That was the teaser for the customer service article
on MSN news yesterday. They talked about self-serve supermarkets and
gas stations, and the changing face of the world in which we shop. Then
today, I read a post on Seth Godin’s blog entitled “You’re Right!”
where he talks about an unpleasant customer service experience he had
at a parking garage in New York City (I don’t think I’ve ever gotten
good customer service anywhere in New York City.)

And I can’t help but wonder, “What are these people thinking?”

You would think in today’s ever-more-stressful economic environment,
the most important battles in which most companies would engage would
be those waged on the customer service battle front. At some point
(which point is often brought into focus by stressful economic times)
the only tool you have left to compete with is service. Why would you
ever let that go? For all intents and purposes it costs you nothing. It
brings nothing but good will to your company. And it works — plain and
simple.

Is customer service dead in America? It may be dying in some
sectors, but there are still companies that make service a large part
of their culture. Tomorrow I’ll talk more about why we’re seeing the
trends we are in customer service and why it matters to you and to me
as consumers.