What's really sad is that exceeding expectations isn't that hard anymore because so many companies offer abysmal service.

I'll give you an example. I have a rule with our companies that inquiries are answered as quickly as possible. If we need to get more information about something we at least acknowledge the question and let the person know when they can expect an answer. Most people are replied to within an hour at the longest.

I've had more people express astonishment at the fast reply time than I can count. To me it's a very simple, basic customer service tenant, but to our customers it is awesome. Our response time has won us a lot of business, and it's all for something other companies could easily do but choose not to do.