Personally I have experienced a wide range of customer service standards - from disinterested and unhelpful staff to those who go out of their way to help.

BBC: Devon - Have your say: are you being served?

Generally I find that customer service standards in restaurants and hotels is far better than in shops (although small independant shops tend to be much better than supermarkets and large chains), and that the more mature staff tend to give better service than their younger colleagues.

BBC: Devon - Have your say: are you being served?

The company, which provides water to 3.7 million homes and businesses in England and Wales, is already facing a fine from regulator Ofwat for missing earlier customer service performance standards.

BBC: NEWS | Business | Water firms boost profit streams

The company maintains high standards of customer service, is proactive in bringing HD channels and the latest DVR technologies to the market, focuses on subscriber credit quality and offers the NFL Sunday Ticket all of which support its outlook.

FORBES: DirecTV Adds 100K Net U.S. Subscribers In Q4 - Good Or Bad?

Today, an increasingly international customer demanding world-class standards has made many service companies retool their "one size fits all" approach to doing business in Asia.

CNN: Paths to Top Service