When things around the house break, or need repaired, I like to go to the do-it-yourself mega stores. I can remember when a few of these stores first opened. One could go into any section of the store looking for a do-hickey, a watch-u-ma-callit, or “one of these”, and there would almost be an employee who could help you. Lately, if you go into some of these stores, you may or may not find someone who can help. But, I bet you will find an employee more than eager to get you to sign up for a store credit card. Ironically, most of these employees willing to help you get farther in debt are usually standing by the light bulb section. The irony is, their light bulb is not on. Why not assist the customers first, wow them with your wealth of knowledge and expertise, and offer them a shopping cart.Then when they are ready to check out, set up a place where you can offer them store credit? Greg’s Rule #2 says customer service first and credit offers last. 
        I don’t judge people by what title they hold, car they drive, or profession of work they are in. They way I see things, is that we all play an important role to somebody, and that in itself is equal amongst us. I treat a restaurant drive thru employee with the same respect I do a doctor, or policeman, or sanitation worker. Everyone has a job to do, and when you think about it, we can’t do everything by ourselves. I also look to expect good customer service from people I encounter. We all have bad days, and we all encounter difficulties in our lives. But, if I frequent a business on a regular basis and happen to get helped by the same employee, I still look for good customer service each time. If someone is visibly having a bad day, give them a mulligan, and try and sympathize. But, if your customer experience is poor every time, let someone know. The tendency for people to never go back to a store or business because of bad customer service, is probably the number reason they never intend to return. How many times have you told yourself that you would never buy from a particular store again? Greg’s Rule #3 says that businesses that build on continued customer service usually have the most repeat business and continued growth. 

       I would like to stop here and revisit the subject of customer service at a later date. In the mean time, I would also like to encourage you to post any comments you have, and ask yourself if you and your employer emphasize good customer service. The fact that many parts of our country and the world are in an economic slump, is no excuse to care less about helping our patrons.