I admit I wear jeans when I'm working a night shift at the Deseret News and know I won't be meeting with anyone from the general public. But though I'm chained to my desk and rarely see anyone but coworkers, I dress in decent, business casual attire the other days of the week.

Back when I was business editor, I wore ties almost every day, but I don't do that any more — my hatred of ties is well documented!

An online commenter named Emily also had some thoughts on how customer-service workers can make a good impression, this time when answering phone calls.

"Phone customer-service reps should smile when talking," Emily wrote. "I was changing a flight with Delta yesterday, and the agent was grumpy and gruff. I was in a pleasant, chatty mood, and she clearly was not smiling. It left me feeling very cold.

"Smile when on the phone — it goes a long way."

A smile is a powerful thing. Try one, and see if more of your customer-service situations go smoothly!

If you have a personal-finance comment or question, send it to gkratz@desnews.com or to the Deseret News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, UT 84110.

E-mail: gkratz@desnews.com