1. Make poor hiring decisions - During the booming economy with low unemployment, managers hired the first warm body that darkened the door of their facility. Decisions made without consideration for capability, mentality, or motivation to provide excellent customer service that a successful business is expected to provide.

2. Provide little or no training - Now that the economy has reversed, there are more capable people available to fill positions; however, once hired, there is a lack of training and little emphasis placed on the importance of providing customer service. Managers are concerned about the pressure on profits with declining sales and in many cases; training resources are cut or eliminated.

3. No Response to Customer Concerns - Place barriers to customer service when a customer returns an item or has a complaint. Yes the 22 dollar purchase failed to meet the customer expectations, yes it was purchased at a location out of town, yes the receipt was lost, and yes the reason for the purchase was made in part because of the death of a parent. No, we will not replace the item, because you did not meet our rules for being a good customer.

4. The appearance of your business - Go straight into your business, do not walk the lot, check the glass, or inspect the cleanliness of the restrooms that your customers use. No need to, you are busy with all that needs to be done; besides none of those areas are considered part of the customer experience.

5. Be oblivious to your surroundings - Occasionally when visiting restaurants I will see the manager sitting in the dining room going over the daily paperwork, while the lines at the front counter get longer and the equipment timers in the kitchen keep up their incessant chiming. Speed of service is an oxymoron and people are leaving without placing an order, yet there is the manager completing the administrative tasks. I have always wondered how much those tasks contribute to the profitability of the restaurant.

6. Answer the telephone first and then ask for permission second - Don't you just love it when you go into a business, wait for a member of the sales customer service staff to acknowledge your presence and just when you are ready to ask your question, he answers the telephone and then excuses himself? Here is a customer with MONEY ready to BUY and you turn him away because of a telephone call. Don't worry about the customer here; the phone is more important to the customer experience.

7. Hide and look busy when there is a problem - When the dining room is full and the wait list is lengthy, it is time to head to the kitchen. Your top chef and assistants need your help, what better way to relieve some of the back up in the kitchen than to get in the way. Besides it is more important to be seen working hard in the back instead of addressing customer service issues upfront.

8. Treat your customers differently depending on the time of day - In the morning allow the Guests to sit anywhere they like in your dining room, it enhances their overall experience. However, in the evening, close off areas with handwritten signs saying "closed." To enhance the excellent customer service experience, allow your service times to slow to a crawl, because it is more important to focus on cleaning and closing the restaurant than providing the Guest with a positive customer service experience.

9. Allow anyone to answer your business phone - While it was mentioned above about answering the telephone when busy, when it is not or there is adequate customer service staff, just let anyone answer the phone. Ring ring "yeah? Oh sure, this is Wiley's Store, naw, I don't know if we have any widgets. Can I look? Sure, guess I can. Now? Oh ok." Clunk as the phone hits the counter. Wait, wait, looking at watch 5 minutes pass, wait...wait...sounds the phone is being picked up.... Click dial tone....

10. Create barriers to excellent customer experience - Have a department in your business where merchandise is locked in cases and then do not assign a customer service employee to work the area. Not only that; don't have a single customer service employee within sight of the department. Let the customer walk back to the front of the store to try and find someone. Of course, make sure the customer meets the majority of your customer service staff, as the general response will be "(I) do not work in that department, Joe does." "No I haven't seen Joe, I think he is off today."