Having lived here all my life and seen what other countries have to offer, the customer service level of Australian companies is terrible. I believe this is because Australian companies have not yet realised the importance of their customers. So many companies look inside out, that is, they are focused on themselves and are oblivious to the needs and expectations of their customers.

However, as the old saying goes, with every problem lies an opportunity and there is an opportunity for those companies that are REALLY "determined to be different" by providing exceptional service.

To quote Terry Schurter, "at the heart of every customer experience are Moments of Truth. Richard Normann first articulated them; Jan Carlzon turned SAS around with them (from a $17 million per annum loss in 1981 to a $54 million profit in 1982) and subsequently wrote the book “Moments of Truth.” Innovation on Moments of Truth is fertile ground for building customer loyalty, expanding market share, and remaking entire market places.

Sir Richard Branson of Virgin uses this type of innovation on a regular basis. The largest Tire Retailer in the US built their $1.5 billion business using it. State Farm lives and breathes it every day. What’s stopping us from doing the same? Nothing but ourselves..."

Moments of truth are integral in an emerging business model called Advanced Business Process Management, also know as Outside In. This model puts the customer at the heart of everything a company does and aligns everything the company does to deliver the business triple crown, simultaneously reducing costs, increasing revenue and enhancing service. It's principles are also behind the success of some of this centuries most successful companies including Apple, Disney and Google.

So what's stopping Australian companies from turning Outside In, well, maybe they don't know any better or maybe because service has gotten so bad that today, if it is not terrible, we are relieved.