damsel sylphlike: Don't pretend to care; a customer might call your bluff.

Don?t pretend you care ? or a customer may call your bluff.? Let me illustrate.

I recently booked a reservation at a spendy and apparently well-regarded hotel, located in a major American city and boasting a complete concierge staff. In other words, a hotel that should be up to any challenge a guest could throw at it.

I had no plans to throw any particular challenges their way. But then I received a pre-arrival email from the GM inviting incoming guests to ?write back to me with any requests you may have ? even attach a photo of something special to you that you?d like us to provide on your visit.?

I thought this was lovely ? fantastic, really.? And? I replied with a simple?simple!?request.

Nobody answered.

I tried again.? Again, not a word.

On my third try, I got a reply (this is now well into the second day of effort on my part).

?No, we do not carry that? was the single, less-than-a-sentence reply.

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Fine.? I don?t mind brown-bagging it, but why pretend otherwise?

When you?re in business and you claim to care/to be willing to go the extra mile/to customize,? you?d better mean it.? Or you?re shooting yourself in the foot, Maxwell Smart.

? 2012 Micah Solomon, author of?High-Tech, High-Touch Customer Service

Micah Solomon, author of ?High-Tech, High-Touch Customer Service?,?is the customer service strategist and business keynote speaker termed by the?Financial Post??a new guru of customer service excellence.? Solomon is a top keynote speaker, strategist, and consultant on customer service issues, the customer experience, and company culture ? and how they fit into today?s marketing and technology landscape. An entrepreneur and business leader, he previously coauthored the bestselling ?Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit?.

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?Micah Solomon conveys an up-to-the minute and deeply practical take on customer service, business success, and the twin importance of people and technology.? ?Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder

Micah Solomon ? Author-Speaker-Strategist ? Customer Service ? Marketing ? Loyalty ? Leadership

High-Tech, High-Touch Customer Service (cover) -click for free chapter

See Micah in action ? including video and free resources ? at http://www.micahsolomon.com. Or, click here for your own free chapter? of Micah?s new book,? High-Tech, High-Touch Customer Service (AMACOM Books) and Micah?s #1 bestseller, Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization

Micah Solomon Keynote speech (video)