Lately I've been pondering what I consider to be a glaring lack of outstanding customer service among doctors, dentists, attorneys, accountants, real estate agents, contractors, and others whose essential services can take a pretty big chunk of change out of our pockets. When I say "outstanding customer service" I am referring not only to the necessity for treating customers courteously and showing them how much they are appreciated. After all, those principles have always been a cornerstone of success in business, and professionals who don't abide by them aren't going to do very well (if they continue to exist at all). Rather, I am more concerned with what I would call a customer service "gap" or "lag" that results from too many of these businesses not keeping pace with the rapid changes that are taking place in the marketplace as a result of technology.

Let me give you some examples. When was the last time your doctor, dentist, attorney, or any of the other professionals on whom you spend a lot of money sent you an e-mail (without being prompted) asking how you are doing, or offering information that you might find relevant to your needs and interests? Have they ever sent you a link for any short video (or audio) they've personally made, letting you know the latest about what's going on in their industry? Are their websites anything more than a "pretty picture" (or perhaps a rather drab picture!) just sitting there on the Internet doing nothing dynamic or interactive---no blog, no videos or audios, no links to other relevant sites you might like to know about?

Furthermore, even if these professionals happen to be on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the other social media, how often do they actually post messages? And if/when they do, is it just a sales pitch for their services or are they sincerely making an effort to engage their customers (and potential customers) with helpful, meaningful information?

My point is that too many professionals simply haven't kept up with an already-huge and rapidly-growing segment of the marketplace, which includes a lot of their present customers and--most importantly--virtually all of their future customers! They don't seem to realize that although they may currently have a sufficient number of repeat clients, the changing marketplace will inevitably reward their competitors who are making the effort to give people what they want in today's technology-savvy world (and are going to demand in tomorrow's).

In my own case, I've decided not to automatically continue using the services of my familiar doctor, dentist, or other professionals unless they are committed to providing the kind of outstanding customer service (on an ongoing basis) that I've described above. And I'll throw in one more requirement while I'm at it: although we live in a very informal culture where people love to complain about their problems in public, I will no longer patronize any professional whose office staff cannot give me a pleasant, complaint-free experience while I'm there! (Example: I'm sitting in my dentist's waiting room--a stressful enough experience in itself--and I am forced to listen to the receptionists commiserating about their personal problems with each other!)

No more of that! If they want my business, it's time for these professionals to get in sync with today's changing marketplace and provide an ongoing experience of outstanding customer service!