BLAISE COSTABIR explores whether businesses should simply give customers whatever they ask for or guide them toward better choices through honest advice and professional integrity
A friend recently opened a café. After I had eaten my sandwich, she asked for my opinion. I told her it was good, but that my personal favourite would have been a hot dog. She explained that she preferred not to promote processed meat because of its health implications.
Her teenage son, listening to our conversation, intervened: “Why, Mum? You must let the customer make a choice.”
His argument set me thinking. In business, should we simply give customers what they ask for, or guide them toward what we believe is better for them?
Consider my own business of manufacturing water tanks.
Occasionally, a customer approaches us wanting a tank much larger than his normal requirements justify. From a manufacturer’s perspective, selling the larger tank makes commercial sense. The sale value is higher, and the customer appears satisfied.
But should I simply accept the order? I usually ask why he needs such a large capacity. Often, the reason is that the public water supply occasionally fails, and he wants to be prepared for a shortage.
I explain that while planning for a shortage is sensible, he should also consider normal circumstances. An oversized tank may hold water for several days longer than necessary. A smaller tank, appropriately sized to his consumption, could allow more frequent replenishment and better water turnover.
My advice may result in a smaller sale, but I believe it is the right advice.
Having explained the implications, I leave the final decision to the customer. He may accept my recommendation or choose the larger tank. Either way, he makes a more informed decision.
Is the customer always right?
We often hear that the customer is always right. But is this really true?
Customers may not have all the information needed to make the best decision. They may be guided by habit, incomplete knowledge, or fear of future shortages.
A business owner who understands the product has a responsibility to share that knowledge. Remaining silent because the customer’s choice produces a larger sale may be commercially attractive, but is it honest?
Of course, the entrepreneur is not necessarily right either. Advice may be influenced by personal assumptions, preferences, or commercial interests. We must explain our reasoning rather than expect customers to accept our recommendations unquestioningly.
The objective is not to make decisions for customers, but to help them make informed decisions.
Where does customer freedom begin?
Let us return to my friend’s café.
She believes processed meat is not the healthiest choice and prefers to steer customers towards alternatives. Her son believes customers should be allowed to choose for themselves.
Both have a point.
A café owner is entitled to decide what to offer on the menu and how to position the business. A customer, in turn, is entitled to choose from the options available.
There is a difference between refusing to offer a product, recommending an alternative, and withholding information to influence a customer’s decision. The first is a business choice, the second is advice, and the third raises questions of integrety.
Consider cigarette manufacturers. Cigarette packets carry warnings about the dangers of smoking, yet people continue to buy cigarettes. The warning informs the consumer without removing the freedom to choose. Of course, informing customers of a risk is different from actively recommending against a purchase.
Sometimes, however, we must say NO.
A customer may ask you to manufacture a substandard product to obtain a lower price. I would refuse. Compromising on quality standards can damage our brand and undermine our responsibility to supply a product fit for its intended purpose.
Respecting customer choice does not mean abandoning our professional standards.
A lesson for the reluctant entrepreneur
For someone starting a business, the temptation to maximise every sale is understandable. Cash flow is tight, customers are precious, and every additional rupee matters. We should ask ourselves what kind of business we want to build.
Do we want customers who buy from us once because we persuaded them to purchase more than they need? Or do we want customers who return because they trust our advice?
Honesty may sometimes mean selling a smaller quantity, recommending a less expensive product or telling a customer that our product is unsuitable for the intended purpose. We may lose a sale today, but preserve something more valuable: credibility.
This does not mean sacrificing commercial interests at every opportunity. A sustainable business must make profits. The challenge is to earn those profits without misleading customers or exploiting their lack of knowledge. Our responsibility is to explain, not impose. Once we have provided honest and relevant information, the customer should be free to decide within the choices we legitimately offer. The entrepreneur must balance three responsibilities: running a viable business, dealing honestly with customers and maintaining professional standards. Perhaps the real question is not whether we should let customers choose, but whether we have done enough to help them choose wisely.