The Crisis of Care in Client-Facing Businesses: Why Good Service Is No Longer Enough
Something’s shifted - and if you’ve been in a treatment room, behind the front desk, or on a Zoom call with clients lately, you already feel it.
Clients are walking away faster.
Loyalty feels... optional.
And even your most well-trained team member is struggling to connect with actual humans.
This isn’t just a customer service issue.
We’re in a crisis of care.
Let’s look at the receipts:
Here’s what the data says:
32% of customers will leave a brand they love, after just one bad experience (PwC)
61% of consumers say service standards have declined since 2020 (Salesforce)
76% of employees in service roles report emotional burnout or disengagement (Gallup)
If you’re like most business owners, you’ve tried the usual fixes: sales, smile training, maybe a loyalty card or two - and it’s still not landing. Why?
Because clients don’t just want “good.”
They want real.
Why “good service” doesn’t cut it anymore
We live in a world where AI can respond faster than your front desk.
Where convenience is expected.
Where price wars are endless.
So the only thing left - the only thing that still moves people - is how you make them feel.
And that’s the piece most businesses have forgotten.
They’re polished. They’re professional.
But they’re emotionally flat.
And guess what? Flat doesn’t convert.
Enter: The Bucket Effect
This is why I’m writing my second book.
It’s called The Bucket Effect, and it’s for service-based pros and client-facing teams who want to stop being “fine” and start being unforgettable. This book is about the emotional moment that makes a client say,
“that was so amazing, they really took care of me... I can’t wait to come back.”
Not because of the serum. Not because of the lighting.
Because of how they were made to feel.
I’m not revealing the full framework (yet), but here’s the core truth:
Your emotional presence is not just a soft skill. It’s a business asset.
One question to ask yourself or your team today:
If you want a quick gut-check, bring this to your next meeting:
“What emotional outcome do we want every client to walk away with?”
Let them answer. No correcting. No coaching.
Just listen.
Their responses will tell you more about how your brand is landing than your website ever could.
Want more of this?
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing behind-the-scenes insights from The Bucket Effect, plus a free resource built to help you transform your team’s emotional presence - without a single new hire or awkward customer service script.
No fluff. No fluffier affirmations. Just real tools that actually work.