Why oh why do people find providing good customer service so hard? I guess probably for the same reason so many people struggle with relationships, that is that they co-exist, rather than truly throw themselves into the situation in the effort to find a real connection. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that the customer is always right, they often aren't but in that moment they do deserve to feel significant and cared for... Often that just takes a little empathy and a smile. Why is it that when people talk about great business they can rattle of a list of companies specializing in various business functions, but when you ask who gives great service they scratch their head? When you say best at innovation, Apple ... Best at supply chain management, Walmart ... Best at lean manufacturing, Dell. Ok I know in the USA people will often say Nordstrom for great customer service, but you often get a sense that there is a pause and people have to think about it. I was at a seminar last month with Keith Cunningham (brilliant by the way) and, when talking about staffing and how to get people to be effective, he had a simple set of rules which he expected his staff to follow. Although he spoke in a more general way I think they relate perfectly to how to deliver good customer service. They are ... Do The Right Thing! What that means will vary, but basically people expect you to be trained to do the job you are employed to do, and of course there a basic rules in society that also dictate the "Right Thing". If you can't do the right thing, because maybe you don't have the experience, then Do The Best You Can. Simple, put a little effort and common sense into doing your "Best". And finally if all else fails, and this is probably where many people let themselves down, Show Them You Care. We can't always give people what they came for and sometimes we will let people down. But in that moment, show a little love, and let them know you care that they have been disappointed. It doesn't take much, and with a little education, or creative thought to find an alternative, that bad situation might just turn into the foundation for a great relationship for life.