Customer Service

I'm pretty steamed right now, but I'm trying to do the right thing and not yell at people (those rare times I actually speak to a person) when I get them on the phone. The sad thing is, I don't really expect to get anywhere without expending a large amount of time and effort, and that leads to "customer service." It's a phrase that is used by every business that provides a service or product, usually embedded in the "mission statement" (and don't get me started on those). But it's an empty phrase, used almost as a talisman in the hope that by printing it, circulating it to staff, posting it in a store, or repeating it, it will ward off bad results.

"Customer service" cannot substitute for, well, customer service. Some individuals care, and try to help. Many are stuck in a corporate morass, and the only way out is for them all to take to heart the platitudes that are generated and ignored by those in charge.