American Customer Service Would you like to be a king or a queen? Would you like to have people waiting on you hand and foot? Many Americans experience this royal treatment every day. How? By being customers. Th e American idea of customer service is to make each customer the center of attention. People going shopping in America can expect to be treated with respect from the very beginning. When customers get to the store, they are treated as honored guests. The clerks greet them warmly and offer to help them find what they want. In most stores, the signs that label each department make shopping a breeze. Customers usually don't have to ask how much items cost, since prices are clearly marked. And unless they're at a flea market or a yard sale, they don't bother trying to bargain. When customers are ready to check out, they find the nearest and shortest checkout lane. Good stores open new checkout lanes when the lines get too long. Some even offer express lanes for customers with 10 items or less. After they pay for theirpurchases, customers receive a smile and a warm"thank you"from the clerk. In America, customer service continues long after the sale. Advertisements regularly include the motto"your satisfaction is guaranteed". So if there is a problem with the product, customers can take it back. The customer service representative will often allow them to exchange the item or return it for a full refund. For many American customers, service in America grows out of the belief that the customer is always right. That may not always be true. But, as someone has said, the customer is always the customer.