In this time of horrendous customer service, the best service providers really stand out.

They not only stand out, they have another market advantage that is even more effective and important than occupying the top of the heap.  They understand customer service in a way that their competitors do not,  and along with that comes the drive to get increasingly better day after day, month after month, year after year.

I think it’s called CANI.  Here is the definition of CANI:

Improvement comes in the form of constant and never-ending improvement (CANI), building on previous knowledge and skill towards mastery.

Even when you are on top you still must strive for improvement, strive to get better, or the characters in the rear-view mirror are going to catch up.  It happens all the time.  Think of all the times in the last 20 years when one company dominated the market and suddenly a bunch of geeks ran them down and took over an industry.  I’m looking at you Blockbuster.  Once they had a gazillion stores and summarily dismissed an offer to merge with Netflix.  Who’s got the lead now?  And where are the Blockbuster stores?

You must improve then get better then get sharper then get smarter and then try harder no matter what industry they’re in.  Look at Nick Saban.  This guy will most likely go down as the best college football coach of all time and it’s easy to see how.  Take this story for example.  His team wins the national championship and instead of taking off on his private jet to the Cayman Islands, he takes that jet all over the country to recruit the next crop of great players.  You can find similar stories about Michael Jordan, Tom Brady  or Cal Ripken, Jr.

Think about Chick-fil-A.  They are on top and consistently noted for exemplary customer service in an industry where customer service has hit the bottom. The absolute bottom … under the ocean bottom.  Look what’s going on at the chicken store!

There you go.  The best gets better.  Just when you cannot stand talking to the speaker snot balls at Arby’s or Mickies or my old peeps at KFC, the chicken people not only do better on the speaker but they come out and visit you while you’re in the drive-thru, or in the case of the other places, the drive-sit.