a couple of weeks ago, I had to call my local telco, always a dreaded experience. After I had finally gotten through the levels of the voice response menu and got a person, it was:

CS Agent: Thank you for calling, how may I provide you with exceptional service today?

How may I provide you with exceptional service today? You can bet the agent didn't come up with this phrase all by herself. And I doubt if her management came up with it all on their own. No, I detect the fine hand of a consultant here--maybe the pointy-haired guy in Dilbert went into the CS consulting business.

What imaginable purpose is there in requiring this phrase to be used in thousands of calls per day? Customers will decide if the service is "exceptional" or not based on what gets done or not done. You're not going to convince them by using the word. And from the standpoint of the CS agents, this kind of thing can only breed cynicism.

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