Charles Dickens could have been writing about customer service when he wrote the first few lines to “A Tale of Two Cities.”

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

That sentence fits many of our memories of customer service. Like many things in life, we often remember only the extremes of customer service.

We immediately can recall the absolute worst customer service experience we’ve had. The mere memory is usually enough to bring back the original feelings of anger and frustration.

On the other hand, the rare instances in which customer service was provided with amazing grace and sincerity also stand out in our minds, too.

When customer service stinks, its stench lingers for a long time, but when the service is exemplary, the recipient feels like a king or queen.

So it was with great pleasure that we saw the annual list of tourism superstar awards given by the Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Council.

The list included tourism professionals from all walks of life, from executive chefs to bartenders to antiques storeowners.

Each was honored for the positive, constructive way in which they contribute to great customer service and improving the visitor experience in Natchez.

We applaud each one of them and thank them for being excellent ambassadors for Natchez.