The customer is often wrong
“The customer is always right.”
If this statement is true, you have very special customers—who aren’t human.
Since they are human, the reality is… your customer is often wrong.
Wrong about what they heard. Wrong about what they said. Wrong about what they did and when they did it.
This extends beyond your customers.
It’s the same for your partner, children, friends, community, and even your place of worship: people are often wrong.
And let’s remember to include ourselves: we’re often wrong too.
Perhaps we can learn from the 13th century Persian poet, scholar, and theologian, Rumi: "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.”
Imagine what might bloom in the field void of labels that read “wrong” or “right”:
Understanding
Forgiveness
Reconciliation
Growth
The issue isn’t whether someone is wrong or right—it’s how you handle getting beyond that.
Let’s gracefully meet in the field where being wrong or right isn’t nearly as important as being human.