The Silent Forces Shaping Service Quality

Idea in Brief

Service quality isn’t just about SOPs, training, or complaint systems. It’s shaped by deeper, often unspoken cultural forces—specifically, how wealth and labor interact in society. In fast-growing economies with extreme income gaps, service tends to suffer due to three hidden dynamics:

• Wealth Distrust – If money is seen as undeserved, cutting corners feels justified.
• Service Work Stigma – If labor is viewed as low-status, employees disengage.
• Learned Indifference – When both customers and workers adjust to mediocrity, poor service becomes the norm.

For service brands, this isn’t just an operational challenge—it’s a cultural one. The real edge lies in changing mindsets: ensuring employees see people, not paychecks, and that customers respect the dignity of work. The brand that breaks this cycle and positions service as an advantage, not a cost, wins.

I’ve been traveling between developed and fast-growing economies recently, shuttling between worlds with starkly different service cultures. And nowhere is the gap more obvious than in everyday interactions—like taking an Uber.

The contrast is immediate: the car’s upkeep, the driver’s attitude, the overall experience. The default explanation? High demand in these markets means little pressure to excel. Service standards are weakly enforced, and customers have adjusted their expectations accordingly.

But I believe there’s something deeper at play. Service mediocrity isn’t just an issue of weak enforcement—it’s a function of how wealth and labor interact in societies with extreme income disparities.

Three Hidden Forces That Keep Service Stuck in a Rut

Beyond infrastructure and SOPs, three underlying forces perpetuate low service standards:

1. Wealth Distrust: When Money Feels Undeserved, Service Feels Optional

In economies where corruption is visible and wealth accumulation appears opaque, money isn’t just envied—it’s distrusted. Many assume the rich didn’t earn their success; they were just lucky, born into privilege, or benefited from an unfair system.

This perception breeds resentment. Why go the extra mile for someone who, in your eyes, didn’t work hard for their money? Cutting corners doesn’t feel like negligence—it feels like justice.

2. Service Work Stigma: When Labor Lacks Dignity, Excellence Becomes Unlikely

On the flip side, the wealthy in these societies often view service roles as low-status, making customer-worker interactions transactional rather than respectful. Worse, when wealth is acquired without labor, its value is often misunderstood, leading to a diminished appreciation for those who work in service.

When work isn’t valued, workers disengage. In societies where service roles are respected, employees tend to take pride in their jobs because their contribution is recognized. Where dignity is absent, motivation follows suit.

3. Learned Indifference: When Both Sides Expect Less, the Cycle Continues

Once subpar service becomes the norm, everyone adjusts downward. Customers stop expecting better, employees stop striving for better, and brands feel no urgency to improve standards. This isn’t just an operations issue—it’s a cultural one.

Breaking the Cycle: The Brand That Fixes Service Wins

So how do we fix this? The solution isn’t stricter enforcement or better SOPs—it’s reframing service as a human connection rather than a hierarchy.

• For service employees: Training shouldn’t just teach procedures—it should humanize the customer. An Uber ride isn’t just a fare; it’s a person rushing to a meeting, catching a flight, or getting home after a long day.
• For customers: The privileged need to stop treating service roles as lesser. Where dignity of labor exists, service excellence follows naturally. Respect breeds engagement, and engagement breeds better service.
• For brands: SOPs and complaint systems aren’t enough. Brands must take a stand. Customers should know their concerns will be addressed—but it should also be clear that mistreating employees is unacceptable. When workers feel valued and protected, they take pride in their jobs.

The Competitive Edge of Service Excellence

The real opportunity? The first brand that elevates service—not as a hygiene factor, but as a strategic differentiator—wins.

Because in the end, great service isn’t about enforcing rules. It’s about changing mindsets.