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There are times when a company?s ability to accommodate the need of the customer is impressive. However, there are many more times when the process seems to serve just the opposite purpose. There are times when I'm totally impressed with a company's ability to accommodate the needs of its customers. Unfortunately, there are many more times when a company's process seems to serve just the opposite purpose.

Since I'm on the road a lot, the accuracy of my travel arrangements is extremely important. A canceled flight or a problem with my hotel or car reservation can complicate a trip and distract me from my work. Even though Lisa, our Office Manager, double-checks all of my reservations, problems still do occur.

Here's a portion of a conversation that Lisa had with a hotel:

Lisa: I'd like to confirm a reservation for Ron Rosenberg for October 3, please.

Them: You'll need to speak with the Reservations department.

Lisa: Okay, can you transfer me?

Them: I'm sorry, they're out to lunch right now; can Central Reservations help you?

Lisa: Are you saying that the entire Reservations department is out to lunch?

Them: Yes, ma'am, we've recently had to cut staff and it has created a shortage in reservations, especially during lunchtime.

Lisa: That's incredible - in my universe, staff is not allowed to take lunch at the same time because someone needs to be available to speak with customers.

Later that afternoon, Lisa spoke with the general manager of the hotel to suggest that she review the scheduling practices in her Reservations department. Actually, the manager offered to look into the situation and she offered to confirm my reservation.

To provide better service, customer contact groups must be aware of how they are meeting their customers' needs. For instance, bank tellers typically take lunch late so they can help customers during the standard lunch hour. At airline check-in counters, more staff is available at peak times to ensure faster check-in. On the day of your departure, hotels typically slip your bill under the door to speed the check-out process.

Take a minute and look at your own job. Do the services you provide accommodate the needs of your customers? Let's make it a goal to create a "universe" of great customer service!

Ron Rosenberg helps organizations get more customers than they know what to do with and keep them for life. For a Free Special Report with 44 Proven Customer Service tips, visit www.qualitytalk.com/tips.