Thanks to Jeff Jarvis, I found this remarkable article from Craig Newmark, the Craigslist founder, and his vision about customer services.

My title at craigslist is “customer service rep and founder,” and my customer service role is at least a full-time gig.

I figure that reasonably good customer service is part of the social contract between producer and consumer. In general, if you’re going to do something, you should follow through and not screw around.

This isn’t altruism or social activism; it’s just giving people a break. Pretty much all world religions tell us that one moral value is to help other people if you can. I feel that customer service, even when you get paid for it, is an expression of that value, an everyday form of compassion.