Happy New Year. A thought for 2006:

Our holiday party gave us an opportunity to swap stories with some of the shoppers we work with all year long. Nobody put on a lampshade and danced around, but we had a great time hearing stories from the field. The recurring theme: As consumers get choosier, good customer service is more important than ever. Everybody had lots of good - and bad - examples of the customer experience.

Our field agents reminded us how important our work is for our clients. As one shopper said, "If you get bad customer service, it can really ruin your day." Good customer service makes for many happy returning customers.

Want to learn more about the customer service you're offering, from a professional outside perspective? Contact us.

Reading the mail carriers' motto recently reminded us of our people making their appointed stops in all sorts of territory and conditions. One of our shoppers just came back from his latest mystery shopping schedule in Big Bear, California, altitude 7000 feet - which often means snow and lots of it. Has inclement weather ever kept him from the swift completion of his appointed rounds?

"No," he said. "I check the road conditions, I leave early, and I pack snow chains."

We didn't ask about "gloom of night," but we got the point. If our shopper says he'll be there, he'll be there.

Tips & tools: greeting customers

Nothing tells a customer "we care about you" more than a friendly greeting.

We all know that first impressions are crucial. In that moment of truth, positive or negative reactions are made immediately. In our work, we're always surprised when someone dealing with customers - a clerk or cashier, a waitress, someone doing phone support - doesn't take a quick second to greet the customer warmly.

It's easy to smile, speak to a customer, even just nod to deliver a greeting that builds rapport. More than that, it doesn't cost anything except an ounce of thoughtfulness.

No one likes to be ignored, especially while kept waiting. A customer who is met with a smile is more likely to associate you with great service - and is more likely to become a repeat customer.

This is why you'll find this question about greetings on every shopping report we do. We know how important it is.

Client Congrats: Wahoo's Fish Taco

Congratulations to Wahoo's for opening their new restaurant in Hawaii. With dozens of locations in southern and northern California, Colorado, and soon Texas, the Wahoo's wave is coming in big.

We love Wahoo's fun fresh menu, packed with great food at a great price in a festive surf-shop atmosphere. As our vice president Stefan Doomanis - shown digging into a Wahoo taco - says, "Lunch at Wahoo's always leaves me feeling good."

In addition to terrific food, a big part of Wahoo's success is their focus on fun - and that includes customer service. (It's hard to have fun if you're not being treated well.) We help Wahoo's with this by testing their customer service both lunch and dinner. Email notifications of 100% scores go to district managers and their director of operations, Steve Karfaridis, who says: