Getting personal service by phone

Get Human

Especially after Christmas, many people have questions about different products or services, and need to call a company's Customer Service phone number. In times like these, automated telephone systems can be helpful or really frustrating. You can get bounced from menu to menu, and your question may never be addressed.

Get Human lists numbers for a wide range of companies. It also tells you how to bypass the automated voice mail and get support from a real, live person!

What is outstanding customer service?

Seven steps to remarkable customer service - Joel on Software

Wow!
From the title, it might not seem like a very exciting article, but it is.

This guy, Joel Spasky, has a software company, and these are his tips based on years of experience. Yes, they're most applicable to software and tech companies, but it would be absolutely incredible if more companies were able to provide service like this.

Want some examples?

You have a problem? Our company will fix your problem, and then fix the problem overall to make sure that no one else ever has the same problem.
If the customer did indeed make a mistake, let them save face and don't make them feel like an idiot.
Apologize to the customer. Never get into a fight with them.
Make the customers amazingly happy.

Wow! It seems so straightforward. What's wrong with companies?