Ending a call with a customer care representative at medical device company today, I asked, "Who do I address the fax to?"

"Customer Service," he said.

"That’s personal," I responded.

"OK," he said: "Mister Customer Service," and hung up.

Good grief. How did it come to this? Who set up this system? Who trained this person? Does he really think there’s nowhere else I can take my money? Is he thinking about that at all?

At this stage of the game — when most everything is commodified — there’s simply no room for that kind of disconnect. Good service is very nearly the last thing left about which anyone says, "I can’t get this anywhere else."

I want people saying that about the service at my company — partly because I want us to serve in the spirit of Christ, and partly because I’m convinced the business depends on it.