing that you learn almost immediately when you work in retail: the customer is absolutely never right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bellassai/here-s-the-thing-that-you-learn-almost-immediately-when-you-work-in/) [Matt Bellassai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bellassai/) > [“The customer may not always be right but the negative press it can result in for a brand can be costly. It is easier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-stoyer/the-customer-may-not-always-be-right-but-the-negative-press-it-can/) [June Stoyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-stoyer/) > [I worked in retail for a bit and then I busked for two years. As soon as I started, I thought, 'I'll do busking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tones-and-i/i-worked-in-retail-for-a-bit-and-then-i-busked-for-two-years-as-soon/) [Tones and I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tones-and-i/) > [I got turned onto the 'Pat Garrett' soundtrack when I worked retail back in the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darius-rucker/i-got-turned-onto-the-pat-garrett-soundtrack-when-i-worked-retail/) [Darius Rucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darius-rucker/) > [I've had a lot of seedy side jobs. I've done it all. 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Absence makes a bitch go crazy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-aleo/whoever-coined-the-phrase-absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder-was-an/) [Toni Aleo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-aleo/) > [“A surprising number, like options in the cereal aisle, liberal studies graduates working fast food, people who don’t know Shakespeare coined the phrase break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-vickers/a-surprising-number-like-options-in-the-cereal-aisle-liberal-studies/) [Dennis Vickers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-vickers/) > [Whoever coined the phrase 'You don't know what you got till its gone.' was talking about toilet paper, probably.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whoever-coined-the-phrase-you-don-t-know-what-you-got-till-its-gone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My brother and I semi-coined a phrase back in 2007, 'Don't Forget to be Awesome.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-green/my-brother-and-i-semi-coined-a-phrase-back-in-2007-don-t-forget-to-be/) [Hank Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-green/) > [Right or wrong, the customer is always right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-field/right-or-wrong-the-customer-is-always-right/) [Marshall Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-field/) > [“Even though it is black, black as Egypt’s night, the customer is always right”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-ewing/even-though-it-is-black-black-as-egypt-s-night-the-customer-is-always/) [Andrew Ewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-ewing/) > [Rule 1: The customer is always right. Rule 2: If the customer is ever wrong, re-read Rule 1.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stew-leonard/rule-1-the-customer-is-always-right-rule-2-if-the-customer-is-ever/) [Stew Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stew-leonard/) ## More by William D. Arand > [“Good. The bold live more freely, even if with less time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-arand/good-the-bold-live-more-freely-even-if-with-less-time/) [William D. Arand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-arand/) > [“Pride is a commodity that can be purchased again later. One’s life is not. As”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-arand/pride-is-a-commodity-that-can-be-purchased-again-later-one-s-life-is/) [William D. Arand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-arand/) > [“I kinda feel like a Bond villain. I just need a cat sitting in my lap. I could scratch their ears while I chuckle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-arand/i-kinda-feel-like-a-bond-villain-i-just-need-a-cat-sitting-in-my-lap/) [William D. Arand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-arand/) [Explore all 4 William D. Arand quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-arand/) ## More Customer quotes > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. 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Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) [Michael Fishman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fishman/) > [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-best-way-to-hold-customers-is-to-constantly-figure-out-how-to/) [Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [I believe confusion is good. Worldwide market leaders gain when there is confusion in the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhash-chandra/i-believe-confusion-is-good-worldwide-market-leaders-gain-when-there/) [Subhash Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhash-chandra/) > [Damn inflation, full speed ahead,' Greenspan has said in both action and word. I think an investor should believe him and invest accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gross/damn-inflation-full-speed-ahead-greenspan-has-said-in-both-action-and/) [Bill Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gross/) > [“When companies get big, they devote most of their care and feeding to the business that got them big. This is as it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/when-companies-get-big-they-devote-most-of-their-care-and-feeding-to/) [Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/) > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) [Browse all 9,257 Customer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Whoever had coined the phrase, ‘the customer is always right,’ had clearly never worked in retail or customer service. And if they had, well, then they’d need to be hauled out into the street and beaten to death with plastic spoons.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William D. 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