I've just completed a used car search and boy am I glad that it's over! The amount of energy and time is enough to make you want to take public transportation. As I went through the process, I discovered once again the seedy nature of car sales and it relates to customer service in many ways. I've heard it all, including:

Line One: That noise? Just turn the radio up and you won't notice it. Instead of treating your customer like a moron, just be honest and acknowledge that your product may not be perfect.

Line Two: You use Gmail- like the pimps. This one caught me off guard as I have never been compared to a pimp but yes, a salesman actually said it! Never, never, never insult a customer.

Line Three: You work in education so you're not making that much money. Whether that's true or not, people don't like speculation about their level of income. Don't presume that you know more than what you know about a customer. They could be from a tough town or could drive a junky car- neither implies that they are poor.

Which lines do you use to provide honest customer service? How can you be a servant today in your area of work?

*Photo by hphillips