The five worst words in business

It never ceases to amaze me when I go to a fast food restaurant how frequently customer service seems to be a lost art. I was at Subway the other day and I was standing in line... it was my turn. With a glazed look, the girl behind the counter said, "May I help who's next?" I was the only next person. There was no one else she would likely consider helping and she asks to help who's next and not how can she help me. My wife and I went to a local Mexican restaruant, Costa Vida. She has commented so many times how much she likes the place and so I went with her. We stood in line and then I hear, "Hello, sir, how can I help you?" It is so much more inviting to be addressed directly. It is the simple acts of customer service that can make the largest difference.

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Corey Smith is the Vice President of Innovation at Fisher's Document Systems where he maintains a blog on business and technology.