Clients nowadays...

Yesterday, I post a question whether the customer is still always right. Meaning, whether you still listen to what your customer wants and try to tailor your business to their needs. My take on it is that most professionals and some other business, like security or those who deals with safety, never really listen to their customers. Some, like the one who commented on my blog, who work on a plane, she said you cannot listen to the passengers when it comes to the issue of safety and security. My conclusion, some do listen to their customers but some just can't. You are the one whom your customer rely on to do work for them or solve problem for them.

However, in this age, not all customers are created equal. As a lawyer, I have to really know my stuff due to this. How many times I have been caught off guard when the client suddenly shoot off his mouth about a particular section in some obscure act which may help his case or his experience when he or she bought his or her first house which the agreement was drafted in a certain way favourable to him or her. Not all quotes are true or important enough to be entertained but you do want to know your law before your meet this type of clients.

There are those who when it comes to the moment of paying their fee, suddenly they quote a second hypothetical bill which they have obtained from some lawyer down the road which they had asked to calculate the fee for that particular transaction. Or they have a brother or sister or uncle or auntie who work at a legal firm in town who had told them to get a certain discount. Again, not all are to be followed but you get the idea.

Even those who wields power nowadays can be caught with their pants down when they try to bluff themselves of the matter at hand. They who are actually there thanks to the support of their fanatical supporter but do not hold positions base on merits can sometimes trip over their words. It even happened (quite a lot) to the former most powerful man on earth who managed to say all sorts of things. Their customers who were easily fooled once have grown wiser and more informative. They also seems to have to be more intelligent and be made of sterner stuff.

Some customers can be fooled if they did not know how to find information but most who have an internet connection can just type a word to get it's meaning and it's usage. 10 years ago, you can sell an insurance scheme to any Tom, Dick and Harry without them really knowing their coverage. Today, you have to explain the exclusion one by one and then they will still do some simple reaserch to see whether you are telling the truth or not. My advice is never take your customer for granted, always be on your toe and at least have the coutersy of explaining why you do what you did, even if you hold all the answer...