Customer service is something most businesses want to be able to say they excel at. However, given the prices people pay for a lot of print these days, is 'excellence' always appropriate?

While shopping in Waitrose recently I asked a nearby staffer if an item that was not on the shelf was available. The store manager (as it turned out he was that nearby staffer) scurried off, found said item was just being unloaded from a delivery, and then located me in another area of the store entirely and popped it into my trolley. Would I expect the same level of service in, say, Lidl, where I am also a regular shopper? No of course I wouldn't. In both establishments I absolutely understand that I'm getting what I pay for.

It seems that in print things are not so clear cut and some recent conversations have provided alternative perspectives. In one, a print supplier bemoaned the fact that a customer who was looking to make significant savings on their print bill seemed to be expecting "Club Class service at Ryanair prices". While at a different printing company a senior staff member was irate about the fact that the firm's MD insists on continuing with a luxe programme of customer entertainment and jollies, even though the company is not making the sort of profits (or indeed any) that could possibly justify such outlay.

Lastly, I love the tale of a customer attending a press pass at a printco that could be described as being of the Michael O'Leary school of 'no frills'. There was no cup of tea offered automatically on arrival, never mind a plate of posh biscuits. With the press pass completed at lunchtime, was there perhaps a platter of sandwiches on hand? No there was not, although the firm did helpfully provide directions to the local butty shop.

I have to say I rather admire them for their you-are-getting-what-you-pay-for approach. It seems entirely reasonable that the customer service offering should be in keeping with the price being paid.