ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To My Dad
This book is dedicated to my Dad, Jack B. Kamin, author of the poem on page 84, which he wrote in May 2009.

Dad passed away on June 2, 2009. He was an extraordinary man and a wonderful father. He will always be in my heart.

To My Friends
Thanks to my friends for supporting me in writing 10 Steps to Successful Customer Service. Special thanks goes to Mimi Clark, my best friend from high school. Mimi is a crackerjack proofreader who made the process of writing this book fun, especially in the wee hours of the morning.

Meem, I can’t thank you enough. Your friendship is . . . priceless.

I would also like to thank Brad Stocker, who contributed the ideas about being a good customer in Step 9, and who is always there for me with guidance and support.

Thanks also to Karen Campbell, Phil and Joan Runnels, Dr. Donna Goldstein, and Pam Aeppel, whose friendship, to paraphrase Josh Groban, “lifts me up so I can see the mountains, and makes me more than I can be.”

I extend heartfelt gratitude to Aunt Judy, my best buddy from birth; my brother for his great hugs; and to the best Mom in the world—my Mom—for her enormous strength, patience, and unwavering love.

Thanks to Mark Morrow, former acquisitions manager for ASTD Press. I wish everyone a Mark Morrow in his or her life. In addition to being an understanding and patient editor, he is water in a desert: always a welcomed comfort as a friend and a professional.

Special thanks go to Belinda and Lisa, my editors. Their support and expertise have paved the way for this book to be useful in the pursuit of customer service excellence.

May everyone be blessed with the pleasure that comes from connection with friends, family, and service professionals. It’s all about caring and connection—what all the people mentioned here have offered me.

Sincerely,

Maxine Kamin, MEd