It Customer Service Quotes & Sayings

I did work at a mall in college - I think retail/customer service is just one of the most hideous jobs in the world. So I always try to be extra nice when I go into a store. But malls are part of our culture, if you watched any teen comedy in the '80s. it's clear that malls are where we live! — Jayma Mays

In order to sell a product or a service, a company must establish a relationship with the consumer. It must build trust and rapport. It must understand the customer's needs, and it must provide a product that delivers the promised benefits. — Jay Conrad Levinson

To quote a recent customer email, I really appreciate your thoughtful and professional response. I don't get that a lot from customer service. Usually, it's scripted nonsense that makes it seem like I've done something wrong. You've single-handedly improved my perception tenfold. Someone there ought to give you a pay raise. — Matt Mickiewicz

CEOs hate variance. It's the enemy. Variance in customer service is bad. Variance in quality is bad. CEOs love processes that are standardized, routinized, predictable. Stamping out variance makes a complex job a bit less complex. — Marcus Buckingham

You know, young lady, it wouldn't hurt you to smile at your customers and thank them when they offer you their coupons. I don't think I've ever had such poor customer service. I don't have to shop here, especially with this kind of attitude. She was working herself up into a rage, her expression full of self-righteous indignation. — Rose Wynters

You always think in terms of customer benefit. You always think, "How could I really benefit people at such a high level that they would love to buy my product or service and recommend it to others?" — Brian Tracy

I worked at Ikea as a customer service rep for two years and loved it. — Amber Riley

Branding Through Customer Service Over the years, the number one driver of our growth at Zappos has been repeat customers and word of mouth. Our philosophy has been to take most of the money we would have spent on paid advertising and invest it into customer service and the customer experience instead, letting our customers do the marketing for us through word of mouth. — Tony Hsieh

Good customer service begins at the top. If your senior people don't get it, even the strongest links further down the line can become compromised. — Richard Branson

When a positive exchange between a brand and customers becomes quantifiable metrics, it encourages brand to provide better service, customer service to do a better job, and consumers to actively show their gratitude. — Simon Mainwaring

Have always found it to be one of the more intriguing idiosyncrasies of the human condition that a problem that is handled quickly and effectively will almost always serve to generate more long-term customer loyalty than when the original service was delivered satisfactorily. — Richard Branson

I do have very high customer service standards - I'd send back sushi because it's too fishy. — Greg McHugh

What the customer buys and considers value is never a product. It is always utility, that is, what a product or a service does for the customer. — Peter Drucker

In response, BEA launched an innovative program to put the company's experts at the heart of its best customers' IT organizations. BEA created Global Service Executives (GSEs) who were responsible for all services across education, consulting, and support. A portion of their compensation was based on customers' ongoing success and full utilization of all purchased products. In addition, a client architect was placed on-site at strategic accounts, reporting to the customer's CIO. These roles were in position to see customers' needs from the inside and to help customers create strategy and road maps. Use proactive services to extend — Lilia Shirman

Maximizing the ability to handle variety is central to improving service and reducing costs. The systems approach employs the ingenuity of workers in managing and improving the system. It is intelligent use of intelligent people; it is adaptability designed in, enabling the organization to respond effectively to customer demands. Workers — John Seddon

Customer Romance does not just happen; neither is it dependent on just providing product or service for customers, nor is it a puzzling set of practices. Rather, it occurs as a result of a deliberate, thoughtful plan of action. Companies that are known to provide the best customer experiences have philosophies that guide them to take actions their competitors do not even dream of. — J. N. HALM

I think maybe 50 years ago people and businesses felt like they had to choose between maximizing profits and making customers happy or making employees happy, and I think we're actually living in a special time where everyone's hyperconnected, whether through Twitter or blogs and so on. Information travels so quickly that it's actually possible to have it all, to make customers happy through customer service, to make employees happy through strong company cultures, and have that actually drive growth and profits. — Tony Hsieh

Who made the 999 call?"
"Dunno," said Purdy. "Mobile, probably."
It's officers like Purdy that give the Metropolitan Police its sterling reputation for customer service that makes us the envy of the civilised world. — Ben Aaronovitch

