Just wanted to share a great article over at crmbuyer.com, from an interview with customer service consultant Bobbi Paine.  Some quotable quotes:

• "Businesses are losing business they can't afford to lose," she said, pointing to the results of a 2007 Harris Poll, which reported 80 percent of customers saying they will never return to a business after a negative customer-service experience. That's up from 68 percent in 2006. 
• Every time you pick up the phone or go to a restaurant, a store or the airport, you have a customer-service experience. Time and time again when I hear about outstanding customer service, the person was only doing their job. The reason the customer thought it was outstanding is because they were treated so poorly the last time.
• Consumers are in control because they can go somewhere else. When we were a full-service society, there wasn't as much competition. There didn't used to be a Starbucks, a gas station, a bank or a restaurant on every corner. Now, if I don't like the service somewhere, I don't have to go back. Surveys show people are willing to pay at least 10 percent more to get better service on a consistent basis.