Spreadshirt does not think in terms of right and wrong

Marie-Luise Wendt knows how to deal with customers in online retail. As Customer Service Manager at Spreadshirt she knows that it is essential to cater to customers' wishes:

For us, the most important goal is that the customer leaves satisfied at the end. And that means: I have to find solutions that make them happy. - Marie-Luise Wendt, Spreadshirt

It's clear why. A disgruntled customer tells friends and relatives about a bad experience with a company. Damage that can be irreparable.

The customer is not always king

This is the opinion of Prof Dr Sascha Alavi from Ruhr University Bochum. He and his team have investigatedwhat customers feel when they are reprimanded. He says in the interview that there are definitely situations in which service employees have to admonish their customers. For example, when passengers get rowdy on an aeroplane. However, two aspects are important for a successful reprimand: the customer must know the rules and the reprimand must be empathetic:

We're talking about the 'feel, felt, found' method: I can understand why you feel this way. I've been in that situation myself. But then I dealt with it this way and that. - Sascha Alavi, Ruhr University Bochum

You arbitrate for the railway

But even the most empathetic customer service can reach its limits. That's when it happens: a conflict arises between the customer and the company. This can be triggered by a delayed train or a ticket that has not been refunded. If you find yourself in a conflict with transport companies such as FlixBus, Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn, you can turn to the Arbitration centre for public transport (SÖP) contact. Edgar Isermann is its manager and mediates between customers and transport companies.