I just called a broker about a mortgage. The person on the other side of the line was extremely nice. We had a pleasant conversation, and I really felt I was getting a personal service. This was great.

And then, half way through the process, she started reading the marketing spiel off her script. About a minute's worth of pure praise of their service, with statistics and random figures. The personal touch magic wore off immediately.

Now, I know it's not her fault. She was instructed to read that speech to me. The problem is with whoever it was who thought that was a good idea. I'm sure they feel it's important to convey their success rates to new clients. The problem is, this isn't the way to do it.

Be creative. Give your representatives key points they should convey during the call. Don't sabotage their efforts to give a good service. Let them be honest, and kind and sympathetic. A marketing script is none of that. Don't kill the magic.