We are unwittingly creating in a great many businesses and organisations, often in online customer experiences, software and new digital technologies, increasing actual “powerlessness”. For example, the inability to quickly find online the details and call a company’s representative with a need requiring urgent attention (digital banking, utilities, insurance companies and so on). The inability to speak to an individual with the authority or accountability to resolve a problem, make a decision, create an improvement or offer a more effective and common sense alternative. You increasingly cannot do something that is obviously sensible and intelligent, driven by technology and organisational design. I refer to them as “Common Sense Blockers” When we are not engaged with those businesses or people, our impression of them is indelibly, negative, marked by the difficulty of accessing them. Their investment in “branding” is routinely being diluted, as is the prospect of repeat purchases (the only really valid customer litmus test for quality).

Visiting school groups are a staple of our South Kensington neighbourhood on route to the wonderful local museums and recreational parks. There is perhaps 2 or 3 teachers shouting for silence as 20 to 30 kids and their walking partners ascend the steps, escalators and lifts of the tube station. At rush hour, it is quite overwhelming, yet valiantly everyone seems to go about their business with respect and tolerance, and get to where they need to be, on time, and with little rancour.

Why is it that at busy periods so many multinational and national consumer telephone answering systems (banks, utilities, Ticketmaster etc) with access to global support staff and systems working 24/7, cannot get us where we want to be and insist on treating us like children on “mute”? Perhaps the answer lies in the management and finance functions, who never shop their own businesses, and if they do, they satisfy themselves that the money saved will enable them to hit their corporate targets, and personal bonuses? Skewed logic.

There is an Italian deli here in Chelsea, Luigi’s, favoured by local celebrities such as Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley. The sign outside proudly announces this is their 45th year of serving customers. To drum up more lunchtime business recently they have been begun advertising and selling “discounted” trays of salads, lasagna and so on. You ask after ordering “how much?” and you find with an £8 box of salad comes a receipt for £9.50 with your card returned very politely, and a “grazie mille” (thanks a thousand) as you depart!

This is not an isolated occurrence, I don’t think I have ever seen a price displayed and a payment match. The place is rarely empty and the food is rarely less than delicious.

Is eating well more important than sleeping well? I have come to conclude that is the case for both Luigi’s proprietors and customers, where value trumps price!

If you manage a small and mid-size business and don’t appreciate that “service” has two key metrics: quality of the client outcome and speed, you are woefully under prepared.

In ordering additional schoolwear for my daughter this week, the Head of Sales at the recently acquired family business refutes service deficiencies by defending his firm’s technical manufacturing challenges, embroidery and order book, in meeting a surge in consumer demand for his products. “It is not a service issue”, oh, yes it is!

The Head of Events at a 5 star London hotel is given instructions and asked for a quick proposal first thing the next morning, which they agree to. Their proposal arrives late in the afternoon, by which time my client has needed to make a decision. When asked why they weren’t considered, speed was highlighted as a key purchasing criteria.

We live in a “ready now” world whether we like it or not. That means manufacturing, distribution and communication systems need greater “redundancy”, people and technological capacity to address exceptional requests, and meet or exceed clients’ needs. If you are a small business and dispute that or simply refuse to offer that level of service, no surprise your best customers and prospects are going to your competition.

A lastminute call to the assistant manager, Jordan, at one of the North Norfolk coast’s busiest hostelries, the newly refurbished The Globe Inn, explaining a large group booking was delayed due to a late running cricket match, was met by a reassuring “we look forward to seeing you, no problem”. When the group that arrived was nearly double the planned size, thirsty cricketers and their families, space was quickly found for excellent food and drink.

Try calling a major life insurance company, a high street bank or a rail booking service with a last minute request, and you are lucky if you can find a customer service representative without waiting 15-20 minutes. Small businesses and their entrepreneurial managers are putting large corporates and their excessively paid executives to shame. When you read this week that publicly-listed insurance company executives in the UK and Europe are earning 180x their average employee’s annual salary, service is clearly not on their performance and reward metrics.

When an organisation insists on directing all customer service calls through an automated telephone system that requires the answer to 9 questions, over four minutes of time invested, and ends with “I am sorry we are experiencing a high volume of calls, please try later”, you are witnessing a management, who don’t see customer service as a priority. They cannot reasonably be shopping their own business.

Don’t believe the adverts and corporate platitudes expressed at the outset of quarterly earnings calls, this is not a “customer first” business.

Some might see it as impolite to bring the deficiency to the managers’ attention but I don’t. Hearing what is not working or could improve from a peer is often more valuable advice than what is working great.

The return from summer gathers a pace in London, kids back in school, increasing traffic congestion and the London Evening Standard carrying pictures of glum-faced workers crossing London Bridge on a daily commute they hoped never would return. Casual drinks conversations start with what the employer’s policy is on working from home or the office? Some bosses bang the table, strident in the view that now is the time for the “great return”, others tiptoe around or trumpet their innovative flexible working guideline. All of it seems rather pointless. Why wouldn’t you let real client business drive how the firm organises itself, and the real-time responsiveness to your clients and prospects’ existing and anticipated needs?

After all, doesn’t your expensively designed website and marketing collaterals talk colourfully about your “client-centric approach to working”? Oh, perhaps your really didn’t intend to take it that far?

If you cannot see that the background Christmas flashing lights doesn’t enhance the Zoom viewing experience, what else are you readily overlooking that detracts from your ideal audience’s experience (investors, customers, peers and business partners)? Look around you and put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

My local hardware shop sold me a bath tap which much to everyone’s amazement split after a few weeks use. When this was pointed out to the CEO of the store, Leyland DSM, I had a call from him first thing the next morning, a generous offer to reimburse all out-of-pocket expenses and continue follow up. Acts of kindness and generosity like this far outweigh big business loyalty programmes.

I mean what use are those millions of miles stored in Marriott, British Airways or a Nectar loyalty programme, right now? Zilch! Indeed, those firms responsiveness to refunding or booking new travel this past 6 months hardly encourages new, repeat or referral business.

It is a reminder to all mid-sized and smaller companies, how impressive service in this period when customers are often highly inconvenienced is a huge opportunity to build enduring loyalty.

What can you do today that is immediately in your best customers self-interest? A proactive referral, an idea for immediate improvement in their clients’ condition or even a 10 minute call to keep they and their family’s spirits up. It counts. It is future goodwill in your firm’s bank account.

Most people think capitalism is about incentives, when really it is about disincentives.

Tattoo Tony, my local plumber, can take an emergency call, be on site, solve a water leak, recommend preventative action, process payment and email a receipt in 3 hours.

My banker, telecom provider and health insurer, subject me to 20 minutes of automated telephone systems, multiple security checks and touch points, push me to an online resolution, and typically I must wait for 24-48 hours to solve a minor inconvenience, so long as they have the accountability and authority.

Tony operates a small convenience business, the rest large inconvenience businesses.

There is an explicit disincentive for Tattoo Tony for slow responsiveness (skint) or unsuccessful work (no repeat or referral business).

The CEO’s of the other businesses collect above £3M total compensation annually. Their client service people will collect a comfortable salary and benefits this month whether I am happy or not with their responsiveness or the quality of their work. There is close to zero disincentive.

Which category would your clients say your business is in? Are your disincentives strong enough to encourage your clients’ desired behaviours and results?