Gavin Wilkie said it best when he explained to me, years ago, that there are three elements that make up customer service;

  1. Speed
  2. Price
  3. Service

“No matter how you go about it, Bernard, you will always get two of those, at the expense of the third one.”

Mix-and-match all you like, Gavin was right. Anyone who promises otherwise will have a really hard time keeping his customers happy.

  • Price + Speed = no service
  • Speed + Service = pay the price
  • Price + Service = can not be done quickly

Since then, I try to remember this simple equation when working on any customer service strategies. Essentially, I try to figure which two features I can focus on, and then I need to make sure that the customer understands what she can expect. (it’s up to us to tell her).

No one expects it all, but everyone wants to know WHAT to expect.