I recently had an unfavorable experience at a retail store and decided to go right ahead and complain about it.

Ever had one of those?

I sat down at my computer and drafted what I considered a thoughtful and concise email to Customer Service.

What I got back was an overly-recited, well-rehearsed stock reply. The worst.

“Here at blah blah blah, we strive to blah blah blah, we look forward to blah blah blah, sincerely blah blah blah.”

A letter that does not address the issues which your customers take to heart is not the kind of letter you want to send out.

You may be overworked as it is, but each and every email must be read and responded to on a personal level. This is one area where it really pays to overdo it!

Exaggerate how sorry you are. Promise to make it better. Thank your customer for his or her letter, no matter how much you disagree with it. Put your pride aside and fix the problem!

If you must, outsource your customer service to a professional who has the qualities necessary to make your customers happy. If you can’t do it, the best thing you can do for yourself, your customers and your company is admit your weaknesses and hire an expert.