Sexual harassment, hostility… unforeseen consequences of the ‘customer is king’ mentality

By Gordon M. Sayre, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior, EM Lyon Business School

Corporate websites, training manuals, and interviews with business leaders abound with maxims that place the customer above all else. The customer service industry, which includes restaurant workers, call centre employees, hair stylists, and retail employees has a strong tradition of a “customer is king” mentality. The idea is that customers will respond positively to such deference, making them more likely to return in the future. But this mentality has a downside that is less often discussed: it shifts the balance of power away from service workers and toward customers.

This shift…

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