I live in a small town. I’ve been spoiled by the locally owned businesses which provide great customer service in Ruston. In fact, I take it for granted that great customer service is a part of doing business.

I am traveling this week and I am seeing sorry customer service. Out in the “real” world, great customer service seems to be the exception. However, in the current economic environment, small and large businesses may pay dearly for the refusal to provide exceptional customer service.

Here’s an example. Traveling through the Houston airport yesterday, the importance of customer service was driven home in a graphic way. In line to board a connecting flight to Phoenix, I approached the desk where the airline employee was scanning boarding passes. The gentleman in front of me handed her his boarding pass. She scanned it and then scanned it again. She muttered to herself.

Looking to the other lady standing behind the counter she asked, “What is Smith’s new seat?”

“My name is Smithdale,” the man said. She ignored him and continued to talk to her co-worker about “Smith.”

My last name is Smithdale,” he offered again in case she had not heard. She ignored him. With more agitation, she asked her co-worker again, “What is Smith’s new seat?”

Mr. Smithdale said, “Excuse me, Ma’am. My last name is Smithdale. It is not Smith.”

She turned on him. “I know what your name is. We were having a conversation about you. Not with you,” the grumpy lady responded shortly. “Your seat is 6D.” His shoulders dropped and he shook his head as he walked away from her and toward the plane. “Never again,” he muttered.

When she scanned his boarding pass and realised his seat had been changed, it would have taken so little effort for the airline employee to say, “Oh! Welcome, Mr. Smithdale. Your seat has changed. Let me get your new seat number for you.” Instead she was rude.

Sorry customer service like that will help kill businesses … especially smaller businesses. While a multi-billion dollar airline may be able to afford angering customers with rude customer service, a small business cannot.

Aware of this, in my experience, most smaller businesses work hard to provide exceptional customer service. Those that do not disappear.