Today, a salute--a shout out, if you will--to Damien G. at FedEx Kinko's. Damien solved a problem for me graciously and professionally.

Contrary to what you may believe, great customer service is not hard to find. Some employees, of course, have an innate sense of this. In others, it can be brought out. How?

Treat every service person with respect. We all deserve this.

Assume the other person wants to assist you

Ask for help in resolving the problem

Calmly, clearly, pleasantly explain the situation. Leave out extraneous details.

Voila!

You've heard about poor customer service. But what about those who abuse customer service reps? Remember, at all times, the "big 'R:'" Respect.