When did you go from being a person or a human being to this ugly two headed monster that we all fret and fume about, called a customer?

When did the science of service become so complicated that we added on layer upon layer of unwanted strategy and forget one simple thought ... serve people the way you want to be served?

If you work in a clothing store and obviously you also buy and wear clothes - does your service style reflect how you want to be treated when you shop?

I was recently in a restaurant and this issue was just so in my face… It makes so much common sense (which is sadly uncommon in itself) that the waiters would serve the diners just the same way they want to be served when they go out to eat.

Am I really asking that much?

How many places have you been to and you would just love them to know that THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A "CUSTOMER" and that they're actually people who put food on your table. And that as someone who is paying for them to serve me I want what they want, when they do the same thing as me.

In times gone by companies measured a great ‘satisfaction’ score, then someone figured how about one for ‘loyalty,’ not to be outdone another one decided 'experience’ was the big deal. And then came the big one ‘Would you recommend?’

I know this is different to the waiter in the restaurant and the target keeps changing names – but the game’s the same.

The name of the game should be giving people a memory and experience so great…that they’ll want to repeat it.

But sadly the game is at best getting that score ... that darned customer score ... any way possible, or at worse not even recognising that the customer is worthwhile.

Many businesses have spent more time chasing the elusive ‘score’ than doing anything, different for the people they serve. And here’s why:

It’s the score that’s on the employee record sheet. It’s the score that’s tied to so may employees compensation packages and it’s the score that determines if that bonus arrives to pay for little Sally's orthodontics or that trip to the snow or Seaworld or to pay the private shool fees. Am I wrong or does this sound like Pavlov?

So do you serve customers, clients, people, individuals, human beings or don't you really care as long as they open their wallets or let you raid their credit card?