Americans are placing an even greater premium on quality customer service this year. Results from an American Express survey indicate that seven in 10 Americans (70%) are willing to spend an average of 13-percent more with companies they believe provide excellent customer service. This is up substantially from 2010, when six in 10 Americans (58%) said they would spend an average of 9-percent more with companies that deliver great service.

But despite the greater value Americans are placing on customer service, many businesses don't seem to be making the grade with consumers.
• In fact, six in 10 Americans (60%) believe businesses haven't increased their focus on providing good customer service—up from 55 percent in 2010.
• Among this group, 26 percent think companies are actually paying less attention to service.

These findings were released recently in the American Express Global Customer Service Barometer, a survey conducted in the United States and nine other countries exploring attitudes and preferences toward customer service.

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