--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You cannot improve one thing by 1000% but…" description: "\"You cannot improve one thing by 1000% but you can improve 1000 little things by 1%.\" — Jan Carlzon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/jan-carlzon-31174_customers_you-cannot-improve-one-thing-by-1000-but_1434326.jpg" --- # You cannot improve one thing by 1000% but you can improve… ![“You cannot improve one thing by 1000% but you can improve 1000 little things by 1%.” quote by Jan Carlzon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/jan-carlzon-31174_customers_you-cannot-improve-one-thing-by-1000-but_1434326.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/jan-carlzon-31174_customers_you-cannot-improve-one-thing-by-1000-but_1434326.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/jan-carlzon-31174_customers_you-cannot-improve-one-thing-by-1000-but_1434326.jpg) > “You cannot improve one thing by 1000% but you can improve 1000 little things by 1%.” [Jan Carlzon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-carlzon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Improving many small aspects slightly yields greater overall impact than trying to vastly improve a single area. **In simple terms:** Small gains add up. Key Takeaway Focus on many tiny improvements. Themes continuous improvement incremental change efficiency Mood optimistic practical Type advice motivational When to use this quote - customer service - process optimization - product development - personal habits Key Concepts Lean thinking marginal gains Questions to Reflect On - What tiny improvements can you make today? - How do many small gains compare to one big change? A Different Perspective Large single changes may be unrealistic or unsustainable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Educational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educational/) [Great customer service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-customer-service/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Little things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-things/) ## Related quotes > [It's a lot easier to change and improve a thing that is already finished as opposed to something you're in the middle of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-hunt/it-s-a-lot-easier-to-change-and-improve-a-thing-that-is-already/) [Brendan Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-hunt/) > [“Just improve yourself; that is the only thing you can do to better the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/just-improve-yourself-that-is-the-only-thing-you-can-do-to-better-the/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [Everything starts with the customer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-gerstner/everything-starts-with-the-customer/) [Lou Gerstner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-gerstner/) > [The longer you wait, the harder it is to provide outstanding customer service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-davidow/the-longer-you-wait-the-harder-it-is-to-provide-outstanding-customer/) Bill Davidow > [There is only one boss. The customer...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/there-is-only-one-boss-the-customer/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [One way Groupon hopes to gain an edge is by using software to learn about its members so it can deliver more relevant offers:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lyons/one-way-groupon-hopes-to-gain-an-edge-is-by-using-software-to-learn/) [Daniel Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lyons/) > [If I am selling to you, I speak your language. If I am buying, dann müssen sie Deutsch sprechen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willy-brandt/if-i-am-selling-to-you-i-speak-your-language-if-i-am-buying-dann-m/) [Willy Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willy-brandt/) > [A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/a-customer-is-the-most-important-visitor-on-our-premises-he-is-not/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The best time to do great customer service is when a customer is upset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/the-best-time-to-do-great-customer-service-is-when-a-customer-is-upset/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [Customers don't expect you to be perfect. 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Customer loyalty is priceless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/customer-satisfaction-is-worthless-customer-loyalty-is-priceless/) [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) > [Our belief is that if you get the culture right, most of the other stuff, like great customer service, or building a great long-term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/our-belief-is-that-if-you-get-the-culture-right-most-of-the-other/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) ## More by Jan Carlzon > [If you're not serving the customer, your job is to be serving someone who is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-carlzon/if-you-re-not-serving-the-customer-your-job-is-to-be-serving-someone/) [Jan Carlzon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-carlzon/) > [Do not fear adversity. Remember, a kite rises against the wind rather than with it. People are not willing to take risks when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-carlzon/do-not-fear-adversity-remember-a-kite-rises-against-the-wind-rather/) [Jan Carlzon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-carlzon/) > [I learned that, before you reach an objective, you must be ready with a new one, and you must start to communicate it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-carlzon/i-learned-that-before-you-reach-an-objective-you-must-be-ready-with-a/) [Jan Carlzon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-carlzon/) > [SAS is 'created' 50 million times a year, 15 seconds at a time. These 50 million 'moments of truth' are the