Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1499197
happen every day. Stories of human kindness and great customer service are everywhere. In a way, customer service is where human- ity supersedes business as usual. I remember hearing the general manager of a quick-turn PCB facility talk about what his company did to get the boards out when I was a young man at an IPC Technology Mar- ket Research Conference (TMRC) meet- ing (remember those?). e company had a turnaround time of three days, which was unheard of back then. e general manager talked about getting in his car with a pack- age containing some hot boards and chasing down the delivery truck because they didn't have the package ready when the truck made its regular stop at their dock. I heard that story over 30 years ago, and I'm still telling it to this day. When I was a humble sales guy on the road, I made it a point to visit customers on snow days, if for no other reason than to embellish my reputation as a dependable and reliable salesperson who would do anything for his customers. I also made sure to show up at a customer's door when we messed something up, the boards were late or scrapped, and the customer was furious. I knew it would make them feel better if they had a person to yell at and a fresh butt to kick. Interestingly, these tactics worked every time. For instance, it is much easier to be furious at a hypothetical company figure than a real person standing in front of you. e truth is that great customer service is unforgettable; the stories are eminently repeatable. And we repeat them to the point that they become legendary. Never Get Mad at a Customer Nothing is dumber than getting mad at a customer. What is the point? ese days, when it is harder than ever to get a new cus- tomer and even harder to keep that cus-