Dan,
We fly about 500 hours per aircraft in fragile modern plastic microlights - a couple of C42s and some really "fragile" weightshifts.
Finances are interesting: a new C42 is about 60k, but there are one or maybe two a year that come on the market at 40-42k with about 300 hours on them.
C42s are scarce as hens teeth and very popular, so even a 1700 hour one can fetch 30k.
So if bought at 300hr and sold at 1800hrs then that is about 10k for 1500 hours. In my book that is pretty good depreciation!
Of course we as microlights, are exempt from all that EASA stuff, so can just pop instruments in and out and even swap out the seats (as long as bought from the aircraft manufacturer - so there are some restrictions and quality control).
We are even allowed to use unleaded mogas.
Unfortunately (!), we have to pay instructors £45-odd per hour so they can make a living.
Hence our chaps have all been here for more than five years.
Light aircraft schools have to find a way out of the red-tape strangulation.
As for customer service not costing anything: I think I am aware of what good customer service is, but perhaps some of my co-workers did not share my priorities. (my wife certainly isn't, she would just tell some people to go to hell!)
So it takes time: time to discuss what can be done/what should be done. Time to check it is being done. Time to discuss further improvements. (Oh yes, and time to improve our instruction and develop coherent methods and attitudes and standards based on the syllabus.)
And time costs money - after all, most instructors earn "by the hour".