The relationship between nurturance and moral self-interest can be seen most clearly in nurturant forms of business practice. It involves the humane treatment of employees, the creation of a safe and humane workplace, social and ecological responsibility, fairness in hiring and promotion, the building of a work community, the development of excellent communication between employees and management and between the company and its customers, opportunities for employee self-development, a positive role in the larger community, scrupulous honesty, a regard for one's customers and for the public, and excellent customer service. Policies such as these have increased the productivity and success of many businesses. They are models of how Nurturant Parent morality can function to help businesses be successful and to allow owners, investors, and employees to seek their self-interest within this moral system. Moral — George Lakoff

Oh no!' replies Monsieur Tuvache indignantly. 'We're not murderers, you know. You have to understand that's prohibited. We supply what is needed but people do the deed themselves. It's their affair. We are just here to offer a service by selling quality products,' continues the shopkeeper, leading the customer towards the checkout. — Jean Teule

It's ironic that retailers and restaurants live or die on customer service, yet their employees have some of the lowest pay and worst benefits of any industry. That's one reason so many retail experiences are mediocre for the public. — Howard Schultz

When you depersonalize abrasive behavior and see it as a call for help you become a catalyst for the best kind of change. — Marilyn Suttle

Those who deal with customers on a regular basis should be circumspect whenever they open their "traps." It is better not to say anything at all than to say, and later, pay! — J. N. HALM

Connectivity doesn't just mean you get a lot more chances to deliver messages about customer service and pricing plans. This isn't one-sided. It enables people to talk back. — James Murdoch

Southwest Airlines is successful because the company understands it's a customer service company. It also happens to be an airline. — Harvey MacKay

In the world of Internet Customer Service, it's important to remember your competitor is only one mouse click away. — Douglas A. Warner III

Really good customer service will deliver sales. You are training salesmen to give the best possible advice and then to achieve the sale. People actually like you to ask for a sale because it shows you value their business. — John Caudwell

In this day and age, it is the business that knows how to woo and win the hearts of its customers that will eventually win their pockets. — J. N. HALM

If you're a company, my advice is to remember that you can't have it both ways. You can't treat your customers like family one moment and then treat them impersonally - or, even worse, as a nuisance or a competitor - a moment later when this becomes more convenient or profitable. — Dan Ariely

Customer service, they say, is dead. Actually, it isn't. It's just hiding behind a call center in Manila. — Timothy Noah

Customer service is not a department, it's everyone's job. — Ken Blanchard

Americans hate their cable companies - for bumbling installers, on-again-off-again transmissions, peculiar channel selections, and indifferent customer service. The only thing cable subscribers hate more than the cable company is not being able to get what it delivers: multichannel selection and good reception. — Virginia Postrel

Hookers, Hondas and Hollywood all approach customers with a different mindset than the rest of the business world. Whereas most businesses talk about the importance of "customer service," agents, mechanics and people of the night talk about "servicing customers."

It is an important distinction, as customer service is generally a reactive process in which professionals and businesses respond to the needs of their clients, while servicing customers involves exploration to discover what the customer needs in order to start firing all the cylinders. — Ari Gold

It's okay, Mara," said Dr. Cross, leaning in close. "Corporations want a society where people have access to the best services. That's how we provide customer service and remain profitable so we can continue to expand and develop. You won't need your braces anymore. — Nick Cole

Knowing your customer means knowing what your customer really wants. Maybe it is your product, but maybe there's something else, too: recognition, respect, reliability, concern, service, a feeling of self-importance, friendship, help - things all of us care more about as human beings than we care about malls or envelopes. — Harvey B. Mackay

As retail goes through a fundamental shift into the digital world, I believe Ocado's model and the high standards of customer service it provides will see it emerge as a powerful online player. — Stuart Rose

What's important to remember is that every customer interaction should be treated like a first impression. Until your on-demand customer becomes a loyal follower, he's probably already forgotten what his last touch was, so you'd better wow him or her this time. Don't skimp and don't cut corners when it comes to the external touches your brand makes. From experience I can tell you that you'll pay a much bigger price in customer retention if you go cheap when it comes to customer outreach and service. — Gabriel Aluisy

