High-Tech, High-Touch Customer Service

chapter 1today’s changed customermaking lovemaking difficult

customer service is like making love. I know that sounds farfetched, but bear with me here: It takes only a minute—or two—to get the general concept, but you can gainfully invest a lifetime in mastering the details. (And you’ll never get the full picture if you only practice when you’re by yourself.)

Mastering the fine points of customer service is a never-ending challenge in part because customer expectations and desires change all the time. In fact, they’re different now from the last time you spoke with your customer—in this case, a frequent customer of yours I’ll call Lorena Willis.

A bit after 10:30 on a wintry morning, one of your contact center operators answers an incoming from ...