It does not take a genius to realize that the customer is most definitely not always right. Broadly speaking, this concept was more often used as advice for the folks managing a store, hotel or restaurant and not something the customer should really internalize. Even at businesses that strived to satisfy all customer needs, there was still an understanding that the customer could be right, if, and only if, they had the money.
Even in the heady, perhaps overly optimistic days of the late 20th century, critics thought this idea was strange. Dishonesty isn’t just some modern day issue and folks are just downright dimwitted when it comes to picking an item or understanding the terms and conditions of a coupon.
Similarly, this sort of entitlement isn’t just modern, even if it feels like it. American journalist Damon Runyon wrote "the customer is always right in taking advantage of the tradespeople," all the way back in 1939. Lets face it, entitlement is probably as old as human civilization, meaning that workers who have to deal with other people have always had the short end of the stick.
More recently, Business Insider has stated that this concept "created a sense of entitlement among shoppers that has led to aggression and even violence toward retail workers." Anyone who has tried to brave the crowds on Black Friday can attest to the fact that being in a store simply turns some folks basically feral.
