Christensen hopes the findings will encourage companies to re-evaluate how they approach customer service issues by first diagnosing what type of customers they are dealing with. It will also, he said, change how he teaches his managerial students, particularly in light of statistics that it costs five times as much to attract new customers than to retain existing ones.

Research has also indicated that only 5 percent of customers who experience a service failure complain, Christensen said, meaning that for every one vocal customer, there are 19 others who are equally upset.

"There's a real case for wining and dining (upset customers), to really court them and learn from them and improve your practices so you offend fewer people," Christensen said. "Listening to your customers through the recovery process will also allow you to redefine your process."

The group reached their conclusions by conducting in-depth interviews with a group of 24 customers who had experienced customer service problems. The customers shared their experience through writing, discussions and pictures, according to the study.

---

E-mail: awelling@desnews.com