What does customer service mean to you?

It's a thought that's been prying on my mind over the last couple of days after a bit of a run in with Boots online.
What, for you, would mean good customer service from a company?
Always answering your calls?
Always being polite?
Never making a mistake?
Well read on to find out what I think real customer service is..........
Harry, (my three year old son), recently asked for a Leap pad explorer for Christmas. For the non parents amongst you it's this Christmas' must have toy and has actually made the 2011 list for must have toys at Christmas.

As you can imagine it was a nightmare to get a hold of.
I couldn't find one anywhere! Every where I checked was sold out.
Then someone told me Boots online had them for sale and not only that but had them on a buy two presents get the third free - What a bargain!
So I picked my two other gifts, paid online, received my Boots advantage points, (my wifes account not mine, honest), and just sat back and waited for the gifts to arrive knowing Harry was going to have a great Christmas.
Then I had a phone call yesterday. There was a mistake on their website and they were actually out of stock, we're very sorry Mr Crossland, they said but we can't get you your Leappad before Christmas.

This is where we get to the customer service and how I define it. If a company makes a mistake and admit it I don't mind so much.
Everyone makes mistakes; the bottom line being we're all human and these things will happen occasionally. What makes a company stand out in my eyes, and it's how I've always tried to treat my clients, isn't by saying we never make mistakes, it's what happens once a mistake has been made.

The guy I was talking to at Boots online checked the original price of my Leap Pad Explorer, then checked where else had them. There was some being sold on Ebay but they were £35 more expensive.

So he said I could keep the cheapest of the three gifts I had picked for free, he gave me a full refund of all three purchases and let my wife keep the Boots advantage points for the entire order, even though I was getting a full refund and not spending any money with them.
I then went away and bought the Leap pad from Ebay.

Yes I was disappointed that it had happened but all's well that ends well; Harry's getting his Leap Pad for Christmas and I'd be happy to buy with Boots online again because of the way I was treated  after they made an error.

So how do you define good customer service?

Happy cruising.