It’s axiomatic these days — The Customer Is Always Right. You’ll hear from all sorts of customer service gurus. But it isn’t true, and you need to realize that. What brought it home to me was recently re-hearing a radio interview from a decade ago.
Twelve Years As A Slave was a big movie, won some Oscars, including one for the screenwriter, John Ridley, jr. But this isn’t about him. It’s about his father.
His father was an ophthalmologist here in Milwaukee for several decades, retiring near the turn of the century.
He was told when the opportunity arose that Milwaukee was a good choice, “black looks good in Milwaukee,” his friends said. How good? Well, upon arrival his car was surrounded by white youths who told him to go back where he belonged. Maybe the idea was a little oversold, eh?
But even in the face of a welcome like that, the man persevered. He found a job working with Dr. Hinz, a highly respected ophthalmologist in the city. He’d work half the day in the office of Dr. Hinz, learning the practicalities of being a ophthalmologist: how an office worked, how to set up, etc. Because of his successful practice Dr. Hinz was a good example for him to follow. And for us all, as it turns out.
This is where the part about being right I mentioned comes in.
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