From at least four unrelated sources comes this little nugget for business improvement: Customers judge service quality not on the basis of how well they were treated or how well problems were resolved, but by wait time.

(Fittingly, this post is very short.)

How quickly are your phones answered? How quickly and smoothly do your checkout lines move? What is the "wait" between customers deciding to purchase and walking out with their purchase completed?

The friendliest, most knowledgeable staff will not keep customers feeling "well-served" if there's too much time burned during the actual buying process. Build a speedy transaction into your game plan, and your perceived level of service will instantly rise.

Labels: customer centered, customer service