--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know, if you make a customer unhappy…" description: "\"You know, if you make a customer unhappy they won't tell five friends, they'll tell 5,000 friends. So we are at a point now where we have all of the th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/jeff-bezos-1193_business_you-know-if-you-make-a-customer-unhappy_1538108.jpg" --- # You know, if you make a customer unhappy they won't tell… ![“You know, if you make a customer unhappy they won't tell five friends, they'll tell 5,000 friends. So we are at a point now where we have all of the things we need to build an important and lasting company, and if we don't, it will be shame on us.” quote by Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/jeff-bezos-1193_business_you-know-if-you-make-a-customer-unhappy_1538108.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/jeff-bezos-1193_business_you-know-if-you-make-a-customer-unhappy_1538108.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/jeff-bezos-1193_business_you-know-if-you-make-a-customer-unhappy_1538108.jpg) > “You know, if you make a customer unhappy they won't tell five friends, they'll tell 5,000 friends. So we are at a point now where we have all of the things we need to build an important and lasting company, and if we don't, it will be shame on us.” [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unhappy customers spread negative word‑of‑mouth rapidly; neglecting quality harms the company's reputation. **In simple terms:** Bad service spreads quickly and damages brand. Key Takeaway Prioritize customer satisfaction to protect reputation. Themes customer service reputation growth Mood urgent strategic Type business leadership When to use this quote - Customer support training - feedback loops - quality assurance Key Concepts viral marketing brand loyalty Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn dissatisfied customers into advocates? - What systems ensure consistent service excellence? A Different Perspective Balancing speed and quality can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Five friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-friends/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) [Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy/) ## Related quotes > [If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell 6 friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/if-you-make-customers-unhappy-in-the-physical-world-they-might-each/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [“One of his motivating passions was to build a lasting company. At age twelve, when he got a summer job at Hewlett-Packard, he learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/one-of-his-motivating-passions-was-to-build-a-lasting-company-at-age/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [I've said all along that we're building Axovant as a lasting company for the long run, not to hand over that upside to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-ramaswamy/i-ve-said-all-along-that-we-re-building-axovant-as-a-lasting-company/) [Vivek Ramaswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-ramaswamy/) > [Success is creating something original and lasting-whether it is a company, a work of art, an idea or analysis that influence others, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-chavez/success-is-creating-something-original-and-lasting-whether-it-is-a/) [Linda Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-chavez/) > [We saw a need to develop a community for artists to get their music out to the masses. With MySpace, when they went out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-dewolfe/we-saw-a-need-to-develop-a-community-for-artists-to-get-their-music/) [Chris DeWolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-dewolfe/) > [We're extremely excited to see more than 500,000 friends around the globe be added within the first 12 hours of launching Friends on Poptropica.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-kinney/we-re-extremely-excited-to-see-more-than-500-000-friends-around-the/) [Jeff Kinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-kinney/) > [I've met very lonely people who have 10,000 friends on Facebook. And it's just not real. We've set up this artificial society in cyberspace.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rzeznik/i-ve-met-very-lonely-people-who-have-10-000-friends-on-facebook-and/) [John Rzeznik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rzeznik/) > [“still seemed odd to Michael to make friends with complete strangers. When he saw GoodReads members with 3,000+ friends it baffled him; what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/still-seemed-odd-to-michael-to-make-friends-with-complete-strangers/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The kind of contact that they make with the customer is what brings them back to shop. The experience, the feeling that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-bizzarri/the-kind-of-contact-that-they-make-with-the-customer-is-what-brings/) [Marco Bizzarri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-bizzarri/) > [Make the customer the hero of your brand's story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mainwaring/make-the-customer-the-hero-of-your-brand-s-story/) [Simon Mainwaring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mainwaring/) > [“Make it for your customer or your audience, not for yourself. Be generous. Be informative. Be funny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/make-it-for-your-customer-or-your-audience-not-for-yourself-be/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [Make a customer, not a sale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-barchetti/make-a-customer-not-a-sale/) Katherine Barchetti > [Tomorrow when you come to work, if it doesn't make the customer happy, move the business forward, and save us money - don't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-hastings/tomorrow-when-you-come-to-work-if-it-doesn-t-make-the-customer-happy/) [Reed Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-hastings/) > [I have a group of four or five friends that I consider my friends and best friends and people that I want to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schmid/i-have-a-group-of-four-or-five-friends-that-i-consider-my-friends-and/) [Kyle Schmid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schmid/) > [That's five friends, one each for Jesu's wounds, and Godric bears their mark still on what's left of him as in their time they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/that-s-five-friends-one-each-for-jesu-s-wounds-and-godric-bears-their/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) ## More by Jeff Bezos > [I think technology advanced faster than anticipated. In that whirlwind, a lot of companies didn't survive. 