I walked into a shop the other day, and walked out again. Let’s just say I won’t be back.
Two staff were behind the counter. Both deep in conversation (with each other), both ignoring the customers wandering around looking increasingly lost. No eye contact. No smile. Not even a quick “Hey, we’ll be with you in a sec.”
I wasn’t expecting red carpet treatment. Just a basic human interaction.
Good customer service isn’t hard. But when it’s missing, it leaves a sour taste.
And for business owners? It quietly eats away at your profits.
If customers feel ignored, frustrated, or like an inconvenience, they won’t come back. You probably won’t even know they’ve left. They’ll just disappear.
When customer service is bad:
🟠 Customers don’t come back
🟠 You lose referrals and good word-of-mouth
🟠 You spend more on marketing to replace lost customers
🟠 Your team wastes time handling complaints or smoothing things over
🟠 Staff morale takes a hit (which often leads to staff turnover)
All of that affects your bottom line.
On the flip side, when your customer experience is smooth, friendly, and consistent?
🟠 Customers stay longer
🟠 They spend more, over time
🟠 They tell their friends
🟠 Your team is less stressed
🟠 You make more money
Good customer service isn’t fluffy or optional. It’s profitable.
Good service is not about over-the-top gestures or loyalty cards. It’s about doing the basics well, and doing them every time.
🟠 Returning calls and emails when you say you will
🟠 Following through on promises
🟠 Turning up on time (or giving a heads-up if you’re running late)
🟠 Making customers feel seen, heard, and appreciated
🟠 Empowering your team to fix small issues quickly
🟠 Saying thank
🟠 Remembering your regulars’ names or favourite order (huge win in hospitality or trades)
It’s the consistency that matters. People don’t expect perfection but they do expect communication and effort.
If you’re relying on memory or goodwill alone, your customer service will always be hit-and-miss.
Smart businesses lean on systems and technology to make service easier and more reliable:
🟠 Job management software to track progress and notify customers automatically
🟠 CRM tools to keep notes on client preferences and history
🟠 Templates and checklists so your team delivers the same great experience every time
🟠 Automated follow-ups so no one slips through the cracks
🟠 Feedback systems to catch issues early before they turn into complaints
These tools don’t replace the human touch, they support it. And they make it easier to scale great service as your business grows.
Customer service doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does need to be intentional.
Too many business owners leave it to chance, and then wonder why sales have flatlined or why the team is constantly putting out fires.
If your customer experience is inconsistent, disorganised, or relies too much on one person, you’ve got a risk.
And probably a profitability problem too.
People remember how you make them feel.
And in a sea of average experiences, the businesses that care stand out.
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