The Customer is Always Right: Why Commitment to Service is Key to Positive Brand Image, Customer Loyalty, and Organizational Success

This study examines how a commitment to service can impact and come to exemplify a company’s brand image, customer loyalty, and overall organizational success. It examines the history and evolution of customer service, as well as what commitment to service looks like in present-day businesses. It differentiates companies that have attained a reputation for superior service and companies that have struggled to overcome service failures. Trader Joe’s, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Chick-fil-A, Southwest Airlines, and The Walt Disney Company are identified as five companies that have attained a reputation for remarkable service. This study includes five analyses to understand each company’s mission, history, leadership, employee engagement, and organizational culture. This study synthesizes how an unwavering commitment to customers, emphasis on employee empowerment, and ability to embed service in culture are common themes that can significantly contribute to a company’s ability to develop a reputation for remarkable service.