In the old world, you devoted 30% of your time to building a great service and 70% of your time to shouting about it. In the new world, that inverts. — Jeff Bezos

Customer service shouldn't just be A department, it should be the entire company. — Tony Hsieh

Perception is assumed to be reality until clients encounter the reality of the brand, don't fake it — Bernard Kelvin Clive

Great customer service is not just one part of your business, it should be in every part of your business! — Tom Kenemore

for e-commerce websites looking to integrate ODR into their services, don't hide this assurance on a page three clicks away from the homepage. The benefits won't be reaped if the notification of the availability of ODR is not announced on the top levels. Put a sidebar on the customer service page, put it in the privacy policy, or even put a little news item on the homepage. Choose the Web seals you subscribe to and display carefully. Sign up for a seal that has a broader trust-in-transactions connotation, — Colin Rule

It's very logical: There is proven ROI in doing whatever you can to turn your customers into advocates for your brand or business. The way to create advocates is to offer superior customer service. — Gary Vaynerchuk

It's much harder to provide a great customer service than I would have ever realised. It's much more art than science in some of these other areas and not just about the facts but about how you are conveying them. — David Yu

What is good customer service about then?

One word: caring.

Bad customer service happens when the employee doesn't care.

You could chalk it up to low wages or getting paid regardless of results. But that's not it either.

Hiring managers need to do two things and two things only:

1. Hire employees that ALREADY care and are ALREADY motivated.

2. Repeat step 1.

When this is done, everything changes.

People are happy on both sides of the table.

Costs for management and training plummet — Richie Norton

The irony of good customer service is that over time it will bring in more new customers than promotions and price slashing ever did! — Susan Ward

Unless you are building a new company from the ground up and can install caring as your businesses' cornerstone, you have to be willing to embark on a completely cultural overhaul so that, like a local mom and pop shop, every employee is comfortable engaging in customer service, and does it authentically. — Gary Vaynerchuk

Unlike Etsy, which is all handmade, we print and ship the products, not the designers. We relieve the designer from having to make and ship everything, package it, and provide customer service. All the designer has to do is submit art and keep doing what they love doing. — Mariam Naficy

We're creatures of habit when it comes to mobile contracts and the wires piping high-speed data into our homes. It's a pain to deal with transfers, installations, and customer service interactions, so we shrug and keep paying a premium. — Ian Lamont

It takes just a step to meet a potential customer! — Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

As a customer service representative; it is hard to deal with people who has an attitude when I pick up the phone. — Jon Jones

This customer service person doesn't understand that this bill was paid and I am not going to pay it again. — Jon Jones

A lot of people have fancy things to say about customer service, but it's just a day-in, day-out, ongoing, never-ending, persevering, compassionate kind of activity. — Christopher McCormick

The longer you wait, the harder it is to provide outstanding customer service. — Bill Davidow

Traditional corporations, particularly large-scale service and manufacturing businesses are organized for efficiency. Or consistency. But not joy. Joy comes from surprise and connection and humanity and transparency and new ... If you fear special requests, if you staff with cogs, if you have to put it all in a manual, then the chances of amazing someone are really quite low. These organizations have people who will try to patch problems over after the fact, instead of motivated people eager to delight on the spot.
The alternative, it seems, is to organize for joy. These are the companies that give their people the freedom (and the expectation) that they will create, connect and surprise. These are the organizations that embrace someone who make a difference, as opposed to searching the employee handbook for a rule that was violated. — Seth Godin

We must permeate the stores with creativity and offer service when and to the degree the customer wants it. Of course, it means offering all the omni bells and whistles they want, like in-store pickup, same-day delivery, and mobile point of sale, and all of this must be done every hour of every day the store is open. — Richard Hayne

Yesterday, I tried to call Northwest Airlines' customer-service line over a couple of hours. I couldn't get through. The recording said, "Due to a high volume of calls" Well, you could put it that way - "Due to a high volume of calls". Or you could say, "Due to an insufficient number of employees ... " — Jay Nordlinger

