The problem with most (NOT ALL) Customer Service is that the reps generally have little to no incentive to actually help solve the issue at hand.

How many times have you called a CS # and basically had a drone-like human on the other end respond to you by reading off pre-determined prompts from their computer screen. Of course, if you even get to the drone-human instead of the automated services, you should consider yourself lucky!

In my opinion, CS should be commission based. Or a hybrid of commission/salary. With the proper amount of incentive to help a customer AND help the company, the level of service provided would increase, as would the level of satisfaction from customers.

Being someone who owns numerous car washes in CA, I have to deal in customer service ALL THE TIME. A perfect example, which happened yesterday:

Lady is suing our car wash for breaking her cup holder and center console. My manager, instead of trying to resolve the issue himself, simply told her to bring the estimate for repair... lady brought it, it seemed too high from the dealership, and the manager told her no. Next week, we're sued by customer. I have to get involved now, and talk to customer, spend time on the issue, and realize that the dealership is replacing stuff which doesnt need to be replaced. Suddenly repair cost becomes acceptable, and we resolve issue out of court, except that I've lost a customer of 8 years.

Of course, if the manager had resolved the issue, I would have given him a small bonus, as I've done in the past. Proper Customer service requires someone to CARE about the issue, and make it THEIR issue until the problem is solved.