ken_b - 6:56 pm on Dec 31, 2007 (gmt 0)

>> cost <<

Setting a watch to the right time zone is a nice, almost no-cost touch that many merchants would overlook. And it probably deserves the attention, appreciation, and word of mouth advertising, it gets from the buyer.

On the other hand, a merchant standing behind the products they sell, and taking back defective products without a lot of fuss doesn't deserve a wow, let alone a WOW. The cost here is something for the merchant and the manufacture to deal with.

If the manufacture continually ships defective merchandise, get them to eat the real cost of returns, find a new that that doesn't continually ship defective merchandise.

It seems to me that we have devalued the concept of excellence by applying the term to what should be the ordinary everyday level of performance.