I’ve had a few recent encounters with customer service agents that make me suspicious that customer service could, in some cases, be dead. I’ve loudly bemoaned this fact to my family and close friends, but the fact is, it feels like no one particularly cares. And therein lies the rub.

I suppose I’ll be dubbed old-fashioned for saying this, but employees have to care. It is an essential prerequisite to, let’s face it, any job.  Growing up, I had a string of the typical customer service jobs that build one’s formative views about such things—babysitter, waitress, yogurt shop clerk. But one job—as a retail clerk in the jewelry department at Macy’s department store—made a particular impression that remains with me to this day.

Employees who feel as though their opinions are given merit and who are treated like customers are motivated to deliver excellent service and reinforce the culture that leadership is trying to instill.

I’ll never forget the time a customer presented a pair of “broken” diamond earrings that were at least two years old. Even to my young eyes, it was clear the earrings had simply been worn out. The customer had no receipt, packaging, or even proof that the earrings had been purchased at the store, yet she felt confident that she should be able to return the merchandise.

I remember thinking she must be kidding, but dutifully consulted with an older colleague of mine who was working nearby. The colleague agreed that the customer was within her right to return the earrings. Incredulous, I processed the paperwork for a store credit, based on the current price of a similar make and model of said earrings, and the customer walked away, satisfied.

That experience taught me that customers should always be treated courteously and respectfully and given my best effort to fulfill their requests, even if I don’t personally agree with the validity of the request.

Over the course of my 19-year professional career, that scenario has repeated itself in many shapes and forms. I was recently reminded of it again when I found myself in the position of working a 24-hour workday to fulfill the request of a client who wanted to get some information out in the middle of the night.

In this particular situation, I didn’t disagree with the request. In fact, I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about it at all. I just said, “of course I’ll do it.” Because when you really care about your clients and the integrity of your work, you do what you can to please. That, to me, is the essence of what customer service is all about. And it should be unquestionable and automatic.

The fact is, when you care, it shows. How do you get employees that care? John Hellerman touches on that here:

“Employees who feel as though their opinions are given merit and who are treated like customers are motivated to deliver excellent service and reinforce the culture that leadership is trying to instill.”

We also discussed another key point about customer service in this space last fall. Namely, in an explanation about the concept of “embeddedness.” As put forth by Bryan Schwartz, a founding partner of Chicago-based law firm Levenfeld Pearlstein, this wisdom definitely bears repeating:

“Bryan stressed that business relationships depend on becoming an integral part of your client’s team, and coined a term – “embeddedness” – to describe how effective firms weave themselves into their client’s businesses. The focus should be on increasing the attachment between firm and client, whether through on-site visits, placing lawyers with a client on a secunded basis, or simply making oneself so valuable that frequent interaction is necessary. Bryan drew a comparison between client relationships and our personal lives, where the most meaningful interactions create positive experiences and memories that stay with us and attach us to those most important to us. Creating meaningful, personal relationships with top company officials can foster connections that oftentimes prove just as meaningful as concrete deliverable results. These interactions are a firm’s best bet on making a lasting impression.”

That is the level of customer service we strive for every day at HC, and I’m proud to be part of a team that truly cares about its clients. Now, if I could just get that treadmill repair company to care a little more about me, all would be golden.