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Great Customer Service Hurts Us All.

       I’ll need you to do me the favor of accepting a premise or two.
       If you believe that our culture is at the very least, suffering from a disconnection with
each other, men and women, ethnicities to ethnicities, liberals and democrats and those
who do and do not like reality TV; than I would like to propose one reason for the schism.  
Dishonesty keeps us separated.  Maybe it’s not the only thing but is on the list.  Bullshit
has permeated this capitalist culture from the star and there’s no mystery there, but where
we used to have a consumer versus the Man connection with each other, we now have
multitudes believe they may very well deserve a piece.  That is the notion of enlightenment,
and one reason people feel entitles is that no one tells them they are ordinary and normal
and not special.
       The point?  My point is that there is one symptom of this ego massaging that I feel
needs to be eliminated and I don’t think there are many who will agree.  I thoroughly
believe in exceptional customer service.  In fact, I believe great customer services that go
above and beyond do more harm than good.
       The first reason is that the interaction is dishonest. I should say that a polite and
appropriate exchange should be acceptable to anyone.  Of course I don’t want anyone to be
deliberately rude or cruel.  I just think that someone kissing your ass when you buy three
dish towels at the house wares store should be just that. Smile, receipt and out.  Your food
should come to the table hot and as ordered, you don’t deserve anything else with your
dollar.  The waiter, the receptionists, the flight attendant, the guy on top of the roller
coaster and the lady at the billing department do not care about you.  They care about their
jobs and you know that.  Why should I expect a phony, prepared speech and orchestrated
hand gestures when I get irate?  I should be called a jerk when I’m a jerk, and I should be
treated wonderfully when I am a good customer.  
       Second, it sets a horrible expectation.  This is the worst thorn of this bush.  When
your shoes are spit shined everywhere you go, you assume that is how you will be treated
everywhere you go.  Like a spoiled child or a millionaire athlete, others are supposed to
tiptoe around your every whim because you might put up a fuss.  It is unfair to the
employee and to society as a whole.  How do you think teachers feel about this attitude in
class, or police like seeing this on the streets?  Is it healthy to have a culture where
everyone expects start treatment at every turn?
       Three, a lot of people just don’t deserve it. Sorry, but in short, there are just some
crappy people in America who deserve to get the boot out of your establishment and
should be hung up on six times a day.  Life is hard enough as it is, why do we put
ourselves through this junk?  If these are the jobs, these soul crushing service jobs, if these
are all we have to look forward to in this country than we have an enormous problem to
face.  We’re not only poisoning the populace with lies; we are living empty lives while we
lie to them.
       How does it end?  The same way most things do.  It starts small. Be honest, and
maybe others will follow. After a few tries, it works and soon huge companies are honest
with customers.  Everyone accepts it.  Until then, just be a good customer.  That’s all you
can control.  If you are forced to slap on a smile at one of these jobs, I don’t know how to
help you just yet.  But I promise I’ll be the best damn call you got all day.  

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