In the early 1990s, Target adopted some of Walt Disney's staff training and customer service initiatives. It has since developed a variety of methods - from hiring to coaching to grading performance - to ensure "team members" embody the motto "fast, fun and friendly." (See Chapter 5.) — Laura Rowley

Service is not something you do. It is something you are. — Stella Payton

It's a very, very tough market.
So unless you do a really good job, you buy the right products from the manufacturers, you service the customer, they keep coming back, they bring their friends in, it's all about numbers, numbers, numbers. — John Ilhan

It's simple: Happy customers reward you with their loyalty. Exceptional customer service converts into customer loyalty. It converts into raving fans who will praise your team on Twitter, and Facebook, and talk about their experience over lunch with friends. There is no greater marketing for your product than happy, surprised, raving fans, and no reason you can't start now. — Sarah Hatter

Sell (service or product) as if you are buying it, convince yourself first that, it is worth buying..
It is very simple; u 'cannot' convince someone till the time you're not convinced — Honeya

For a moment I think to myself, which connection is quicker to God? Telepathically or by email? Maybe there's a quicker turnaround time if I email my problems. I should probably start by apologizing and doing something spiritual to make up for my long absence. Would an Angel with poor customer service etiquette respond to my email? Is there an 800 holy number to dial? If so, which manual would the Angel be reading from? The Bible or the Qur'an? Does it matter? Would the Angel have Sister Mary sitting next to her, watching and coaching her on how to talk to people with issues? And how do you handle four billion calls a day? I suppose I would have to wait my turn in line, just like everyone else. — Sadiqua Hamdan

His face held a certain impassivity; you see it in all waiters and valets. They might want to jam a knife through your left eye socket, but you'd never know it from their expression. Working retail, I've acquired a similar look myself. — Ann Aguirre

I think private school is much better at customer service and making the parents feel better, especially in Los Angeles. It's almost like a spa for the parents where you drop your kids off, where they give you a beautifully baked thing and let the parents write their own newsletter about global warming. — Sandra Tsing Loh

I found it very helpful not to do the venture round. Instead, I started with very little money, a few thousand dollars, and I did every job myself. I was the first photographer. I was the first customer service rep. I was the first online marketing person. — Jon Oringer

The way you react to challenging situations will say a lot about you. Actually, it will make or break your business. — Cendrine Marrouat

Cater to your customers' lifestyles. It will create instant rapport and a lasting sense of I belong here. — Marilyn Suttle

80 percent of profits are produced by only 20 percent of the employees, 80 percent of customer service problems are created by only 20 percent of consumers, 80 percent of decisions are made during 20 percent of meeting time, and so on. It — Albert-Laszlo Barabasi

Big Government is erecting a panopticon state - one that sees everything, and regulates everything. It's great "customer service," except that you can never get out of the store. — Mark Steyn

We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It's our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better. — Jeff Bezos

*Customer service* is seldom about the customer; it is usually about the seller's chances of making more money from that customer in future. — Mokokoma Mokhonoana

It was easy for me in my bathrobe to provide really great customer service. As an introvert, it's really much easier to do than when standing in a retail store. — Sophia Amoruso

It is well worth remembering that the customer is the most important factor in any business. If you don't think so, try getting along without him for a while. — Napoleon Hill

Getting service right is more than just a nice to do; it's a must do. American consumers are willing to spend more with companies that provide outstanding service - ultimately, great service can drive sales and customer loyalty. — Jim Bush

While paying attention to positive and negative feedback is very important, it is not enough. What also matters is acknowledging and responding to this feedback. This is how you nurture your relationship with your audience. — Cendrine Marrouat

Biggest question: Isn't it really 'customer helping' rather than customer service? And wouldn't you deliver better service if you thought of it that way? — Jeffrey Gitomer

Service standards keep rising. As competitors render better and better service, customers become more demanding. Their expectations grow. When every company's service is shoddy, doing a few things well can earn you a reputation as the customer's savior. But when a competitor emerges from the pack as a service leader, you have to do a lot of things right. Suddenly achieving service leadership costs more and takes longer. It may even be impossible if the competition has too much of a head start. The longer you wait, the harder it is to produce outstanding service. — Bill Davidow