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/) > [The death knell for any enterprise is to glorify the past -- no matter how good it was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/the-death-knell-for-any-enterprise-is-to-glorify-the-past-no-matter/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [People who are right most of the time are people who change their minds often](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/people-who-are-right-most-of-the-time-are-people-who-change-their/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [The human brain is an incredible pattern-matching machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/the-human-brain-is-an-incredible-pattern-matching-machine/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [Work hard, have fun and make history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/work-hard-have-fun-and-make-history/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [If you can't tolerate critics, don't do anything new or interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/if-you-can-t-tolerate-critics-don-t-do-anything-new-or-interesting/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [If you can't feed a team with two pizzas, it's too large.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/if-you-can-t-feed-a-team-with-two-pizzas-it-s-too-large/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [We also have no incentive compensation of any kind. And the reason we don’t is because it is detrimental to teamwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/we-also-have-no-incentive-compensation-of-any-kind-and-the-reason-we/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [If you build a great product or service, people will talk about it. But it starts with having something that's worth talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/if-you-build-a-great-product-or-service-people-will-talk-about-it-but/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [I think the definition of a book is changing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/i-think-the-definition-of-a-book-is-changing/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [We're not competitor obsessed, we're customer obsessed. We start with the customer and we work backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/we-re-not-competitor-obsessed-we-re-customer-obsessed-we-start-with/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [If you're truly obsessed over customers, it'll cover a lot of errors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/if-you-re-truly-obsessed-over-customers-it-ll-cover-a-lot-of-errors/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [One of the things that I'm very excited about with New Shepard, which is our suborbital tourism vehicle, is using that to get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/one-of-the-things-that-i-m-very-excited-about-with-new-shepard-which/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [I wouldn't be surprised if history records Tim Berners-Lee as the second Gutenberg.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/i-wouldn-t-be-surprised-if-history-records-tim-berners-lee-as-the/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [Maintain a firm grasp of the obvious at all times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/maintain-a-firm-grasp-of-the-obvious-at-all-times/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) [Explore all 275 Jeff Bezos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/) [Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You know, if you make a customer unhappy they won't tell five friends, they'll tell 5,000 friends. So we are at a point now where we have all of the things we need to build an important and lasting company, and if we don't, it will be shame on us.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeff Bezos" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/you-know-if-you-make-a-customer-unhappy-they-won-t-tell-five-friends/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Business" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/you-know-if-you-make-a-customer-unhappy-they-won-t-tell-five-friends/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/jeff-bezos-1193_business_you-know-if-you-make-a-customer-unhappy_1538108.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/jeff-bezos-1193_business_you-know-if-you-make-a-customer-unhappy_1538108.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/jeff-bezos-1193_business_you-know-if-you-make-a-customer-unhappy_1538108.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You know, if you make a customer unhappy they won't tell five friends, they'll tell 5,000 friends. So we are…” — Jeff Bezos", "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": "Jeff Bezos", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You know, if you make a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/you-know-if-you-make-a-customer-unhappy-they-won-t-tell-five-friends/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/you-know-if-you-make-a-customer-unhappy-they-won-t-tell-five-friends/#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 } } ] } ```