Agreed...a good attitude on both sides really goes a long way. 
As someone who has been there, I actually looked forward to the customers who came in friendly most morning, even if they had something challenging to ask me to do. those personal relationships that develop really go a long way.
Let me tell a little one here. It's cold out and I ain't going out for awhile.
I had several pieces of equipment that had 2 transmissions each in them. I usually kept a spare rebuilt transmission in the warehouse at the dealership so a piece wouldn't be down more that a day or two for want of a transmission.
We went for a couple of years without one going out on us. But one day one did and so I called the shop foreman and said I needed it installed. Next morning someone in the front office called and said I didn't have a spare there and would I like to purchase a rebuilt one. I explained that yes I had one there, just ask any of the mechanics. Front office calls back and states again, "No, You don't." (We're talking many thousands of dollars here for a rebuilt transmission.) I let it slide a few days until I was in their place of business. I get the shop foreman to go in the front office with me and explain that I did indeed keep one in the warehouse and that "I" hadn't gotten it. Front office says they'll check on it. This went on back and forth for over 2 months while that machine just sat.
I called one day and asked what they had found out about my transmission. I get blah-blah-blah and "You didn't have one with us " again. I asked to speak with the branch manager and they tell me he's in Tennessee and won't be back for a few days.
Later that same day I'm in their place. The parts man on the counter quietly tells me, "You need to see the boys (mechanics) in the back." I tell him I don't have time today, maybe nexct time. "No. You need to see'em today." he says as he leaned his head toward the shop. Customers weren't allowed in the shop but I always went in there anyway so I went that day. (change the names) Max says when I walk in, "They found your transmission yet?" I tell him, no and he says, "See Butch." I rambled on back until I find Butch. Butch takes me on back to the engine deparment. We huddle in a corner and Butch takes out his business card and writes a telephone number on it. Butch tells me, "This is "THE MAN". This is the head of the whole company(company covers several sates and the telephone# is in Pennsylvania)." Butch goes on to say, "This is the # for his phone. No one answers this phone but him. Now, if a woman answers, that's his personal secretary and he's busy. Don't tell anyone where you got this number."
I came home and put on a pot of coffee. I called the # and got a woman, "Hello. You have reached the office of Mr. "TOP DOG" and he is in a meeting at the moment and cannot take your call. I am Miss. Ms. ??????, his personal secretary.May I be of some help to you." I told her I had a little problem with one of their branches and I needed to discuss it with Mr. "TOP DOG"." She asks me, "What is the nature of your problem? Maybe I can be of some service to you." I give her a very brief and I d mean brief account of what's been going on. She asked for my name, co. name, telephone number and then tells me, "If this matter isn't resolved to your satisfaction shortly, call me back."
I waited for the last of the coffee to drip in the pot, fix me a cup to go, and started out the door when the phone rang. It was the branch manager who was going to be away for a few days. He was on a plane over Tennessee. He wanted to know where my machine was and could the mechanics install the transmission that night. I told him tommorrow morning would be fine with me. He went on and on about doing it "tonight", he wanted me to be happy. This was the same dude that couldn't do anything before but now he couldn't do enough.
I hung up the phone and it almost immediately rang again. It was Mr. "TOP DOG's" secretary wanting to know if my problem had been resolved to my satisfaction. I told her "Yes Ma'am and I want to know one more thing? Do you have one of those little signs on the wall that says, "DO YOU WANT TO TALK TO THE MAN IN CHARGE OR TO THE WOMAN THAT KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON." She laughed at me and said they didn't allow that kind of trash on their office walls. I told her, "Well, if they ever do, just let me know and I'll get one for you because you sure took care of my little problem." She laughed at me again and said that it was her job, "...to take care of the little problems before they got to Mr. "TOP DOG"".
Found out later why there was a problem. One of the dudes in the front office of the branch had noticed this transmission (with my name on it, dammit) accumalating dust in the warehouse. Looked it up in the 'their' inventory and it wasn't listed (because it didn't belong to them, dammit). He had sold it after hours for cash. The yardman that loaded it out had told one of the mechanics that he had loaded it out per mr. "ASSHOLES" orders. When the mechanics expressed their opinion of the mistreatment I was getting, they were instructed to keep their mouths shut or "ELSE".
The next time I was in the front office (which didn't happen often) there were several new faces in there......
Modified to add a little moral to the story.
Now, if I had been a sourpuss all those years I did business with them, the hired help would not have gone out on a limb, risking their jobs, for me. I would never have gotten that "number" and I would have just been out several thousans of dollars with no recourse.
