Expectation Inflation

Hi,

Do you remember those lame slogans that people used to peddle about "Excellence"? Like "Excellence is a race without a finish line." Excellence emerged at the same time as the Customer Service Revolution and I think of both each time I encounter bad service. In the pre-Excellence days, bad service was expected and hardly raised an eyebrow. But now we have higher expectations. Today we encounter better general levels of service. But at the same time we are more likely to be upset by bad service. We are suffering from "Expectation Inflation" - which means consumers grow harder and harder to please as you increase your levels of service. A pretty dilemma.

Expectation Inflation affects your operation whenever you offer benefits to customers. I have been a Lexus owner for 6 years. I have enjoyed the highest levels of service available in Australia - until my last service when they failed to bleed the rear brakes and I was driving on outback roads pumping the brakes to slow down. It forced me to make a special trip back to the city to have it rectified. When it was returned, the service person refused to take my assurance that we routinely pay by invoice and insisted on a credit card for a $78 bill. (The original faulty service - for $1200+ - was invoiced.) And no apology for the original service failure. Very unLexus. The brand set the bar - and my expectations - so high when it was launched in 1990.

I used to be an Advocate. Now, what can I say?

Cheers!

Michael Kiely