Top Customer Service Quotes: 10 Thoughts Every Business Can Live By

Statistics are great when you need a firm grasp of a situation. But sometimes, the facts and figures just aren't enough. Sometimes some wise words are exactly what you need to make sense of a business situation.

Fortunately, there's no shortage of great customer service quotes out there to get you started. Applied properly, every item in this collection can relate to something you can put into action. Here are 10 top customer service quotes and how they can help you know your customer better.

1. "Make a customer, not a sale."

— Katherine Barchetti, founder of K. Barchetti Shops, Pittsburgh.

In today's experience-focused business landscape, the heft of this quote should be easy to grasp. Likewise, it should remain at the forefront of every policy, product, and substantial customer-impacting change your company makes.

Some actions might make your company look like it's after a quick cash grab, while others might foster lasting relationships with customers. Follow these six words as your organization evolves and it should be easier to cultivate the latter — and eradicate the former.

2. "It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure."

— Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft.

Examining organizational failures in-depth can be painful, but it's also the quickest way to identify and avoid future pitfalls. This quote shines on our list of customer service quotes because it embraces this simple idea: If no business invites failure, the process is nonetheless essential.

Look at your organization's most recent notable customer service snafu. Does it fly in the face of policy or fall within the parameters your company set forth? What operational or cultural factors can be addressed to ensure it doesn't happen again?

3. "Spend a lot of time talking to customers face to face. You'd be amazed how many companies don't listen to their customers."

— Ross Perot, American businessperson.

You needn't rely solely on focus groups, surveys, and other mass data-gathering to know your customer better than ever.

Instead, consider the same customer service reps who help your clientele. They know what works, what doesn't, and what needs to change now simply because they live it daily. This, if nothing else, is the most important reason why customer service should be better integrated with the rest of your business.

Make sure every outbound communication is clear, respond to problems promptly, and do everything you can to ensure your business doesn't leave that critical door of thought open for current and future clientele.

4. "If you are not taking care of your customers, your competitor will."

— Bob Hooey, corporate success trainer.

Providing good service has always been important, and it always will be. With businesses focusing on customer experience as a key differentiator, however, it's also fair to say it's as important as it's ever been — and will continue to be a key source of pressure and (hopefully positive) change forevermore.

Make no mistake about it: Today's "connected customer" has more power to walk than ever, and they'll exercise it if you give them a chance.

5. "In the world of internet customer service, it's important to remember your competitor is only one mouse click away."

— Doug Warner, internet enthusiast.

Once, a disgruntled shopper might have had to walk some distance to get to a competitor's store. Today, however, the same shopper can open a new tab in seconds when doing a little e-commerce shopping — a major difference by any measure.

The big takeaway here: If you're going to make a channel available to your customers, make sure it's just as helpful as any other. To know your customer is to provide them competent help in the channels they prefer, after all.

6. "Never leave your customers wondering."

— Kevin Stirtz, author of "More Loyal Customers: 21 Real World Lessons to Keep Your Customers Coming Back."

Good businesses keep their customers in the loop. Less-successful counterparts mix a lack of transparency with inconsistent policy adherence. Care to guess which one customers are more likely to want a relationship with?

Make sure every outbound communication is clear, respond to problems promptly, and do everything you can to ensure your business doesn't leave that critical door of thought open for current and future clientele. Anything less, and the outcome could be adverse.

7. "Creating opportunities means looking where others are not."

— Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks owner and American businessperson.

This one can be interpreted in a few ways. In the context of great customer service, the primary angle comes down to competitive intel and informed execution.

Your competitors have their strengths and drawbacks. To "look where they aren't," try to find the pain points they've thus far failed to learn from. Make sure your current policy doesn't invite the same error(s), and look for ways to make your relative experience look better in that regard — even if you don't outwardly mention the other organization, your customers will appreciate the legwork.

8. "Loyal customers, they don't just come back, they don't simply recommend you, they insist that their friends do business with you."

— Chip Bell, author of "Sprinkles: Creating Awesome Experiences Through Innovative Service."

It's easy to get caught up on the potential negative impacts customer experiences can have, but let's not forget: Doing a good job can yield major results.

This line works on a list of top customer service quotes because it brings that plainspoken fact front and center. Keep improving the customer experience, and be sure to let the promise of an improved experience bring your business closer together as a unit.

9. "How many of us can think like an accountant or an engineer if we aren't one? We can all think like customers. So, that is number one. Think like your customer."

— Barry Dalton, customer experience expert.

This soundbite might be long, but it's worth every word. When we forget to examine our experience from the perspective of the people it's designed for, bad things can happen.

In practical terms, think of the quote as an invitation to explore your offerings from a new perspective — something every business can derive value from, wherever they currently are in terms of performance.

10. "How you think about your customer influences how you respond to them."

— Marilyn Suttle, author and speaker.

Capping off the list, Marilyn Suttle's relative few words pack a reservoir of meaning. As a final thought exercise, consider all your organization's employees and all the ways their actions, decisions, and work may directly impact customers — even if some employees never interact with ground-level buyers.

That alone should tell you just how important the right attitude is — and more, how a consistent approach to service and experience can win the day.