28/05/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18xLsypEFD/
Sometimes I think the smartest way to be a customer is not to push every situation to the absolute limit.
It is to make a company feel:
“This customer is worth going one step further for.”
Many companies actually have flexibility that is never written publicly.
Airlines may upgrade someone to business class.
Hotels may upgrade a room.
Restaurants may offer a small dessert, or save a better table for a regular customer.
Brands may sometimes go beyond policy and do a little more.
But the real question is:
When a company has limited flexibility, who will they choose to give it to?
Imagine an economy class flight is full, and the airline needs to upgrade one passenger to business class.
Would they choose the person who has been complaining, arguing, demanding more, and pushing from the moment they checked in?
Or would they choose the person who has been reasonable, respectful, easy to communicate with, and perhaps has a good history with the airline?
The answer is quite realistic.
A better deal is not always earned by arguing harder.
Very often, it is earned through trust, respect, and relationship.
I completely understand that everyone likes a good deal.
We all want value. We all want a little more. We all appreciate being taken care of.
But wanting good value and pushing everything to the limit are two very different things.
And I think this culture affects more than just one customer and one company.
It slowly changes the whole business environment.
I have seen many companies start with very customer-first intentions.
Their terms were flexible.
Their policies were generous.
They were willing to trust customers.
They were willing to leave room for special handling.
But over time, when goodwill keeps being abused, when every flexible area becomes something people try to exploit, and when every kind gesture becomes a reason for someone to demand, “Why did you do it last time but not this time?” — companies begin to protect themselves.
Terms and conditions get longer.
Return policies become stricter.
Warranty clauses become more limited.
Customer service teams have less room to make decisions.
Eventually, policies are no longer written to serve customers.
They become a shield to protect the company.
And that is sad.
Because when a company that once wanted to treat customers well is forced to remove flexibility, the people who lose are not only the difficult customers.
Good customers lose too.
Because when the system becomes rigid, even reasonable, respectful, and deserving customers receive less flexibility than they might have before.
In the past, something might have been handled case by case.
In the past, someone might have helped one step further.
In the past, trust might have been given once.
But when the whole system is forced to become defensive, everyone ends up being treated strictly by the terms.
Good customer or difficult customer — same outcome.
That is a lose-lose culture.
Customers feel companies are becoming colder.
Companies feel customers are becoming harder to trust.
And eventually, both sides use policies to protect themselves instead of using trust to solve problems.
So I believe being a smart customer is not about arguing your way into every possible advantage.
Because the way you communicate affects how people see you.
Are you the kind of customer a company wants to help one step further?
Or are you the kind of customer a company simply wants to handle by policy and move on?
Sometimes, the relationship between a customer and a company does not have to be purely transactional.
It can also be built on mutual respect.
How you treat a company often affects how a company treats you.
Everyone wants a better deal.
But truly smart people do not always get it by pushing harder.
They get it by becoming someone worth treating well.
Because sometimes, the most valuable benefit is not written on a promotion banner.
It is when a company still chooses to trust you, take care of you, and say:
“For this case, let us think one step further for you.”
有時我會諗，一個客人最聰明嘅消費方式，未必係每次都拗到最盡。
而係令一間公司覺得：
「呢個客，值得我幫多一步。」
好多公司其實都有一啲唔會公開寫出嚟嘅彈性。
航空公司有時會 upgrade 客人上 business class。
酒店有時會幫客人升級房型。
餐廳有時會送一個小甜品，或者幫熟客留一個好位。
品牌有時會喺政策以外，多做一步。
但問題係，當一間公司手上有呢啲有限嘅彈性資源時，佢會畀邊個？
假設今日 economy class 滿咗，航空公司要揀一個人 upgrade 上 business class。
佢會揀一個由 check-in 開始已經不斷投訴、不斷拗、不斷覺得自己應該得到更多嘅客人？
定係會揀一個一直溝通合理、有禮貌、有良好紀錄、亦都願意尊重對方安排嘅客人？
答案其實好現實。
著數，唔一定係靠拗返嚟。
好多時，係靠信任、尊重同關係換返嚟。
我完全理解，每個人都鍾意著數。
買嘢想抵，想有優惠，想多一點照顧，呢啲都好正常。
但「想買得抵」同「凡事都要拗到盡」，其實係兩件事。
更值得反思嘅係，呢種文化其實唔只影響一個客人同一間公司之間嘅關係。
佢會慢慢改變成個商業環境。
我見過好多公司，一開始其實係好想以客為本。
條款寫得寬鬆啲。
處理問題彈性啲。
願意相信客人。
願意畀多一點空間。
但慢慢，當善意不斷被濫用，當每一個彈性位都變成被人拗嘅位，當每一次好心處理都變成下一次被人要求「點解上次得今次唔得」嘅理由，公司就會開始收緊。
Terms and conditions 會越寫越長。
Return policy 會越寫越死。
Warranty 會越來越多限制。
Customer service 會越來越少空間。
最後，條款唔再係用嚟服務客人。
而係變成一個保護企業自己嘅防線。
呢件事其實好可惜。
因為一間原本想對客人好嘅公司，最後可能因為太多濫用善意嘅 case，被迫收起自己嘅彈性。
而真正輸嘅，唔只係公司。
好客人都一齊輸。
因為當制度變得越嚟越硬，真正合理、有禮貌、值得被照顧嘅客人，都會少咗好多本來可以得到嘅彈性。
以前可能可以酌情處理。
以前可能可以幫多一步。
以前可能可以相信你一次。
但當整個系統被迫變得保守，所有人最後都只可以按條款處理。
無論你係好客人，定係麻煩客人，結果都一樣。
呢就係一種相輸。
客人覺得公司越來越冇人情味。
公司覺得客人越來越難信任。
最後大家都用條款保護自己，而唔係用信任去解決問題。
所以我覺得，做一個聰明嘅客人，唔係每次都要拗到盡。
因為你每一次溝通嘅方式，其實都會影響對方點樣睇你。
你係一個令公司想幫多一步嘅人？
定係一個令公司只想按政策處理、做足最低責任就算嘅人？
有時候，客人同公司之間唔一定只係交易。
都可以係一種互相尊重嘅關係。
你點樣對待一間公司，好多時亦會影響一間公司點樣對待你。
人人都想要著數。
但真正聰明嘅人，唔係靠每次拗到盡去攞著數。
而係成為一個值得被好好對待嘅人。
因為最珍貴嘅著數，很多時唔係寫喺 promotion banner 上面。
而係一間公司仍然願意相信你、照顧你、同你講一句：
「呢個 case，我哋幫你諗多一步。」
