Have you ever experienced exceptional customer service from a business? If so, why was it exceptional? Was it because your problem was solved, your question was answered, or your appliance was fixed?

I suggest that there's more to "exceptional" customer service than just having your problem or complaint solved.

For instance, you drive to a small independent auto mechanic, hoping he can help you with an issue that has been giving you fits. You are incredibly frustrated because you've spent hours scouring online forums to see if there is some way you can resolve the issue yourself and avoid an expensive bill. No luck. When you walk into the shop, you realize it's a one-man operation. The mechanic takes the information about your problem, your name, phone number, email address, etc. He says that if you want to stick around, he'll take a quick look. 10 minutes later, he comes in and says, "you're all set." "You fixed it already?" "Yep, I just had to install a small sensor under the hood." You're amazed. "How much do I owe you?" "Oh, we'll say, 10 bucks for labor and 15 for the part."

As you get in your car to drive away, you should be elated, but you think to yourself, "that went pretty well, but I'm not sure I'll ever come back here again." Why? Your problem was fixed in record time; the cost was way less than you could have imagined. So why not tell all your friends and make this guy your new mechanic?

It wasn't what was done but how it was done.

It was clear that the mechanic really didn't want to be there. He seemed put out that he had to deal with you. He never made eye contact. You were a nuisance, a distraction, an irritation to him and his time. It felt like you were an interruption, and the only reason he fixed your car so quickly was to get you off his back so he could get back to things much more important than you.

What's the difference between good customer service and lousy customer service? Attitude. When Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, he did so out of genuine love and humility. He was not going through the motions.

Could that, or something of the sort, happen to us in the area of Christian service? Jesus plainly states that we are to follow His example. Example of what? If it is just serving others, anyone can do that. One can serve, but with a chip on their shoulder or with disdain for those they serve. One can "serve" others with an attitude that they are just going through the motions.

The Apostle Paul said, "do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil 2:4-5). The attitude of Christ Jesus was humility. One can serve with pride. One can serve with self-interests in mind. "What will I get out of this?" "How can I use this to my advantage?" "I really don't want to be here doing this, but I know it's what's expected of me, and I'll just grin and bear it." Is that really what Jesus was talking about, grinning and bearing it? Of course not.

In a sense, we are to provide exceptional "customer" service to one another. I put this in quotes because we are not "customers," we are members of one another, and we are to serve one another as Jesus served us. As put in Galatians 5:13, "through love serve one another."

Here's another real-life example from the world of "customer service." I recently had a computer problem that included two service calls. In the first call, the representative read from a script, followed a scripted help manual, and in the end said, "there's nothing I can do." Didn't even say, "sorry," She did call me "Sir," so that was a plus, but I think it was in the script.

In my second call, I spoke with a man who greeted me, asked how I was doing, was genuinely committed to his job of helping customers. He was knowledgeable, courteous, and sympathetic to the problem I was facing. That call ended with the same result as the first, as he  too could not help me. That's fine because I hung up knowing that he went above and beyond to find a way to solve my problem and make sure I was taken care of. He was apologetic that he could not have done more to solve the problem but clearly communicated to me that he was there to serve me.

Exceptional customer service is having someone genuinely interested in you and genuinely doing everything in their power to help you. The key is attitude. It starts with the heart.

As Christians, the attitude of our heart is just as important as the actions we perform. If we serve people begrudgingly, just because it's "the Christian thing to do," then we are not really serving as Jesus served.

Attitude is essential and includes a genuine heart of compassion and empathy. Serving people takes time and sacrifice. Sometimes we have to actually enter into their suffering—in other words, it may be costly as we get our hands dirty. If we are always second-guessing ourselves when an opportunity to serve or come alongside a hurting individual arises, we may have just a brief moment to decide. Sadly, we often choose not to get involved. A myriad of excuses come to mind, and we quickly move on.

When Jesus knelt down and washed his disciples' feet, he genuinely loved those men. I'm sure His simple act of humility and love stayed with the disciples for the rest of their lives. It left an indelible imprint on their hearts as to what genuine service means. Nothing was beneath our Savior. How about us? Do we leave people with the impression of disinterest, or do we show a genuine interest in them, demonstrating that we consider them as more important than ourselves?

Be the best representative of Christ you can when you have opportunities to love, minister, and serve. As Christians, we ought to provide the best “customer” service of sacrificial love we can—especially in a world that increasingly worships self and is increasingly hostile to the gospel of Jesus Christ. In humble service, we reflect Him, and He is glorified when we do.

"Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus."