Keeping your employees to a strict script when helping customers can prevent them from actually solving the problem in a logical way. You must allow for personalized service,or your customers will likely not be satisfied.

The other day I had another one of “those experiences” with my cell phone carrier. You know the kind: they do something stupid and then put up brick walls to avoid helping you.

I won’t say which carrier it is, but I’m using an Apple iPhone legitimately. I have been using voice and Internet access since December 2007. Suddenly last Sunday, my In­ternet access was terminated. I had been paying my bills promptly every month, so I know payment was not an issue. When I called to speak with “customer service” they asked for my PIN. Well, it has changed so many times that I didn’t remember. Then they asked me for the last payment amount and the date. Last month, I had extra charges, as I used more than my normal allotment, so I didn’t know that answer either.

Well, you would think that I was trying to break into Fort Knox! The rep refused to assist me, since I didn’t know those two pieces of informa­tion. They could have asked a host of security questions, like many other businesses. Instead, the rep kept resorting to the scripted answers she must have learned in some training class. It was like talking to a robot.

Customer service is not about quoting a memorized script to cus­tomers. I know some companies are oriented that way, even monitoring the calls to make sure those on the phone parrot back the party line. These companies don’t consider how real, bill-paying customers react to various situations. They are only interested in following a scripted guideline.

This 1950’s style of dealing with people just doesn’t work with today’s customers. We want to talk to real people when we contact customer service. We want them to understand the problem from our point of view. And no, merely quoting lines like “Yes, Mr. Brock, I apologize for the problem you’re having” fifty times is not going to cut it. This sentiment is about as legitimate as a politician saying, “I feel your pain.”

It takes more than training employees to relentlessly spout the company script. Real customers want real help, and that means you must have genuine empathy, genuine caring and the power to make a change.

My cell phone company could have asked a variety of security questions. Hey, my bank has a bunch of these so if I don’t get through on one, they can still determine that I am who I say I am over the phone.

I greatly appreciate security. I don’t want the bad guys breaking into my account. But with that security must come genuine caring and concern for the customer. This is the only way to make it work.

Customer service training must be more about setting the right attitude to help people, and less about memorizing a script. A memo­rized script quoted back too many times lets customers know you don’t care at all about their individual situations. Really listening and being creative to solve a customer’s problem (within specified parameters) can make all the difference.

I finally got my problem resolved after several more hours on the phone, and then going to the cell phone provider’s customer center. I wasted about 5 hours of my time, when a simple solution would have been possible. Believe me, if Apple ever allows us to switch to other carriers, I will probably be one of the first to jump ship.

Genuinely care for your customers. Be creative in helping. Put systems in place that allow you to achieve your bottom-line goals by helping customers solve their problems, not creating more complications. This is the path to customer loyalty and long-term success.