Article: Rules of the road. (keys to customer service)

To me, superior customer service means treating people the way you would like to be treated -- with respect and professionalism. It's easy to define respect. It means the person you're talking with is worth your time, is important, and is not a disruption or intrusion in your workday.

The second part, professionalism, is a little more tricky. The most important element here is: "Tell the truth, even if it's not good news!" If we're unable to meet a requested deadline date, I tell my customer and try to offer a solution. Often, if a distributor knows the truth in advance, he can get an extension from the contractor/owner, or (worst case) he can call our competitor. I ...

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