The lure of making a quick buck attracts many people to adopt short term strategies, where they may not always take the most ethical path. I have experienced many hit and run vendors who have taken advantage of situations for the short term, by charging too much or delivering poor work as compared to what they had committed . This always results in the severing of ties, and finding alternative vendors to carry out the same task in the future. This short sightedness invariably leads to the eventual downfall of the service being provided because the key element of customer satisfaction and value is missing from the equation.

There are dire repercussions to adopting such tactics. Firstly, word of mouth spreads faster than you can imagine. Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000: Running a Business in Today’s Consumer-Driven World. I recommend reading this book to get a better understanding of the word of mouth impact on either the credibility of a person or business.

If you are starting a new venture, it is critical that you surpass your first customer’s expectation. These will become ambassadors for your product or service. This does not mean that your product has to be perfect from the onset. If there are glitches or mistakes made during delivery, it is important that the customer is given a full explanation and even compensated in return.

In the end, it is the customer experience which will be remembered.