What can a business owner do?  The economy drove down revenues. Costs had to be cut.  The staff had to be reduced.  Now things are beginning to turn around.  Customers are spending again.  Business is turning up.  So, when is it time to begin hiring again?  Should it be as the revenues grow, or when customers begin to complain about service?

A recent experience with a local home service organization made it clear that the business owner chose the latter.  The people who worked on our home delivered what was, in effect, Class C service, even though the owner was charging Class A pricing (based on competitive quoting.)  The question is, was waiting for customer complaints the right decision?

Business competition, today, is such that customers can easily find competitive organizations to service their needs.  A business loses customers quickly if it does not deliver first rate service.  In my case, the business owner wrote a letter of apology.  In his letter he chose to excuse the poor customer service by explaining that he cut manpower due to the poor economy and he has now decided to add more field supervision.  That, of course, is too late for me.  But, is it really the solution to the problem?

When a company is in the service business it is critical that service be the best, period.  Bill Marriott, CEO of  Marriott Hotels, said "Your employees will treat your customers in the same way that they are treated."  Perhaps supervision can help to improve service.  But, training, motivation and pride in their work are the things that create the best possible service because it is the people doing the work who deliver the service.

If a business owner resorts to excuses customers are not going to be satisfied with the service delivered.  Excuses are not the customer's problem or concern.  Apologies are acceptable as long as there is follow up and correction of the problem.  However, it is far better to plan and execute exceptional customer service to please the customer in the first place.