Services account for more than 75% of the GDP in most developed countries. It is therefore important to improve quality in this vital sector of the economy. This can be achieved with logical and consistent use of statistical quality control and improvement tools. The term 'statistical quality control and improvement' should not be confined only to the use of control charts and other traditional statistical quality control tools. Rather, it should be understood as an all-encompassing deliberate application of statistical tools, simple or more complex, with the goal of achieving product and process quality. In this paper, the rationale for the application of statistical quality control and improvement tools in the service sector is discussed. Practical examples from different service industries are used throughout the paper to illustrate the concept and the methods.