Unfortunately my Father is having some medical problems. I was talking to my Mother yesterday and she was upset. “Why can’t anybody answer the phone?” She was reacting to a Doctor’s office that had an automatic phone system and venting her frustration that she could never get a live person. Here she is waiting for critical data and the only Doctor she can get is Dr. Sbaitso.

I think she’s right. Why would an office that deals daily with either nervous patients or anxious loved ones trust their communication system to a emotionless machine?

Some of you may remember “Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives” (John Naisbitt). Written in the 1980’s Naisbitt predicted certain future trends, one of which was “high tech/high touch” where he explained that the more technology is added the more we also need an accompanying amount of “touch”.

Many retailers, especially specialty retailers, have forgotten the high touch. While one store shouts from 25 feet away, “Welcome to ______ “, another pays no attention to customers at all. It’s too bad. Most shoppers don’t expect discount store or discount club levels of personal service (touch) when shopping in a specialty store.

So, how does your business, church or ministry treat its customers when making initial contact? Do you relegate important information to the answering machine? Or do you have a way for people, like my Mother, to interact with someone who’ll care for their needs? Do you shout your welcome, or genuinely enjoy inviting “guests” into your store or business?

Technorati Tags: Customer Service, Leadership, Management, Retail

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