The Real Worth of Great Service

I had a funny dream that I was in a fast-food restaurant.  Instead of the proverbial, “Would you like fries with that?” I got “Would you like good service with that?”  When I answered affirmatively, the counter clerk added fifty cents to my five-dollar tab.

My dream is more than an middle-of-the-night aberration.  Recent research by the American Express Global Customer Service Barometer reports that 70% of Americans are willing to spend an average of 13% more with organizations they believe deliver great service.  So, how does this compare with last year?  The same research conducted in 2010 revealed that only 58% indicated they would only pay 9% more for excellent service.

Here is the sad part from the same AMEX research.  Sixty percent of customers believe companies have not increased their emphasis on ensuring their customers get good service.  Except for small business!  Eighty-one percent believed smaller companies show concern for better customer service.  Think of it this way.  Customers of all businesses are like patrons of a restaurant.  Deliver great service and your customers will increase "your tip" by at least 13%.  Do the math?  This is not complicated!
 

© Chip Bell Group, 2023.  Courtesy of John R. Patterson (www.johnrpatterson.com).  Permission is given to download and distribute this article as long as it contains this copyright notice.