Final answer:
Effective customer service standards often require a balance between broad, adaptable criteria and specific, measurable statistics to accurately assess performance. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches have their place in setting and evaluating customer service standards.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question suggests that the most effective customer service standards utilize broad wording in criteria to assess performance, which could reduce the reliance on specific service statistics. However, this broad approach may not always be the best method. For instance, in situations such as reviewing a new hiking trail, or the service provided by an auto mechanic, customers often make decisions based on detailed online reviews that cover specific criteria like customer service quality, atmosphere, prices, etc.
Effective customer service standards should balance the qualitative with the quantitative. Up-to-date approaches that are highly adaptable and easy to interpret, like those based on information theory, are beneficial, especially in large scale processes. In practice, any method that helps differentiate significant issues from minor ones can be helpful, as suggested in the statement that such methods should be viewed as very approximate guidelines.
Moreover, the example of a lunch-hour manager implementing a new system to handle customer complaints illustrates that specific, actionable solutions, such as using floor markings to streamline customer lines, can lead to concrete improvements. Similarly, while qualitative data is valuable, quantitative measures like GDP per capita are highlighted as reasonable indicators of broader terms like 'standard of living', underscoring the importance of measurable criteria in assessments.