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Americans are placing an even greater premium on quality customer service this year. In a stronger economic environment, seven in ten Americans (70%) are willing to spend an average of 13% more with companies they believe provide excellent customer service according to a recently released study by American Express. This is up substantially from 2010, when six in ten Americans (58%) said they would spend an average of 9% more with companies that deliver great service.

But despite the greater value Americans are placing on customer service, many businesses don't seem to be making the grade with consumers.

• In fact, six in ten Americans (60%) believe businesses haven't increased their focus on providing good customer service -- up from 55% in 2010.
• Among this group, 26% think companies are actually paying less attention to service.

These findings were released today in the American Express® Global Customer Service Barometer, a survey conducted in the U.S. and nine other countries exploring attitudes and preferences toward customer service.

"Getting service right is more than just a nice to do; it's a must do," said Jim Bush, Executive Vice President, World Service. "American consumers are willing to spend more with companies that provide outstanding service, and they will also tell, on average, twice as many people about bad service than they are about good service. Ultimately, great service can drive sales and customer loyalty."

Customers who have a fantastic service experience say friendly representatives (65%) who are ultimately able to solve their concerns (66%) are most influential.

"There are many who subscribe to the convention that service is a business cost, but our data demonstrates that superior service is an investment that can help drive business growth," Mr. Bush added. "Investing in quality talent, and ensuring they have the skills, training and tools that enable them to empathize and actively listen to customers are central to providing consistently excellent service experiences."

To read the full study summary:

http://about.americanexpress.com/news/pr/2011/csbar.aspx

About the American Express Global Customer Service Barometer
The American Express Global Customer Service Barometer research was completed online among a random sample of 1,000 U.S. consumers aged 18+. Interviewing was conducted by Echo Research between February 2-10, 2011. Overall, the results have a margin of error of +/- 3.1% at the 95 percent level of confidence. The same survey methodology was used in Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, the U.K., the Netherlands, Australia, and India.

Customer service speaker and author Teresa Allen presents customer service keynotes and customer service training across the US and abroad. Subscribe to this customer service blog for more timely information on customer service study data and customer service innovations. Add you comments by clicking on the comment link below.Teresa can be reached at 800-797-1580 or through her website: www.AllenSpeaks.com Email her at tallen@AllenSpeaks.com