moments that ultimately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-carlzon/sas-is-created-50-million-times-a-year-15-seconds-at-a-time-these-50/) [Jan Carlzon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-carlzon/) > [The only thing that counts is a satisfied customer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-carlzon/the-only-thing-that-counts-is-a-satisfied-customer/) [Jan Carlzon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-carlzon/) > [A true leader is one who designs the cathedral and then shares the vision that inspires others to build it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-carlzon/a-true-leader-is-one-who-designs-the-cathedral-and-then-shares-the/) [Jan Carlzon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-carlzon/) > [Quality doesn't mean we have to be 100 percent better in any one thing; it means we strive to be 1 percent better in 100 things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-carlzon/quality-doesn-t-mean-we-have-to-be-100-percent-better-in-any-one/) [Jan Carlzon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-carlzon/) > [Giving someone the freedom to take responsibility releases resources that would otherwise remain concealed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-carlzon/giving-someone-the-freedom-to-take-responsibility-releases-resources/) [Jan Carlzon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-carlzon/) > [An individual without information can't take responsibility. 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He's the one who's going to suffer anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-carlzon/if-anything-goes-wrong-the-customer-doesn-t-care-whose-fault-it-is-he/) [Jan Carlzon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-carlzon/) [Explore all 16 Jan Carlzon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-carlzon/) ## More Customers quotes > [The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-best-way-to-hold-customers-is-to-constantly-figure-out-how-to/) [Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/) > [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [One of the Internet's highest-profile companies, Priceline once dreamed of transforming the way consumer goods are bought and sold by offering customers the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/one-of-the-internet-s-highest-profile-companies-priceline-once/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [If we get better our customers will demand we get bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-truett-cathy/if-we-get-better-our-customers-will-demand-we-get-bigger/) [S. 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The reason we have done well is because,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/i-think-technology-advanced-faster-than-anticipated-in-that-whirlwind/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [In a very real sense, there are only two roles in organisations: customers and suppliers. Everybody functions simultaneously in both roles, whether inside or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/in-a-very-real-sense-there-are-only-two-roles-in-organisations/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Why is Caterpillar bad if we create a new job in India or China to receive U.S. exports? It makes no sense to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-r-oberhelman/why-is-caterpillar-bad-if-we-create-a-new-job-in-india-or-china-to/) [Douglas R. Oberhelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-r-oberhelman/) > [Enthusiastic service providers create enthusiastic customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-kaufman/enthusiastic-service-providers-create-enthusiastic-customers/) [Ron Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-kaufman/) > [The more a prospective customer clicks on you and your stuff, the easier it is for them to make a buying decision in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/the-more-a-prospective-customer-clicks-on-you-and-your-stuff-the/) [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) > [You have to treat your employees like your customers. When you treat them right they will treat your outside customers right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kelleher/you-have-to-treat-your-employees-like-your-customers-when-you-treat/) [Herb Kelleher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kelleher/) Browse all 2,036 Customers quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You cannot improve one thing by 1000% but you can improve 1000 little things by 1%.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jan Carlzon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-carlzon/you-cannot-improve-one-thing-by-1000-but-you-can-improve-1000-little/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Customers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-carlzon/you-cannot-improve-one-thing-by-1000-but-you-can-improve-1000-little/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/jan-carlzon-31174_customers_you-cannot-improve-one-thing-by-1000-but_1434326.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/jan-carlzon-31174_customers_you-cannot-improve-one-thing-by-1000-but_1434326.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/jan-carlzon-31174_customers_you-cannot-improve-one-thing-by-1000-but_1434326.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You cannot improve one thing by 1000% but you can improve 1000 little things by 1%.” — Jan Carlzon", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jan Carlzon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-carlzon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You cannot improve one thing by...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-carlzon/you-cannot-improve-one-thing-by-1000-but-you-can-improve-1000-little/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-carlzon/you-cannot-improve-one-thing-by-1000-but-you-can-improve-1000-little/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```