Often in my travels about town I’m asked, “What can Organization X do to get more/better coverage in your paper?” The answer is simple, but often taken as glib. “Say please and thank you,” I tell them.

Sounds kind of trite, but it’s perfectly true. The same lessons that mom imparted on you as a toddler are every bit as effective in the adult business world today as they were when you were eating paste in kindergarten.

We’ve sadly become a culture of instant gratification, firing off requests and demands with only our own aims in sight. The axiom holds true not only for the newspaper industry, but for every service one performs for another, every day.

Personally, I seem to be some sort of magnet for poor customer service, no matter where I go. Though there are shining exceptions, I invariably find myself stuck in an endless line, hoping desperately to gain someone’s attention, forgotten or ignored entirely, or greeted with utter disdain from someone who clearly hates her job.