Why Do I need YOU-- A "Service" Professional?

  A friend of mine is getting married soon.  She calls several travel agents wanting help in planning her honeymoon.  Now, this lady is an experienced traveller, she has been all over the world and knows how to travel.  3 weeks of phone calls, voice mail hell, emails that never get answered and finally going to the travel agent's office results in, "I am going to be gone next week, however, I will try and get you something before I leave."
    My friend was looking for travel and event options while on her honeymoon.  Sadly, she had to find all of the travel and event options by herself, the "service professional" could not come up with unique and creative solutions for her.
   Another friend has taken a job transfer out of town.  He called a couple of professional realtors to seek assistance selling his home.  Interestingly, he experienced the same run a round-- calls placed, voice mail hell, emails not answered, go to the office of the realtor and be told that "I was just going to call you-- I have been real busy."  Interestingly, after he visited with the realtor he was recommended to visit with, he left feeling that "this does not feel right."  My question was, "What does not feel right?"  Well, the answer was that my house should be priced about $30,000 lower than others in the neighborhood so that it could be sold rapidly.  Again, this friend is a smart guy that has owned several houses and other properties.  He felt that he was not being taken care of properly.
    As a service professional-- and are we not all service professionals-- if we don't help answer the client's questions and concerns, why does the client need to seek our assistance.  In both of the above mentioned examples---which, trust me, are as true as night, service professionals "dropped the ball" in trying to provide service.
    In today's world, you only get one chance to fulfill a service request.  If you fail to answer the customer's question, you won't get another opportunity.  Competition is too great and time if too fleeting to fiddle around.
    Think about how you handled your last service request from a customer.  If you did not make that client "Job 1", you lost the client, lost the contract and lost the opportunity to grow your business.