Now here's something you don't get every day: remarkable customer service from a near-monopoly. What a pleasure!

I've had mixed experiences with Comcast. I slam their business services division in "Five-Star Customer Service" (pages 29-31). Since moving to Naples, they have given service from frustrating to good: 1-4 stars. That's what we consumers expect in the absence of competition. Indeed, the few examples of four-star service (each time from the local call center here in town) we've had were surprising enough. I never thought they could do any better. Didn't think they had it in them.

Your expectations color the experience of the service you receive. If you go to the Ritz and spend $600 for a room, you're likely to think, "For $600, they'd better anticipate my every whim!" By contrast, a smile at the DMV could brighten your whole day. Service doesn't happen in a vaccum.

So granted, my expectation for Comcast's tech support was that I would wait on hold for a month, get transferred two or three times, and - when I finally got hold of an actual human being in tech support - that person would probably be (a) surly and (b) incompetent.

Enter Millie Giallombardo, based in Orlando. She was friendly and knowledgeable - how rare is that? She solved my problem in an instant, and she was actually fun to talk to!

I have to admit, I was actually disappointed that I didn't have a bigger problem for her to solve, so I could keep her on the line longer and grill her for more information. My number one query would have been, "How did Comcast find someone of your caliber? Is this a new management initiative (I hope, I pray), or is it just a happy mistake? Did you come to them already happy and helpful, or did they train it into you?" Okay, that was three questions. I won't apologize.

Millie - and perhaps more importantly, Millie's boss - I salute you. To do your job quickly and efficiently is commendable enough. To bring a smile to a frowning customer's face while you do it? That's what Spoiling your customer Rotten is all about!

"CompUSA, one-star all the way."

The following is from an email sent to me by my friend and fellow ToastMaster. He lives in Boston, and had this to say about customer service (blod is mine):

Thoughts while sipping my coffee this morning...
Good news with the weather is that it will get warmer soon; and the furnace will shut off... customer service... Oil company promised to cap my bill, yet price charged is higher.. gets old having to call to correct the bill every time. CompUSA sells items with promise of rebate, yet without fail denies rebates stating that postmark was after the deadline... rebates were mailed 3 weeks prior to the stated deadline; customer service phone line is voice prompt and fully automated... no human intervention whatsoever. No wonder that CompUSA is shutting 136 stores!

"CompUSA, One-Star all the way!" That's my jingle for that company. Fortunately, Coine is in a position to alienate a huge corporation or two - at this point in our business, we work only with companies that we respect. The fact of the matter is that we would not help CompUSA if they asked (which, just for the record, they haven't. They certainly have never heard of Coine Training, or even of the field of customer service training.)

What short-sighted leaders like those at CompUSA fail to realize is that they have created and maintain a huge industry through thier own shoddy performance: that of the Value-Added Reseller (VAR), many of whom are Coine clients, we're proud to say.

Buyer, the next time you need IT equipment of any sort, open your yellow pages before you get into the car to visit CompUSA. Or better yet, let our fingers do the walking for you. Through our network, we will find you a highly-reputable VAR in your area who will be happy to give you the customer service you deserve... with a smile... and they'll even pick up the phone when you call....