Excellent Customer Service Really Does Pay Off

Make it stop
But one day I couldn’t take it anymore. I left “Hypertension” without spending a dime. I drove a few miles to Tom Thumb, spent about 20-25 percent more and completed my typical shopping trip in 35 minutes. I walked out of there with good produce, high-quality meat and a smile.

The next week I returned to Tom Thumb and repeated the pleasant shopping experience. “I’ll never go back to Hypertension,” I said to myself. But how would the mega-store’s management ever know?

I told them. I started copying my receipts and sending them to the store and district manager. “Here’s what I happily spent at your competitor,” I wrote on the receipts.

My friends thought I was crazy.

But it turns out I’m not alone.

The Strativity Group released its 2009 Customer Experience Consumer Study. The group surveyed 1,994 consumers this spring. More than 70 percent of consumers surveyed said they are willing to spend 10 percent or more with businesses if those companies “exceed their expectations.” More than one-third of consumers surveyed said they are willing to spend 25 percent or more if their expectations are exceeded.

A handful of those surveyed said they'd continue to do business with a company despite bad customer service, but only if products or services were discounted.

If you’re still trimming costs to help turn a profit, make sure you’re not making cuts that would result in an inferior customer experience.