Deep thought: no customer service provider worth his or her salt should ever use the phrase 'like I said.'

If you'd explained it clearly enough the first go round, you wouldn't need to say it again; if your customer's merely being obstinate, kill them with kindness.

I'm proud to write that in the year plus I've worked here, I've yet to hear that phrase let loose by anyone wearing a Catchlight logo.  I may have used it once, but I was talking to a friend about how much I hated the Monday night CBS lineup.  And I was on lunch, so it doesn't really count towards 'the residential painting companies who practice great customer service' portion of the ledger.