If you’re anything like me, the last thing you want to do is to spend 15 minutes or more on the phone or engaged in correspondence with a customer service representative via instant message or email. Let’s face it, by the time we’re reaching out to them for assistance—especially when we rely on their service for something critical (like access to streaming video so we can unwind after a stressful day), we’re already frustrated that we couldn’t easily resolve the issue ourselves and need immediate satisfaction.

This is often when the tedious questions begin. You know the ones I’m talking about: when some unsuspecting customer service representative robotically asks exactly the same questions that you already answered via the automated system that directed your service call to the representative in the first place. It’s times like these that I often practice my deep breathing skills and try to harness a Zen-like state, so that I won’t accidentally say something (or many things) unkind that might ruin that person’s day. It’s not really their fault, right? They’re just the unfortunate soul who stands between me and the final episode of “The Walking Dead” season three, and they don’t understand that if I don’t watch it now, I won’t be ready to watch the first episode of season four with my friends this weekend! OK, just breathe deep for 10 seconds….

This week I was thrilled to read about a customer service representative who just may have gone where no man has gone before—and to his company’s benefit. It started very innocently, when Netflix customer “Norm” requested assistance via instant chat for an issue he was having when streaming an episode of “Parks and Recreation.”  Rather than receiving a generic “How can I help you?” response, Norm received the following: “This is Capt. Mike of the good ship Netflix. Which member of the crew am I speaking with today?”

What? Did that customer service representative just respond as a character that was possibly inspired by “Star Trek?” He did indeed, and immediately, Norm was on board the good ship and happily participating in a 16-minute exchange as Lt. Norm, who has an engineering problem to report. By the end of the interaction, Lt. Norm was not only satisfied, but entertained, and so happy with the interchange that he told Capt. Mike that the chat “happens to be the best customer service experience I think I ever had.”

The good news for the good ship Netflix didn’t end there, however, as the entire conversation was featured in a Reddit post titled, “Best. Customer. Service. Exchange. Ever.” After that, the conversation went viral, it has been picked up by numerous media outlets and, according to Reddit comments, someone claiming to be a Netflix CSR stated that customers are now starting chats looking for help from Capt. Mike.

Other Reddit reader comments expressed the unfortunate truth that in today’s era of highly controlled and scripted customer service programs, many companies would fire or at least reprimand a CSR for bringing such levity to the situation. In this case, we are all fortunate that Netflix is not one of those companies and that they trust their CSRs to use their people skills to create a positive experience, rather than relying on a stale script.

Ensuring that excellent service is provided to customers is critical to a company’s customer retention and brand reputation. It’s rare that any of us take time to compliment a company for a job well done, but if we’re unhappy with a service we receive, you better believe we want to talk about it. According to Sprout Social, 74 percent of consumers rely on social networks to guide their purchases. So, in today’s socially-networked world, bad word-of-mouth can cripple a company’s reputation.

The good news is, a bad experience or customer complaint can be turned into a positive customer experience and, in some cases, can turn a formerly unhappy customer into an advocate for your brand. According to Social Media Today, 95 percent of unhappy customers will return to your business if an issue is resolved quickly and efficiently. Or, in Lt. Norm’s case, when the issue is resolved with humor.

Even if you don’t have a Capt. Mike in your customer service department, providing excellent customer service can be achieved in simple ways. Here are a few best practices to consider:

1. Acknowledge the problem promptly and whenever possible, in real-time. Today’s consumers are more connected than ever and expect swift responses. According to social media expert Jay Baer, 42 percent of consumers who complain about a company through social media channels expect a response within 60 minutes.

2. Demonstrate that you care about the consumer’s complaint—and mean it. Start by actually listening to customers and letting them know you are concerned about their issue. By doing so, you demonstrate interest in what they’re saying and if they feel you care about them, they’re more likely to care about you.

3. Do your best to resolve the issue and make it better, even if it’s not your fault. Maybe the customer is actually wrong. The product works, but they aren’t using it correctly. That’s not the point. Going above and beyond for a customer is an investment opportunity with potential to reach far more customers and improve your brand’s perception.

4. Follow up. It’s often the smallest gestures that have the biggest impact. Following up after a problem has been resolved is a great way to ensure the customer is satisfied and it gives you an opportunity to let them know that you hope to keep their business in the future.

For further customer service inspiration, and a reason to smile, I recommend reading the entire exchange between Capt. Mike and Lt. Norm, which can be found here.