How many times have you heard the phase “Customer service is dead?” I’m always surprised that people actually believe this jaded sentiment. No matter what your profession—whether it’s dog walker, doctor or accountant—you provide some form of customer service. So, why not provide the highest level of service imaginable?

Giving your clients excellent service is more important now than ever. There are a multitude of companies out there, just like yours, waiting for you to slip up so your customer can take their business elsewhere. The better service you offer, the harder it will be for your competitors to get that chance.

Want to zap your customer service efforts back to life? Here are some tips:

• Listen: Take the time to get to know your customers—both professionally and personally. You’ll be amazed how many bonus points you score when you remember that your client’s son’s name is Matt, that they like to collect ceramic figurines or their favorite country is Italy.

• Stay in front of your customers: Everyone wants to feel like they are the most important customer. The more you communicate with them, the more they will appreciate you. Today’s technology makes this easy because you can talk to your customers through phone or e-mail, or use newer methods like Twitter or text messaging.
• Solutionize: Always push yourself to provide your clients with solutions to difficult challenges. Any time you can make their lives easier, you demonstrate your value.
• Admit fault: You are bound to make mistakes at some point. Admitting fault and, more importantly, making things right is always better than downplaying a negative situation or making excuses.

And don’t forget, people are more likely to remember negative experiences than positive ones, and it’s the negative ones that they share with others. We find this all the time with the Net Promoter Score research projects we manage for our clients.

For more food for thought, check out the top 25 ranked U.S. companies in customer service. What are your experiences with these companies? What aspects of your company parallel these organizations?