Sometimes I find myself wondering, “Where has all the customer service gone?”  Maybe it’s hiding behind the couch?  Or it’s decided to take a stay-cation?  Whatever the excuse, it’s time to snap out of it and deliver the customer service your organization deserves and more importantly, the customer service your customers deserve.

Customer service should be a part of your public relations efforts and it should be a priority.  It ties directly in to your customers’ perception of your brand.  If the food is good in a restaurant, you might be willing to overlook a server’s bad attitude.  However, for many organizations, service is your product, or at least a major benefit you provide, reflecting directly on your organization/product/brand.   

There’s nothing worse than walking into a place feeling unwelcomed, or feeling as though you are bothering someone over the phone.  And there’s nothing worse for your organization than having your reputation tarnished by a negative first impression.  After all, first impressions do last a lifetime or so the saying goes.

If you’re not treating your colleagues, clients, or customers with respect and friendliness you might want to re-examine how you’re really treating them.  The person at the front of the house is the face of your organization.  The person answering the phone is the voice of your organization.  Don’t do your organization an injustice by forgetting good customer service skills.  Now go grab that extra cup of coffee, find your favorite vacation photo and set it as your desktop wallpaper…it’s going to be a long day, but at least you’ll have your smile on.