Is Excellent Customer Service a Back Rub?

I thought I would take a moment and write some thoughts about customer service, and what some views are about it. First, any company that provides a service or product, can provide a level of customer service. Of course, that's a given. But, the real question is, what level of customer service does a company provide? Some companies provide very low levels, and some provide middle-ground, and some go all out and provide top-notch service to the customer.

We try at all times to provide the best customer service that we can. When I train any of our employees, I tell them to pretend that the customer on the line is their Mother or Father and to provide answers and care to them from that point of view. I know this can be taken to extremes but my general point is, treat the customer in a manner that you would be honest, take the time to answer questions, and get to a solution with careful forethought.

The problems that occur with relationships between customer and company today can sometimes arise out of what I've seen is where sometimes it appears a customer is almost demanding customer service. If you take a moment and think about the relationship a company and a customer has, it's a relationship built on trust, and mutual respect. It is very much a relationship and the word relationship by definition means; a connection, association, or involvement. With that said, customer service should not be demanded. It should be a given. It should be the starting point of a new relationship. From there, you can both whittle it down to a zig-zag if you both want to, but the best is for both parties to keep the high level of the relationship there. Just like a back-rub. Isn't it better to give a back rub to someone without it being demanded? Same way with providing excellent customer service. We provide it, but when it's demanded, we still provide it, but the relationship is healthier when it's not demanded by someone.