Customer service quotes to inspire you

The most successful businesses have one thing in common – amazing customer service! And if you follow us on , you may have noticed some of the legendary customer service quotes we've been posting.

Here’s a collection of 20 of the best quotes that you may find useful and inspiring:

“Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends” – Walt Disney

“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, CEO, Amazon.com

“There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman down, simply by spending his money somewhere else” – Sam Walton, Founder of Wal-Mart

“Unless you have 100% customer satisfaction…you must improve” – Horst Schulz, CEO, Starbucks

“Service, in short, is not what you do, but who you are. It is a way of living that you need to bring to everything you do, if you are to bring it to your customer interactions” – Betsy Sanders

“Customers today want the very most and the very best for the very least amount of money, and on the best terms. Only the individuals and companies that provide absolutely excellent products and services at absolutely excellent prices will survive” -  Brian Tracy

“Merely satisfying customers will not be enough to earn their loyalty. Instead, they must experience exceptional service worthy of their repeat business and referral. Understand the factors that drive this customer revolution” – Rick Tate

“The customer’s perception is your reality” –  Kate Zabriskie

“The longer you wait, the harder it is to produce outstanding customer service” – William H. Davidow

“Profit in business comes from repeat customers; customers that boast about your product and service, and that bring friends with them” –  W. Edwards Deming

“If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell 6 friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends” –  Jeff Bezos, CEO, Amazon.com

“Good customer service costs less than bad customer service” –  Sally Gronow, Welsh Water

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning” –  Bill Gates

“The purpose of a business is to create a customer who creates customers” –  Shiv Singh

“It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays the wages” –  Henry Ford

“The customer experience is the next competitive battleground” –  Jerry Gregoire, CIO, Dell Computers

“Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong” –  Donald Porter, British Airways

“There is a spiritual aspect to our lives – when we give we receive – when a business does something good for somebody, that somebody feels good about them!” – Ben Cohen, Ben & Jerry’s

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.

Customer Service Quotes

• Customers know that they have been back stabbed when they feel the deep pain of betrayal. Their motto is : "Don't get mad, get even"  
• Customer Service-is the art of trust. Developing Trusted relationship with your Customers requires Organizational Positive ATTITUDE from the Top.
• The toughest thing about the power of trust is that it's very difficult to build and very easy to destroy
• Organizational Customer Service Culture is built by Education and not by one off training.
• Customer Service Culture is the habit of being able to exceed Customer expectations with the best value and knowing how,when and why. 
• It is not the employer who pays your wages. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays your wages  
• A business exists to find new customers. A Customer exist to keep business creative. 
• The Customer is boss. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else  
• A customer:the most important-We are dependent on him, not an interruption but purpose of it,not an outsider in business.but part of it.  
• Customer Service The golden rule for every business person is this: ''Put yourself in your customer's Shoes and see it from their eyes".  
• The customer perceives service in his or her own terms.You need to know about customer feedback that says things should be better. 
• Customer-based feedback must be translated into what the company must do internally not just to meet but exceed customers  
• “To open a shop is easy, to keep it open is an art - However, A man without a smiling face must not open a shop" 
• “If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.” but in Customer Service, If is worth doing …it's worth overdoing!  
• You can not just train your staff how to deal with your Customers. You must Educate them how to Live,love and breathe Customer Service  
• Customer Service Key to Satisfied Customer - Keep your promises! How to keep your Promises = Under promise but always over deliver=Excellence.
• “Make happy those who are near, and those who are far will come.” 
• Returning Customer TRUST you because you Listen to them and keep delivering more than they expect from you. FIRST and EVERY time !  
• Front line employees are Gold mine and a key to success of any Business-reward their efforts-they are the driving force of your Business. 
• Work hard for your Customers,change attitude,raise your standards .Don't compete with others - Compete with what you're capable of.Ante up your Service delivery!  
• Key to success of every champion is Ritual of raising standards and self expectations - Customer Service Culture has the same principles. 
• Who has the Advantage in Business? Youth? Speed? Talent?  Intelligence? No! its People who been there before.They know the road ahead.  
• You business is controlled by decisions.Gain courage,make a decision and invest in your business.Start building Customer Service Culture  
• Organizational Customer Service attitude and Building Customer Service Culture starts with management. make a decision - build a culture.
• Culture starts from the top.The biggest stranglehold of Customer Service Culture is coming from the Business management Resistance to change  
• Golden Rules of Customer Service: Don`t let me wait! I should Ask only once! Fix it now-right here and then! Don't make me run around! Don`t say "I understand" if you don`t.  
• An Intermediary service Culture starts with a refined collective understanding and appreciation of Customer Service attitude and behavior.
• You can buy any and every marketing and advertising Campaign - what you can`t buy is FREE Word of Mouth advertising - You must earn it !
• Music for Customers ears: "I will get that sorted out for you NOW","We don't have it,but I will get it for you","Here is a little gift for you".  
• Dont think because you hold 70%of market share that Customer don't have other Choice. They will find better choice and tell everybody about it.
• Sustained successful business Say`s Customer Service matters-provide service that adds more value than expected and more than anyone else can offer.

Thank you for reading

Top 5 Customer Service Quotes

This week’s ‘top 5′ in Customer Service series continues with a fun category!  Quotes made by the leaders in this field and from those who have excelled and who know that the customer is at the core of their success!
Check out the Top 5 Customer Service Quotes of all time!


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

2. “Every company’s greatest assets are its customers, because without customers there is no company.”
Michael LeBoeuf, Author of: How to Win Customers and Keep Them for Life

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

4. “Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.”
Donald Porter, V.P. British Airways

5. “It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays the wages.”
Henry Ford

And an extra bonus quote just for luck…
“The customer experience is the next competitive battleground.”
Jerry Gregoire, CIO, Dell Computers


I hope you found inspiration from these quotes that I came across.  They certainly inspire me.  Please feel free to share any of your favourite quotes from business leaders who focus on the customer.