Final answer:
The statement is false; consistently delivering reliable service can surprise or delight customers. Reliable service builds trust, and even poor early design decisions can be overcome by focusing on customer needs and feedback. Reliability may also act as a key differentiator in markets with many choices.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is false that it is very difficult to surprise or delight customers by consistently delivering reliable service. Delivering reliable service can indeed build a strong foundation of trust with customers, making it more likely for them to be satisfied and possibly delighted with the service they receive. However, it's important to remember that customer expectations can vary and evolve over time, which means businesses must stay agile and continue to innovate to maintain customer delight. For example, even if a design decision made early in the process is poor, this can be overcome by iterative improvements and focusing on customer feedback.
In a market where there's a lot of choices, like phone service providers, reliability can be a unique selling proposition. If a provider like AT&T is known for being more reliable than its competitors, customers might be less overwhelmed by the number of choices and more likely to stay with or switch to AT&T due to the perceived higher reliability.