9 Customer Service Quotes that will make you think Twice

1. “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

– Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft 

We often get stuck in the echo chamber only hearing the virtues of our product. However, as Gates succinctly puts it, our toughest critics are usually the best source of information. Sometimes you need to step outside the bubble and listen to people that will tell you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear.

2. “Rule #1 — The Customer is Always Right”; Rule #2 – If the Customer is Ever Wrong, Re-Read Rule #1.”

– Stew Leonard, Founder of supermarket chain 

Stew Leonard believes in his two rules so fervently, that they are etched in a three-ton granite rock at the entrance of his shop. As Leonard learnt early on, each customer is valuable and treating them like liars is never an appropriate response. Further, most customers are honest and it is unfair to penalize them because a small minority might be dishonest.

3. “If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful.”

– Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon 

Bezos’ quote very eloquently exemplifies the ethos behind customer service at Amazon. The key to growing the brand in its early years was making it easy for customers to find obscure things. When a customer found something they could not on other websites, they would remark on it to their friends. This word of mouth marketing is dependent on satisfying your initial customers.

4. “There is a big difference between a satisfied customer and a loyal customer.”

– Shep Hyken, Marketing Expert 

Having great customer service should be a given. However, engendering confidence in your customer base requires you to create positive customer experiences on a consistent basis. This in turn will turn satisfied customers into loyal ones who will not want to shop anywhere else.

5. “Consumers are statistics. Customers are people.”

– Stanley Marcus, President and Chairman of Neiman Marcus 

This is a great antithesis to the fascination with big data and predictive analytics pervading the business-customer relationship. What Marcus is suggesting is that businesses need to stop overanalysing their data and actually talk to customers. Spreadsheets and charts are great to an extent, but customers have unique needs and wants which must be addressed on an individual basis.

6. “Remember that, in the end, the customer doesn’t know, or care, if you are small or large as an organization – she or he only focuses on the garment hanging on the rail in the store.”

– Giorgia Armani, Fashion Designer 

This famous quote by revered fashion designer Armani is especially important for smaller businesses about to make it big. When a young company starts out their customer service is usually immaculate as there is usually a limited customer base. However, as the customer base and the company concurrently increase, customer service is often the first department to take a hit. No matter how big or small the company your customer will expect the same level of service and it is your duty to meet that expectation.

7. “There is only one boss-the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”

– Sam Walton, Founder of Wal-Mart 

Sam Walton was almost fired as a sales trainee from J.C. Penny because he hated keeping customers waiting while he fussed with paperwork. This is a level of dedication unheard of in retail, even where commissions rule the day. It is also telling that companies continue to adopt a top-down approach with leaders’ micro-managing instead of letting their employees perform. At Zopim we are careful to strike a balance between providing guidance to our CSRs while at the same time giving them the leeway to serve the customer as they see fit. This balance is important as each customer has a unique request and must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

8. “Statistics suggest that when customers complain, business owners and managers ought to get excited about it. The complaining customer represents a huge opportunity for more business.”

– Zig Ziglar, Author

This quote seems a little strange, after all isn’t the aim to provide 100% customer satisfaction? Well first, it is impossible to completely satisfy all your customers and second, the best learning opportunities come from the customers who complain. Ziglar’s quote strongly echoes Gates’ above. Imagine two customers, one who doesn’t make a fuss but decides not to shop at your store, and another who angrily complains and then leaves your store. While the second customer may be seen as a nuisance, at least you know why they no longer want to shop at your store. This is valuable information you can use to make your store better.

9. “A man without a smiling face must not open a shop.”

– Chinese proverb 

And finally, the most useful advice when starting a store is to simply create a positive experience. We can all feel negative energy and it does not bode well for a shop that revels in it, unless you work at a Halloween shop of course.