Is Customer Service a Lost Art?

I have this thing about ‘Customer Service’. Maybe it has to do with my age. Maybe its the way I was raised. I don’t know. But I will tell you one thing: Customer Service is not what it used to be!

Why do I say that? Well…Let’s just put it this way. In this past week, I’ve had a few issues that needed to be addressed, which meant dealing in “real time” with Customer Service representatives. I’m not taking emails here. No. What I am saying is picking up a real phone. Yes, moving away from my pc and talking to a ‘live’ human being. Oh…the pain of it all!

I know, I’m ranting. But then, let me ask you one thing…Is Customer Service a lost art? Is the virtual so prevalent that it has changed what used to be called common sense and a certain degree of savoir faire?

The way I look at it, in this age of faceless websites and lost emails, would it not be natural as a business owner, to offer your customers a personalized service that makes them feel really appreciated?

What happen to the Mom and Pop business approach? The village corner store attitude where they knew their customers by name? Yes, this is 2010…So? 

Is offering your clients excellence in service an experience from the past? Is respect for your clients and honesty in what you offer a bad word?

Times have changed… And as I sit here, still muttering to myself about the uselessness of the phone calls I made in this past week, I know one thing. I, as a Virtual Assistant and Business Owner still believe that offering quality and a personalized service to my customers is not a choice, but an obligation.

My customers are my partners; they work with me because they believe in not only who I am, but also in the quality of the services they’ve come to expect. They know they are special, and rightfully so!

The way I look at it, give your customers the same service that you would expect, and then go beyond. The excellence and attention you provide on a daily basis will not only create a long-standing business relationships, it will also become the pillar of your successful business.