Questioning Matters, Doesn’t It?

“The customer is always right,” a business approach that has served generations of retail and hospitality businesses since it was coined in 1909, is so embedded in the service culture that it is accepted, and touted without question by most of us. Of course, this maxim has limited applicability if you’re an architect arguing the finer points of building design with your extremely rich, but illiterate, client, or perhaps an oncologist discussing a treatment plan with your patient, but these could be considered rather extreme exceptions to the rule. However, even within the retail space, where the expression originated, one would do well to carefully examine what it means, and what its implications are, or one might run into all sorts of problems.

In fact, American Business magnate Harry Gordon Selfridge, “The Earl of Oxford Street,” coined the phrase, “The customer is always right,” but the full quote is, “right or wrong; the customer is always right.” Obviously, this suggests more an attitude to the customer – a way of treating them – than the sort of obsequious kowtowing that many of us interpret it to mean. The words of the earl could definitely be considered ‘expert’ advice, but we would do well to remember that they were crafted by the earl in service to HIS enterprise.

Today, expert advice (and information in general) is widely available and almost entirely free to access. This is wonderful in a myriad of ways, but it also presents a certain range of pitfalls. Most notable amongst the pitfalls is how powerfully it panders to our worst tendencies – laziness, cognitive and confirmation biases, and, for a great many, the need to pass on the intellectual heavy-lifting to others.

Obviously, it is dangerous to apply the “it-was-on-the-internet-so-it-must-be-true” approach, but even carefully researched information from verified sources often exposes the same negative tendencies. When it comes to solving problems, being able to think critically and question information is essential. Not everything you hear—even from experts—is a one-size-fits-all solution. A healthy skepticism is vital in today’s the modern information era.

When digesting information, even from respected sources and experts, we ought to examine whether our attitude aligns more with mentorship or hero-worship. While both involve looking to someone for guidance, they’re vastly different in how they approach advice. Hero-worship is about putting someone or their ideas on a pedestal. You assume they’re always right and take their advice as absolute truth. Mentorship, on the other hand, is more collaborative. A mentor shares their experience and wisdom, but you still take the time to reflect, ask questions, and decide what works for you. This distinction is crucial because every problem is unique, and blindly following someone else’s path can lead you astray.

For starters, no expert can fully understand the specifics of your situation. Take business advice, for example. What works in a developed market might completely flop in a developing one due to differences in culture, infrastructure, or resources. If you don’t adapt the advice to fit your context, you’re setting yourself up for trouble.

Then there’s the fact that even the smartest people can have blind spots. Experts tend to stick to what they know best, which means they might overlook solutions outside their area of expertise. A tech guru, for instance, might push expensive digital tools when a simpler, cheaper fix would work just as well. If you don’t challenge their assumptions, you could end up stuck with a solution that’s unnecessarily complicated or expensive.

Questioning information isn’t about being disrespectful; it’s about being smart. Ask yourself, “Why does this idea work?” or “Could this fail in my situation?” Take the good bits, tweak them to fit, and explore other options if needed. This is how you grow your problem-solving muscles and become more independent.

In short, treat experts like mentors, not heroes. Respect their insights, but don’t take them as gospel. By thinking critically and tailoring advice to your needs, you’ll find solutions that actually work for you.