Having been in business a number of years, I’m amazed at number of people who don’t have slightest idea of what customer service is. Customer service is not a way of doing things – it’s an attitude.

I always love it when company’s send their people to seminars to learn about customer service. All seminars will discuss customer’s needs and expectations and orator will package these ideas as new and cutting edge when in fact these very ideas were in practice over 30 years ago!

Somewhere along line, we forgot customer in favor of bottom line. Some of this may also be attributed to different mind sets over time and how people tend to treat one another.

Let me wax poetic here a moment. When was last time you could go to a gas station and have an attendant in a white shirt and tie wait on you, check your oil, clean your windows, and fill your tires just as a way of saying thanks for your patronage?

More than likely station you went to had an attendant who’s appearance was disheveled, wearing more jewelry than you own, and here you are passing money through a bullet-proof panel!

It is said that Doctor’s make worst patients, well my friend I’m here to tell you that Customer Service people make worst consumers! With all customer service people I’ve known over years from both sides of fence there’s a real lack of wanting to “champion” cause of customer. Few people posses that trait and those that do don’t last long as they’re viewed as oddities and pushed out in favor of group consensus.

On other hand, I have also met customers who no matter what approach you used they were bound and determined to make your life miserable. These people make “fight” personal and will never be satisfied regardless of what you do.

Delivering great customer service is easy! We just need to get back to basics that were laid down decades before – what we’ll call tried and true methods.

How do you deliver great customer service?

by Dean Phillips

Okay, so you've finally made that big decision to start your own business. Now what?

Well, not to discount importance of getting all of your ducks in a row, regarding permits, licenses, financing, etc., very first thing I recommend is a complete re- programming of your mind. Because, before you can start walking down that road to success, you first have to get your mind right.

In that regard, there are two books I consider absolute MUST reads, if you are at all serious about being successful in whatever it is you choose to do.

The books are, "Think and Grow Rich" by Napolean Hill and "The Magic of Thinking Big" by Dr. David Schwartz.

Your local bookstore should have both books, since they're all-time classics. If not, try Amazon.com. But whatever you do, make investment in yourself and get those books!

I've owned both books for about 25 years and I swear there's still something magical about them. No matter what negativity happens to be going on in your life, those two books will make you feel like everything is going to be alright.

By way, when you get those books, don't just read them and forget about them. Keep them nearby and refer to them on a daily basis. This is critical, as far as keeping you focused and on right track.