Exhibit A:

Before a recent vacation, I emailed a pet-sitting service to inquire about their pricing and availability.

It took them 11 days to respond, during which time I located a less expensive, more convenient option.

Exhibit B:

This summer, we needed to replace a screen on a sliding door.  I contacted five companies, three of which didn’t reply.

One company told me it would be “easier” if I could bring the door to them.  Easier for them, that is.  I can’t fit an eight-foot door into my car.

I can produce dozens of examples like these.  So can you.

The point is not to bemoan the sorry state of customer service.  The point is simply that bad service remains common, almost pervasive.

And if it’s pervasive, it could be a feature of your brand.  Or mine.

Ask: How much do we, as an organization, truly value customer service?

Ask: How can we measure how good our service really is?

Ask:  If we focused only on improving our service for just 90 days, what would the result be?

It’s a simple exercise, and worth the time.

About Matthew Fenton: Matthew founded Three Deuce Branding in 1997 with a simple mission: “To help good people build great brands.” He’s a former CMO who repeatedly led underdog brands to outpace the market, and now he does the same for the clients he serves. Businesses and brands trust Matthew to help them achieve “brand clarity” through core brand strategy and positioning.  Matthew is also a highly-rated speaker.  Contact Matthew here.  He’s based in Chicago.

Copyright 2017 – Matthew Fenton. All Rights Reserved. You may reprint this article with the original, unedited text intact, including the About Matthew Fenton section.