Many corporate leaders and employees have the right intentions, but it can be overwhelming when you consider how everything is affected from leadership styles, to organizational structure, to employee engagement, to customer service an marketplace. — Simon Mainwaring

The desire of the potential customer to buy the product or service should supersede the sales rep's desire to sell it. Willingly walking away from a possible sale proves that the time line to take advantage of the discount is legitimate. — Lenny Gray

Make it easy for your customers to do talk to you. — Kevin Stirtz

We have a constantly-changing portfolio of social media experiments. The first time we tried applying social technologies in a customer service department it became the most productive department in the company. — Sandy Carter

Thank your customer for complaining and mean it. Most will never bother to complain. They'll just walk away. — Marilyn Suttle

Quality in a product or service is not what the supplier puts in. It is what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for. A product is not quality because it is hard to make and costs a lot of money, as manufacturers typically believe. This is incompetence. Customers pay only for what is of use to them and gives them value. Nothing else constitutes quality. — Peter Drucker

If it is your assignment to write copy for a product or service that you really don't have a feel for, then you have a great deal of studying to do to make sure you understand who your customer is and what motivates him or her. — Joseph Sugarman

Most customer service people are great. It's that one customer service person from hell that drives me crazy! — Jon Jones

The secret of successful retailing is to give your customers what they want. And really, if you think about it from the point of view of the customer, you want everything: a wide assortment of good quality merchandise; the lowest possible prices; guaranteed satisfaction with what you buy; friendly, knowledgeable service; convenient hours; free parking; a pleasant shopping experience. — Sam Walton

The jogger sighed. He pulled out his phone and my eyes got big, because it glowed with a bluish light. When he extended the antenna, two creatures began writhing around it-green snakes, no bigger than earthworms.
The jogger didn't seem to notice. He checked his LCD display and cursed. "I've got to take this. Just a sec ... " Then into the phone: "Hello?" He listened. The mini-snakes writhed up and down the antenna right next to his ear.
Yeah," the jogger said. "Listen-I know, but ... I don't care if he is chained to a rock with vultures pecking at his liver, if he doesn't have a tracking number, we can't locate his package ... A gift to humankind, great ... You know how many of those we deliver-Oh, never mind. Listen, just refer him to Eris in customer service. I gotta go. — Rick Riordan

Customer service was my number one priority. A lot of people run their businesses like their customers are dummies. This is a mistake. If you're just out to take their money, they know it. But if you genuinely care about what you're doing, they will respond. — Sophia Amoruso

The conception of perfect service is constantly expanding and must be handled by broad and liberal minded men who put equity and fairness above gain-who put a proper valuation upon a satisfied customer as an asset running into the thousands of dollars, and who love a job thoroughly well done and get a kick out of doing it. — Alvan Macauley

Customers, like spouses, can be at your beck and call if you give them what they need, when they need it and how they need it. Massage their ego and you have them by the heart. — J. N. HALM

Providing great customer service is the most natural activity in the world. It's fun to help others because it feels good. — Kevin Stirtz

It is better to apologise later than to ask for permission now. It is called self leadership — Janna Cachola

The best customer service is if the customer doesn't need to call you, doesn't need to talk to you. It just works. — Jeff Bezos

Customer service. That is what it means. — Jon Jones

Well, getting all the education and the practical experience. And then having the patience to do it day in and day out. Day in and day out. It's not easy, let me tell you that. It's like the restaurateur serving great food every meal. It's not easy. But that's how you make a great restaurant. That's how you make a great car dealership. Service every day. You can't miss the ball. You've gotta hit the ball out of the park every day. With service. And the same with technology. In our lifetime, we've seen many companies go in the tank because they weren't able to innovate. Or actually, they didn't figure out a product or service that really served the customer well. They lost their customers. Never lose a customer. Figure that one out. — Anthony Robbins

With support jobs moving to China and India, it's not surprising that English-speaking countries' top frustration revolves around the difficulty of understanding customer service representatives. However, even if the level of customer service is exceptional, the extent to which poorly-understood accents trump quality of service speaks to English-speaking customers' growing intolerance of non-native speech, more so than in other countries. — Bob Hayes

Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or customer gets out of it. — Peter Drucker