Understand the Live to SERVE Scale™ for Service-First Culture

The Live to Serve Scale™

Serve to Live Stage

At the most basic level, businesses operate on a transaction-by-transaction basis, focusing on individual sales and customers. While this is a natural starting point for small businesses, remaining here indefinitely can limit growth potential.

On Your Way Stage

This middle stage represents where 90% of established businesses settle after their first decade. These companies deliver consistent service and maintain satisfied customers, but lack the deep engagement that creates lasting loyalty. Both employees and customers remain until better opportunities arise.

Live to Serve Stage

The pinnacle of service culture occurs when a company fully embraces a service-first mindset. This environment fosters remarkable employee retention and customer loyalty, creating a sustainable cycle of success. While many organizations aspire to reach this level, maintaining it consistently proves challenging.

The scale demonstrates how service culture directly impacts both employee retention and customer loyalty. True business success comes from moving beyond mere transactions to creating a comprehensive service-oriented environment.

The SERVE Method™

Smile

Regardless of medium (phone, in-person, etc.):

Start and end each interaction with a smile
It's your attitude that sets the tone every time

Engage

For every conversation:

Paraphrase their need
Make eye contact with all in-person interactions

Relate

Make a friend, not a sale by:

Using relevant small talk
Asking open-ended questions

Verify

Make sure you got it right by:

Restating the original needs
Making sure they understand your solution

Extra Mile

Make the interaction memorable by:

Finding a way to make their day
Being proactive

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FAQ

What is the SERVE Method™?

The SERVE Method™ is our proprietary customer service method that we teach for both customer facing and management employees. It stands for Smile, Engage, Relate, Verify, Extra Mile, and it works across any industry.

What is the Live to Serve Scale™?

The Live to Serve Scale™is the measurement that we use to provide an initial rating of a business in terms of their customer service. It has three levels (Serve to Live, On Your Way, Live to Serve), and it is the foundation of the Accreditation Programs that we offer.

Do you offer any free assessments or consultations?

Yes! We offer a free Rave Report to measure your business referability based on your Google ratings. This tool provides a free estimate as well as useable recommendations on increasing your word-of-mouth business.