Is customer service a department in your company? Is customer service simply the title of an order entry department? Is customer service an empty shell, long on rhetoric but short on delivery? Does the term customer service actually mean anything, or is it a leftover expression from an era of days gone by?

Superior customer service is indeed alive and well alive and working at many progressive companies, both large and small. Customer service is not simply a term or a department, but rather an attitude and a manner of doing business. It boils down to caring and adhering to the golden rule"to do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Superior customer care has declined to such an extent that some firms are actually promoting their own efforts at providing customer service as a unique benefit of dealing with their firm. Unfortunately, that is an apt description of the current state of customer service provision from most companies. Most companies do not get it. They are so consumed with the bottom line that they miss one of the most important factors in growing their business: The customer is king. He always has been and always will be. Customers, customer satisfaction and retention should drive all other facets of a company.

The relevant cost of acquiring a new customer is high. Marketing, advertising and other functions utilized to attract new customers are expensive and require a period of time to work successfully. Many prospects do not become new customers until perhaps the 7th or 8th exposure to the company's marketing efforts. Customer service then, is the cost of retaining that customer. Customer retention should be a driving force behind the successful operations of every company. It simply makes good business sense to keep that new customer as well as those repeat customers. How often is a new customer "soured" because of a perception of poor attitude or lack of caring on the part of an employee?

Depending on the type of business operation, companies must embrace developing superior customer service in a variety of modes. In a small retail or food establishment, where minimum-wage workers are often employed, this is difficult. One area that is destined to improve how customers are treated is for the owner of the company to treat their employees fairly, with respect and with a receptive attitude concerning their ideas. This attitude and practice will spillover and the end customers will often be treated in the same manner. The mid-size and large companies must provide specific training for all employees, especially for those with any direct contact with customers. Employees must be cognoscente of what is expected by their employer, the importance of their dealings with the customers and how the implementation of these policies directly impacts their own success and employment. Simply stated, if there are no customers, there is no need for their job.

Place yourself in your customers' shoes. That should be easy since we are all customers sometimes, no matter what we do for a living. How do you like to be treated? Do you want to be forgotten? Do you feel that the company you do business with should value you and your business? Do you appreciate little "extras" that are not always necessary but pleasant and beneficial? When you are pleased with your treatment from a firm, are you happy to make recommendations to your family and friends about dealing there? Learn to transfer these answers into the way you treat your customers. The golden rule applies.

Human nature, being what it is, is the common thread among us all. We all want to be treated fairly, confirmed of the value we bring and have a sense that others care about us. We are all other people! In many ways, regardless of ethnicity, religion or background, we all want the same things. Remember this fact and do your part to offer superior customer service by performing your duties in a manner reflective of the way you also wish to be treated. Your success is guaranteed. If this attitude is encouraged in every department in every company, customer service will never be a department, but rather the attitude or mindset of the company. As the sum of its internal parts, the firm will reflect this mindset guaranteeing superior customer service and previously unheard of customer retention.

Daniel Sitter

Daniel Sitter has been a student his entire life. He continues to assimilate and synthesize knowledge from dozens of sources and a wealth of personal experiences over a twenty five year period into material that he draws inspiration from. He has been fascinated by the workings of the human brain and various learning strategies in particular. He often ponders why it is that some people are more receptive to change, are more productive and earn substantially more than others, even within the same industry. He has observed that many people are frustrated that they find learning to be a difficult and tediously slow process and he seeks solutions to their dilemma.

The author has attended dozens of seminars presented by the foremost authorities on human performance, personal development, psychology, sales, family, manufacturing and business. He enjoys the viewpoints of others and has absorbed their accumulated knowledge at each event. He has read and listened to dozens of books and audio programs in a variety of disciplines. Fueled by an insatiable hunger for knowledge and personal development, Dan continues to apply the principles he has learned into all aspects of his life on a daily basis. The results are continuously evident.

Dan has a wealth of business, sales and marketing experience in the technical fields. He has made a career in the mechanical/electrical engineering industries as an automation/fluidpower specialist. He holds a BS degree from the University of Akron, but he is quick to point out that his real education actually began after his formal education had concluded. An advocate of continuing education, Dan is always feeding his mind with new material that can help him to be continuously growing beyond his current comfort zone. He has designed and written numerous industry newsletters, business and personal development articles, various marketing materials and has authored the popular, breakthrough e-book, Learning For Profit, which teaches principles for accelerated learning and personal growth.

His hobbies are guitars, music, Shotokan karate, computers and electronics. An avid musician, Dan has played in a number of bands over the years and has written and performed dozens of original songs.

A devoted family man, Dan has been married for 21 years, has teenage children, a dog and a cat. He enjoys working out, family dinners on Sunday, relaxing trips to the beach and eating spicy ethnic foo