Where's the service?

Customer service is the catch phrase of the day. Every industry is promising exceptional customer service. So what's the problem? Even though everyone is talking about exceptional service, very few businesses are actually delivering it. Where is the service? "I suspect there are very few people who can sit down and name five businesses where they receive exceptional service every time they deal with them," says John Tschohl, founder of the Minneapolis-based Service Quality Institute and author of several books, including Achieving Excellence Through Customer Service. "That doesn't sound like a service society to me." Source: Baby Boomer News

On a personal level, my wife and I have been thoroughly frustrated by the lack of service by insurance companies, home mortgage lenders, lawn care professionals, health care service providers, educational institutions, government agencies, hotel chains, restaurants, website hosting services, and other members of the "service sector." If this is service, I hate to see the alternative. Personally, I think most "service" today is D-I-Y.