I have still to identify an organisation that interacts in some way with the public that does not declare its full commitment to customer service. Our daily experiences with dealing with these organisations often lead us to believe that such commitments are all about marketing and are devoid of substance.

Profit and not-for-profit organisations need to please their customers if they are to survive in the long term. In the last few decades business schools have preached the importance of providing excellent customer service to achieve an organisations’ objective.

Even monopolistic entities, especially those providing public services, have improved the way they communicate and deal with their customers or clients.

Customer service is not just about good communication. Those who have travelled to America know how overtly friendly customer service is. It is the antithesis of the British and often the European style. Some would describe the US style of customer service as ‘loud’, ‘brash’, and ‘overly familiar’. Clients in a hotel or a retail outlet are often greeted with: ‘How are you doing today, Sir (or Madam)?’ or ‘Where are you from? I do not recognise your nice accent’.

Of course, what really matters is not whether these friendly gestures show genuine interest in clients, but whether these clients ultimately get the service thatthey expect.

I must admit that the best customer service I experienced in recent months was from people who work in the public service.

My top award for customer service goes to Mater Dei hospital staff.

I fully empathise with our healthcare providers who often work in very stressful conditions that would drive many of us to the brink of insanity. Yet the medical and paramedical staff in our State, as well as in private, hospitals are often an example of how customer service should be delivered.

Customer service, like all business functions, will continue to evolve

A close second award for good customer service must go to our police force. I am not referring here to the top brass of the force, but to our town and village police who are instrumental in dealing with our safety concerns in a practical and empathic way. They certainly deserve to be better compensated for their dedication to their duties.

Not unexpectedly, some of the worst customer service some of us experience is dished out by profit making organisations. What would you say, for instance, if a road assistance company refused to tow your car, which gave up its spirit while you were on a day break in Gozo, to your mechanic in Malta, despite the fact that you had a fully paid towing service agreement?

Customer service also seems to be deteriorating in the catering industry. On a recent visit to Gozo, I felt sorry for a French couple who asked a waiter in a seafront restaurant in Marsalform for some suggestion on typical Gozitan dishes. The foreign waiter who could hardly understand, never mind speak, English suggested hamburgers with chips to these tourists who must have made a mental note to relate this farcical incident to their friends at home.

The silver lining to this sad reality is that there are still many restaurants in Malta as well as in Gozo who have committed staff that are genuinely interested in giving a good service to their customers.

I need hardly mention that these better restaurants generally employ local staff.

Political parties are also organisations that aim to impress their clients – the electorate. I may be stating the obvious when I say that the great majority of people have completely lost confidence in the political class.

Many fulfil their civic duty to vote in political elections but then lose interest in what goes on in politics.

The media thrives on reporting what our politicians are doing, especially if what they are doing is not exactly evidence of good behaviour. Reporting how the majority or ordinary people are coping with the daily struggles of modern living may not make sensational news, but it is certainly more relevant to how our society is functioning.

So, the majority of political journalists do not qualify for any top award for customer service. But I am sure that many readers who have an obsession with following the political scene would disagree with this comment.

Customer service, like all business functions, will continue to evolve. While good and interesting marketing communication styles will always influence customer behaviour, substance is what really matters. The organisations that deliver quality service will always be the winners.

johncasSarwhite@yahoo.com