Hearing the phrase might make you squirm from the memory of your latest horror story. We all have those. And studies show that when we are the victim of horrible customer service we are likely to share the experience with up to 20 people!

How are you treating your customers? Not just the kind ones, either. Now that I have been through this fabulous customer service training I am much more attune to how folks are treating those they “serve.” It can be frustrating and even exhausting to give customers respect when they are being downright rude, criticizing your craft, or even worse, questioning your motives.

But doing what is right always comes back around. Maybe not on your timeline - but it will come back around.     

The past two weeks have given me the opportunity to actually make eye contact with and even hug folks with whom I never thought I would physically spend time. From Baltimore to Nashville and even the local Olive Garden – I have hugged more “names” in the past 21 days than I ever thought possible. It is quite a joy for my soul; it also helps give e-mail and phone messages more heart.

Do you have clients, customers or family you would not recognize out of a crowd of two? Then hit the road, Jack, and go meet these folks! Meeting them face-to-face gave me a peek into the uniqueness of their world, which in turn makes my communication with them more effective, relevant and encouraging.

As someone who talks for a living, I could not ask for anything more than that.

I am headed to Baltimore for a business field trip. The coolest part is that my hubby gets to come with me. He can pretty much work from anywhere and our fabulous neighbors are taking care of our poodle, so he will be taking advantage of photo ops as I do my communication professional duties.

Hope to try (and actually enjoy) and few crab cakes and to also learn a great deal about my fellow Colleagues in the field offices. Should be lots of fun! Plus, I got to buy really fun luggage.

Nothing says World Business Traveler like a brand-new (Target clearance item) bright purple carry-on rolling duffel bag. Agree? And I am not even worried about the fact that my sweet husband says he “will never carry a bright purple bag through the airport.” Who needs a strong man when you have purple wheels?! FYI: This new travel accessory is so cool it has almost made me forget about my intense fear of flying.

A friend recently forwarded to me this wonderful Fortune Magazine article, What it Takes to be Great. Here is a sample, but you really must read the entire thing to get the full effect

What makes Tiger Woods great? What made Berkshire Hathaway (Charts) Chairman Warren Buffett the world’s premier investor? We think we know: Each was a natural who came into the world with a gift for doing exactly what he ended up doing. As Buffett told Fortune not long ago, he was “wired at birth to allocate capital.” It’s a one-in-a-million thing. You’ve got it – or you don’t.

Well, folks, it’s not so simple. For one thing, you do not possess a natural gift for a certain job, because targeted natural gifts don’t exist. (Sorry, Warren.) You are not a born CEO or investor or chess grandmaster. You will achieve greatness only through an enormous amount of hard work over many years. And not just any hard work, but work of a particular type that’s demanding and painful.

Buffett, for instance, is famed for his discipline and the hours he spends studying financial statements of potential investment targets. The good news is that your lack of a natural gift is irrelevant – talent has little or nothing to do with greatness. You can make yourself into any number of things, and you can even make yourself great.

Honestly, this article really did something for my soul. I hope you find it just as inspiring!